What Makes A Man
Looking at a story like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, there are some striking differences between their values and the values we hold today. This is especially true for the roles of men and women, as best illustrated by Gawain’s visit to the home of Bertilak. The men partake in daring battles and hunts to prove to their toughness and fortitude to their women. Meanwhile, the ladies flirt and are constantly judged solely on the strength of their looks and appeal to men. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the stereotypical roles of men and women and how strongly they are enforced displays how each gender revolves around the expectations of the other, and emphasizes the pressure put on Gawain to live up to his image as a supposed ideal man.
The men of Gawain’s tale are primarily defined by their feats of strength and valor, and thus, must continue to prove their strength to women for the remainder of their life. Notably, this “strength” affects all areas of their life, particularly their activities in the bedroom. When Lady Bertilak begins her temptation of Sir Gawain, she tells him “’I know your name-the knight Sir Gawain, famed through all realms whichever road he rides, whose princely honor is highly praised…You’re free to have my all, do with me what you will’” (1226-28, 1237-38). Because Gawain has built up such a lofty reputation, he has also brought upon himself a certain set of expectations regarding his behavior towards women. Unbeknownst to him, he is being deceived with the lady’s flattery to see if an appeal to his manhood will win him over and persuade him to sleep with her. However, Gawain “acts graciously and remains on guard” (1282), defying the expectation that a man will always fall prey to a beautiful woman who is impressed by his physical feats. This leads to her remark, “‘But I know that Gawain could never be your name’” (1293) because a man like him “‘could never have lingered so long with a lady without craving a kiss’” (1299-1300). While her tone is one of gentle mockery, there is a hint of truth beneath those words. It is not the place for a knight of such high stature to refuse a woman’s proposition, yet engaging Lady Bertilak in anything further than kissing never seems to cross Gawain’s mind. In terms of the Middle English value system, this makes him an anomaly. As for the other men, they judge their masculinity through their daily hunting expeditions. When Lord Bertilak displays his killings for Gawain to see, he asks “‘Are you pleased with this pile? Have I won your praise? Does my skill at this sport deserve your esteem?’” (1379-80) His urgency portrays how deep the desire for praise and affirmation of strength runs within the men of Arthurian legends. Bertilak’s motivation for making his deal with Arthur in the first place stems from a need to make a name for himself and have something to live up to. As the hunting scenes play out, the master “found his mark, knifing the boar’s neck, nailing his prey, bursting the hog’s heart” (1592-93). The description may seem needlessly gory, but it illustrates exactly what acts a man will attempt in order to be known as powerful and receive the same attention from women that Gawain garners.
What little presence that women have in the story shows the value of beauty and a flirtatious nature above a woman’s character. Should a woman in Arthurian times be lacking in either of these departments, she will automatically be seen as somewhat inferior. Gawain meets two near opposite women in his visit to Bertilak’s home, and his reaction to each is telling. The first and younger of the two is the lady of the house, and is “fairest amongst them-her face, her flesh, her complexion…more glorious than Guinevere” (943-45). To this woman, Gawain responds warmly and affectionately, “holding (her) for a moment in his arms, kissing her respectfully” (973-75). This portrays how beauty was (and still, in a way, is) seen as a value to be sought after, especially considering that women were once seen as second-class citizens compared to men. The only way they could truly gain any attention was with their looks. In contrast, the woman holding her hand is “someone altered by age, an ancient dame”(948). Yet in spite of her decaying looks, the reactions she inspires are not entirely negative. Gawain recognizes that she is “well respected, it seemed, by the servants at her side” (949) and is perhaps “A grand old mother, a matriarch” (964-65). It would seem plausible that this might allow her to receive a bit more respect than she does within the text. Yet she is frequently referred to as a “crone” by the narrator, and only receives “a long, low bow” (972) in thanks for her hospitality to Gawain. When comparing a woman’s level of respect with her beauty, there was never any competition in those days: beauty always reigned supreme. Furthermore, while Gawain never goes as far as sleeping with Lady Bertilak during his visit, she still insists “‘Nay, knight, since you decline to pass me a prize, you must have one of mine’” (1813-15). After a lifetime of having men fawn over her for her attractiveness, Lady Bertilak has suddenly encountered a man who is immune to her tactics. Still, she persists—this has become her very own hunt, and she intends to succeed. Gawain, for his part, is eventually worn down, believing that the lady’s girdle “might just be the jewel for the jeopardy he faced” (1856). While Gawain accepts the gift solely to save his life, it is likely that he also feels slightly indebted after giving her nothing but kisses for these past three days. This type of behavior is just one example of the flippant attitude that both parties regard the attempted affair with. While cheating on a spouse is generally looked down upon, Lady Bertilak does not seem willing to acknowledge the potential severity of her actions. In their first encounter, she “cast up the curtain and crept inside, then sat down softly at the side of the bed” (1192-93) with a level of stealth that suggests she has done this a number of times before. Thus, her cool demeanor may stem from her acceptance that men will always look at her and see nothing but her outward appearance and sexual appeal. She is only giving them what she knows they desire. This, combined with the constant focus on power with Gawain’s gender, is what puts Gawain in the difficult position he remains in for most of the story.
