Dr. Faustus

Dr. Faustus

  • Submitted By: christinam7
  • Date Submitted: 12/17/2008 7:22 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 472
  • Page: 2
  • Views: 434

gggimpressive image of the Green Knight, we also hear tell of the reputation belonging to the Knights of the Round Table. The Green Knight taunts the Knights saying: “Where now are your pride and your triumphs, your ferocity and your anger and your bragging words?” Although this is used in mocking terms, in my opinion, we all know that there is no smoke without fire and so there must be some truth and reality at the base of these insults. Behind it all, Sir Gawain and the Knights of the Round Table must hold some of these virtues.

The story begins at a New Year’s Eve feast at King Arthur’s Court, when a strange character referred to as the Green Knight bursts in on the celebrations. Immediately on arrival, the Green Knight challenges anyone in the court to a “Christmas sport”. His rules for this are that one knight in Arthur’s Court must agree to accept one blow of his axe after having the chance to give one to the Green Knight. Because none of the Knights immediately volunteer to accept the Green Knight’s challenge, King Arthur himself volunteers in order to save the court’s reputation. However, as soon as Arthur’s hands touch the Green’s Knight’s axe, Sir Gawain, proving to be the hero that I believe him to be, leaps out of his seat to stop him. By stepping up and accepting the challenge, Gawain shows his loyalty to the King and hence shows that he at least, holds some of the qualities of a hero. In doing this, he says: “I am the weakest, I know and the most deficient in understanding and my life would be the smallest loss if the truth be known.” This quote shows Gawain for the humble and modest Knight that he is. It shows how he has no false notions of himself and how he is willing to put others before himself, which is a quality of a hero, in my opinion.

Another factor that I feel proves that Gawain is a hero is how he endures the suffering and pain on his quest to find the Green Knight, a year later. On his journey, Sir Gawain suffers from cold and...

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