Kelly - Blog #3

Jordan Kelly

Brit Lit

Period 6

10/3/13

Knights, many being Epic Heroes, play a large role in Anglo Saxon literature.  Knights guard the nobility and are used as the Crown’s personal military force.  Tangentially, some stories may coincide with one another, leading to the reuse of some characters.  "Le Morte d'Arthur" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" recite this theme in their use of the knight, Sir Gawain.  However, these characters are not always portrayed the same way, allowing the authors to add their touch on characters such as, Sir Gawain.

In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, Sir Gawain is portrayed as a strong and noble knight, one of the king’s right hands.  He is shown to be loyal to everyone he meets. including his enemies.  Similarly in “Le Morte d’Arthur”, Sir Gawain’s loyalty extended into King Arthur’s dream and is seen as he is the first to arrive to King Arthur’s aid, warning him of his fate and how it can be prevented.  These similarities help  the reader extend their knowledge from one story to the next.

Though it is true that Sir Gawain’s personality is portrayed similarly in both stories, the consistency, however, varies because of the different authors.  In “Le Morte d’Arthur”, Sir Gawain, instead of pushing for battle, does everything in his power to warn the king of a truce, during the dream.  This contrast can be seen in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, by Sir Gawain being the only knight to challenge Bertilak of Hautdesert; and later succeeds in surviving Bertilak’s game.