Throughout his journey, Gawain struggles with his need to be the image of a perfect, virile warrior and dealing with the affections of Lady Bertilak properly. Despite being Arthur’s nephew, he still struggles with feelings of inadequacy when compared to the other knights. On the day of the Green Knight’s first attack, Gawain tells the king, “‘I am weakest of your warriors and feeblest of wit; loss of my life would be least lamented. Were I not your nephew my life would mean nothing’” (354-56). Gawain may have a strong reputation, but in his eyes, it is worthless. This is his motive for sacrificing his less than meaningful life to save the other, far superior knights. Yet by fighting off the Green Knight and saving the hall, he earns genuine respect from all of the lords in the castle, and they bemoan his leaving with “‘A pity, by Christ, if a lord so noble should lose his life. To find his equal on earth would be far from easy’” (674-76). Gawain’s growing respect throughout the land symbolizes his transformation into the “ideal” man—tough and fearless. But while his outward strength is unquestionable, his inner strength is not all that it is made out to be. With the whole house of Bertilak regarding him as “a prince without a peer” (873), it would make sense that his ego would become slightly inflated. However, when the time comes for his duel with the Green Knight, he finds that he is not quite as mighty as he has come to believe. His attempts to put on a brave face crumble when “glimpsing the axe at the edge of his eye bringing death earthwards as it arced through the air…Gawain shrank at the shoulders” (2265-67). This is a moment of truth for the knight, where he finds the real source of a man’s strength. His confession “‘I flinched at first, but will not fail’” (2282-83) is his way of acknowledging that he does have his flaws, and will never be a fully perfect knight. It is a revelation that was initially foreshadowed by the aforementioned girdle given to Gawain by Lady Bertilak. With this gift comes a conflict for the protagonist, indebted to both the Lord and Lady of the house. While he finally accepts her gift with nobility, it does not stop him from “hiding it away from all hands and eyes” (1875) in order to avoid suspicion from his gracious host. He is acting in self-preservation, but deep down knows that he must come clean in order to be truly free of guilt. As a compromise, he visits a chapel and begs the priest “to allow his confession, and to lead him in life so his soul might be saved when he goes to the grave” (1878-79). For this confession as well, Gawain is absolved from blame for his interactions with Lord Bertilak’s wife. His solution may not have been the perfect one, but the key component was his willingness to admit his mistakes. It is not his bravery in war or preservation of his chastity that make him an exemplary model of manliness, but his honesty in whatever situation befalls him.
In conclusion, Gawain is prodded at every step of his adventure by the rigidly enforced attitudes and behaviors of each gender. He lives in a world where men are rated according to their daring feats, and women must possess alluring looks and a coquettish nature in order to be acknowledged. Both live by the standards that the other side has set for them, and the struggle to measure up is undeniably fierce. But in his fight to prove himself, Gawain uncovers something even more powerful than agility or beauty: the power of honesty. His confessions free him, both literally and figuratively speaking, and he comes out of the experience as a better man because of them. Agility and beauty may be seen as desirable qualities, but without a strong sense of self to back them up, they mean virtually nothing.
Works Cited
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Major Authors. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. New York: Norton, 2013. 137-88. Print.
Essays
Comments are closed.
Likes
1031 Views
Share:
You’ve dismantled a lengthy entanglement of a story with a strong voice and delivery of relevant and captivating content, well done! You took advantage of each sentence to elaborate on the ways in which gender roles affect life choices and hinder the advancement of equality and I appreciate your careful selection of quotes and giving the characters more substance in the essay instead of only describing them.
The medieval-like setting parallels archaic ways of thinking such as all women are meant to be objectified by men. In this case, it’s an insatiable dame and a high society type, which audiences usually respond to well. I think your structuring of the essay was well thought out and that your interpretation of the story was poignant. Rich variety of language, overall very analytical essay. Keep up the good work!