Importance of Strength and Faith
Regardless of the position in authority a person may have or how wise a person may consider himself, a Divine presence is inevitable in order for one to succeed. Sir Gawain and Everyman (translated by Burton Raffel) both took place during the Medieval Era, where these ideals were prevalent. Throughout both texts the main characters face issues that provide them understanding of how tremendous Gods’ blessing is when one humbles themselves before Him. The authors of both texts create a Biblical argument of how significant it is to humble oneself, even if it may translate into humiliation. Sir Gawain and Everyman both had to “resist the devil, [in order for] him [to] flee from [them]” (James 4:7-10). Sir Gawain, the brave knight, was frightened when he arrived at the “ugly and gruesome [chapel]” (Sir Gawain 31), it was a place in which “the devils of hell could pray their prayers quite well” (Sir Gawain 27-28). Sir Gawain understood that it was “Satan who struck [him] with [that] meeting […] [and] he sent [him there] to destroy [him]” (Sir Gawain 34-35). He knew that the devil had the capacity to destroy him and at that moment he knew that he was required to resist any offers the devil had in order for him to leave. The devil is not only present in dark and negative locations but also in ones daily basis, and that is how he was able to tempt Everyman. When God sent Death to Everyman he said “O Death, thou comest when I had the least in mind! In thy power it lieth me to save. Yet of my good will I give thee, if thou will be kind […] and defer this matter till another day” (Everyman 97-101). The devil was capable of blinding Everyman to the point in which he chose materials over obeying God and his choice of sending Death to him. Different from Sir Gawain, Everyman was required to learn the difficult way that he must have resisted the devil in order for him to leave and Gods’ blessing take charge into his life. The devil presented himself tempting Sir Gawain
Bibliography: Adventures in English Literature. Ed. Fannier Safier Orlando: Holt, Rinehart & Winston--Harcourt & Brace, 1996. Print. 89-90. Safier, Fannie Ed. Adventures in English Literature. Orlando: Holt Rinehart & Winston—Harcourt & Brace, 1996. Print. 111-120. "James 4:7-10 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com." BibleGateway.com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 100 Versions and 50 Languages. Web. 01 Oct. 2010.