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Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Moral Analysis

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Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Moral Analysis
In the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, many people believe that Sir Gawain does not abide by his principles, and he lets go of what he values most. He is so proud of his values that he depicts them on his shield, which he carries around everywhere. People do not contend about his first four sets of virtues since the book mentions,
First, he [is] deemed flawless in his five senses; and secondly his five fingers [are] never at fault; and thirdly his faith [is] founded in the five wounds Christ received on the cross, as the Creed recalls. And fourthly, if that soldier struggle[s] in skirmish one thought pull[s] him through above all other things: the fortitude he f[inds] in the five joys which Mary conceive[s] in her son, our savior.
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He agrees to his lord’s pact when he mentions “I agree to the terms, and I find it pleasing you favor such fun”(1112). He already makes a deal with somebody he was just acquainted with and the lord can deceive him through the deal, but trusts the lord, thereby depicting his friendship. In addition, he abides by the pact and gives kisses due to his bond with the lord. Gawain “h[olds] out his arms and hug[s] the lord and kisse[s] him in the comliest way he could”(1388-1389). These actions are quite difficult for him because the details of his confrontation with the king’s wife can be easily exposed and can lead him into trouble. However, due to his strong fellowship, he takes this risk and kisses the lord. In both examples, he values his relationship even though that it can hurt him. Finally, he expresses disgust after not giving the girdle to the Green Knight. Gawain “grab[s] the girdle and ungather[s] its knot and fl[ings] it in fury at the man before him” (2376-2377). Although he makes a small flaw by not giving the sash to the Green Knight, he only does so because he wants to survive. Compared to all his virtuous acts, this fault is very minor because nobody is perfect. If one makes a mistake, it does not mean that one is not successful; it just means that one is human. The important fact is that he realizes his mistake and repents, just like a good

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