Aaron Samson

Comp Lit. 7 Section A06

17 April 2007

Women in Gawain: The Assumption of a New Role

Christian themes were highly prevalent in medieval literature, often dictating the

morals and values of the religion. Women had a special place in these themes, and often

took the form of a temptress or a trickster, leading noble men astray from their Christian

and chivalric moral codes for their own personal gain or amusement. In Sir Gawain and

the Green Knight, Lady Bercilak and Morgan le Fay both participate in acts that could

potentially lead Sir Gawain astray. Because their actions are seen as tests of the character

and nobility, however, they assume an atypical role which redeems them by illuminating

the virtues of the two moral codes that Sir Gawain lives by.

Sir Gawain’s virtues and moral codes are illustrated through the literary

depictions of his shield, which represents the coming together of his two moral codes: his

religion, and his chivalric duties. A shield is a physical metaphor of knighthood and the

code that Gawain must adhere to while he retains that rank. The chivalric code that Sir

Gawain must adhere to as a knight values his king above else, followed by his fellow

knights. Here he maintains his senses of honor, nobility, and courage by participating in

acts of valor, and protecting his king above all else. The second part of the code that

Gawain must adhere to pertains to women; knights are expected to be respectful of all

women, participating in courtly love while always upholding and maintaining the honor
of the women. The symbols on Gawain’s shield represent the Christian virtues that

Gawain’s make up Gawain’s second moral code. The gold pentacle is a Christian symbol

that stands for purity and truth, while the portrait of the Virgin Mary is a constant

reminder of his Christianity and its according principles that Sir Gawain is said to live by.

The first test to Sir Gawain’s moral codes is provided by Morgan Le Fay, who

sends the Green Knight as a challenge. The fantastic appearance of the knight scares the

knights, forcing King Arthur to save the image of his court and meet the Green Knight’s

challenge. At this point, many of the nights have already defected from their initial

chivalric responsibility, which is to protect the king and his honor. Gawain rises to the

test, putting his fear aside to live by his morals and protect his king. When the first half of

the game is finished and the Green Knight leaves, Gawain is faced with another

challenge: he must sacrifice his life or, or sacrifice his chivalry by backing out of the

game.

It’s easy to see this test as malicious in nature, but its ambiguity and peaceful

nature turn defies those initial ideas. The Green Knight did not appear under evil

circumstances; in fact he “wore no helmet and no chain mail either,/ Nor any breastplate,

nor brassarts on his arms/ He had no spear and no shield for thrusting or striking…” The

knight never chooses Gawain to play the game; nor does he tell him how he should strike,

giving Gawain the ability to pick his own future. Arthur recognizes this when he tells

Gawain to “take care…how [he] makes [his] cut…” King Arthur recognizes that a smart

cut will be able to be endured, while a deadly one may be returned with full force.
 When Gawain decides to decapitate the Green Knight, he has chosen his own

fate, turning Morgan Le Fay’s game into a true test of his character and his adherence to

his chivalric values. Morgan Le Fay assumes an atypical role by testing the Green

Knight, instead of trying to lead him astray. The equivalent can be found in the story of

Sodom and Gomorrah, when two angels came to earth to find virtue in the two cities. The

circumstances were relatively the same, in that the people could either choose to be

righteous, or sinful, but ultimately they chose their own fate. In this way, Morgan Le Fay

defies the typical role given to women in classical literature by giving Gawain the chance

to illuminate his virtues and adhere to his morals, instead of tempting or tricking him into

a violation of his morals. By facing his death both against the Green Knight and again in

nature, his true nobility becomes illuminated by his quest and the values that he stands for

and represents are reaffirmed in his representation of them.

Gawain’s second test comes in the form of seduction and temptation from the

Lady Bercilak. Until the end of the poem it would seem that the Lady appears in the

traditional role of women in classical literature, however when the Green Knight reveals

that he sent his wife to test Gawain she assumes a new role. The Lady Bercilak attempts

to lead Gawain astray by pitting his chivalric and Christian codes against one-another, not

in the hopes that he will defy them but find a way to overcome the temptation and prove

his valor. In the end, Gawain finds a way to overcome his temptation, while giving the

lady the respect and honor that she deserves, while maintaining his Christian values by

not concealing anything from his host, and not being an adulterer.
 Lady Bercilak does assume the Eve archetype in her last encounter with Gawain

by giving her belt, but the recognition that Gawain is human redeems both characters.

When Lady Bercilak gives Sir Gawain her belt, she is essentially reenacting the Adam

and Eve story. She is still testing him, for under his agreement with the host, he would

have to give the Lord Bercilak the belt that he obtained. However the Lady gives Gawain

something that she knows he cannot refuse, and tempts him with his own life. When this

is revealed in Gawain’s final encounter with the Green Knight, Gawain repents through

words and does penance through the Green Knight’s axe, and asks to wear the belt

forever as a reminder. Even in Gawain’s mistake his virtues are revealed, for he adheres

to the Christian moral code; because he is man he is only a man he will never be perfect,

however he confesses and repents his sins, while paying penance in the form of pain from

the axe and embarrassment from wearing the belt. This illumination takes Lady Bercilak

out of the Eve archetype, for her test ended with Gawain’s enlightenment.

Morgan Le Fay and the Lady Bercilak both test Sir Gawain in different ways,

however their tests result in an illumination of Gawain’s virtues and nobility, while

serving as an enlightening experience to Gawain himself. Gawain’s enlightenment comes

with the recognition that as virtuous as he is, no man is perfect. Gawain’s eagerness to do

penance for such a meager sin illuminates how virtuous he is. Both Gawain’s

enlightenment and the illumination of his virtues could not have come without the

intervention of Morgan le Fay and Lady Bercilak; the results of these two women’s

interventions provide a sharp contrast to the normal function of women in classical

literature in which men are tempted into sin through the evil natures or selfish

ministrations of women.