Sir Gareth Character Analysis

Sir Gareth Character Analysis

  • Submitted By: joejoe6675
  • Date Submitted: 03/08/2009 8:26 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 918
  • Page: 4
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Sir Gareth Character Analysis
Clink! The shimmering swords slam together with relentless force. They battle until one can no longer withstand the opponent, and yields. The crowd cheers. In the Middle Ages, fencing and competitive fighting were extremely popular forms of entertainment, especially for upper classmen. In the story “The Tale of Sir Gareth,” King Arthur, the king of Camelot, had his own allegiance of skillful knights known as the Knights of the Round Table. Gareth, a tall noble-looking man, came into Arthur’s castle asking for a year of shelter and food, which were gifted to him. After the end of this year, Gareth showed his incredible fighting skill against Sir Launcelot, and after was honorably knighted. Known as Sir Gareth to the people who now knew his status, he was given a mission to save a beautiful damsel in distress. A long and difficult journey it was, having to encounter many ruthless enemies and deal with Lady Lynet’s lashing tongue as well. But, he faced these problems with incredible respect and vigor. In Sir Thomas Malory’s “The Tale of Sir Gareth,” Malory characterizes Sir Gareth as relentless and trustworthy in order to create the ideal knight, through the use of action and dialogue. The only way to survive in the harsh times of the Middle Ages is to prove your worth. The way most men try to prove their worth is by proving their strength and fighting skill. Sir Gareth, known as Beaumain at the time, attempted to prove himself in front of the Knights of the Round Table. Some observed Beaumain, others challenged him and fought with failure. “Sir Launcelot, who had hitherto been unmatched, was astonished at Beaumains strength and skill, and felt as if he were fighting a giant rather than an ordinary man.” (452) The importance of this event is the fact that Gareth defeated the one and only, Sir Launcelot. He was considered one of the greatest knights to have ever lived, so this achievement was definitely an honorable...

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