Sir Gain and the Green Knight The virtues that Sir Gain exemplifies are symbolic, like a shield for himself. The virtues that are exemplified the utmost are chivalry and honor. To commence, one of the virtues that is most exemplified is that of Chivalry. Towards the beginning, when Gain travels from Camelot, he realizes that he must seek physical comfort in order to survive out in the wilderness.
Gain comes across a castle who’s host gladly takes him in, within the time that he spends there the residents teach Gain about a chivalry that’s based more on truth and reality, unlike that of King Urethra’s court. For example, as he enters the castle the servants kneel before him on the ” naked earth” in honor (818). The following virtue that was brought to attention would be the virtue of honor. Sir Swain’s honor is greatly tested during multiple situations.
At the beginning, when he accepts the Green Knights challenge, Gain is seen as an honorable man because of his refusal to back down from his agreement, even if it did seem as if the Green Knight had the upper hand. The real test of Swain’s honor were all at the castle of Lord Vertical, who is also known as the Green Knight, which Gain was unaware of. Lord Vertical and Sir Gain come to an agreement called an exchange of winnings: Vertical was to give all of the game that he caught during his hunt to Gain, in return Gain was to give his host all the gifts he received during his stay.
One of the better test is the one that was carried out by Lady Vertical. Swain’s hosts’ wife continuously attempts to seduce him, but because of Swain’s nobility and honor, he resist each and every time. The one and only time that Swain’s honor seems to fail is when the hosts’ wife offers him a green girdle, Gain feels that it could protect him from any harm so he takes it and in not giving Lord Vertical everything he received in the castle he failed in keeping his agreement.
This ultimately showed that in that moment Gain cared for his life more than he did for his honor; however, he obviously felt guilty for lying during his agreement. When the Green knight reveals his knowledge of the girdle, Gain immediately hands it over and calls himself ” faulty and false. ” The Green Knight ends up prolonging the Gains beheading, he withstands two blows that he doesn’t carry out, Gain gets annoyed and asks the Green Knight to get it over with. On the third blow the Green Knight does end up breaking the skin, the Green Knight then reveals himself as Lord Vertical.
He explains to Gain that the two blows he didn’t carry out were the days which Gain honorably followed the rules of their exchange of winnings, and the last stroke represented his dishonesty on the last day. In the end, Gain ends by wearing the girdle as a reminder for himself, in doing this he shows how he is even honorable when facing his own failures. Sir Gain put being chivalric and honorable before his own life. Sir Gain highlights the importance of honor and chivalry in even the most dangerous situations.
