C & C Arthur And Gawain

Gizdarska 1

Simona Gizdarska Mrs. Methvin Honors English IV 17 September 2009 King Arthur and Sir Gawain – Two Different Men, One Noble Heart Let’s take a walk, dear friend. That’s right. Just take a few steps down the busy street. Now, look around. Most likely you will pass a few gents. How many of those fellows do you think would be willing to risk their life for you? How many of them will do all in their might to simply satisfy you? Sadly, your chances are slim to none. There was a time when that wasn’t so. There was a time when loyal knights and gracious kings roamed our lands. Honor was in their heart, and righteousness pulsed through their veins. Such men were the great King Arthur, and one of his noble knights, named Sir Gawain. Although they were two very different men, their similarities were endless. In Sir Thomas Malory’s tale Le Morte Darthur, we were introduced to King Arthur. He was the mighty ruler of Camelot. You don’t have to read the whole tale to understand Arthur’s character. A simple excerpt is enough. While the knight Lancelot was away, Mordred challenged his father Arthur to a battle. Arthur accepted, even though he was warned in a dream not to. This is where we witness one of the ruler’s flaws. He was slightly stubborn. From the excerpt, we also found out about Arthur’s impatience. In the beginning of the battle, a snake bit one of the soldiers, so he took out his sword to kill it. King Arthur mistook that as the beginning of the fight, so he immediately charged in. Except for his few flaws, the king was a very honorable man. He didn’t take advantage of his people with his supremacy. In battle, he was no different than them. Arthur was a humble leader, and thought by his men’s side ‘til the very end. Even when he was wounded, he would have forgot about his pains, and saved a man in need. Once he

Gizdarska 2

realized he wasn’t going to survive, Arthur asked one of his men to throw the magical sword Excalibur in the lake. He was certainly a wise man. The king knew what chaos the sword would cause after he was dead, so it was best that one should posses it. Until his very last breath, Arthur showed enormous courage and exceptional bravery. He was a true hero. One of King Arthur’s most precious knights was Sir Gawain. He possessed many of his king’s traits. He shared some of his flaws, and many of his wonderful gifts. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we are introduced with his character. Gawain was a true man of honor. As our tale kicked off, he made a promise to the Green Knight. That very promise would most likely result in death. That was of no importance to Gawain though. He was extremely brave, and knew he had to protect his honor.