Not As It Seems!
Sir Gawain's Pentangle
All is not as it seems in this
section. This dichotomy is a device used throughout the poem. Arthur's valiant knights
allow a complete stranger to ride untouched into their party. The Green Knight says he
comes in peace yet he bears the axe. Reality is different from appearance. Reputations and
proclamations are mere words and may be "puffed up." Men should seek the truth
for themselves and they should be truthful to themselves. The author of Sir Gawain and the
Green Knight is reminding the reader of the suddenness of death and the final judgment as
called for in the Christian faith. That judgment can come upon you in your finest hour, in
the midst of a party. Sir Gawain ultimately learns the lesson that men must be mindful of
their pride. Although he almost completely resists the temptations set before him by the
Green Knight, he does falter slightly, although only for fear of his own life. He thus
realizes that the flesh is weak, even in the most noble of men. He takes on the belt that
saves his life as a symbol to remind himself of his own weakness. He becomes wiser for
having faced death because he realizes that symbols, like the green belt he wears, like
the cross of Christ, can be powerful reminders of lessons and ideas forgotten in the rush
of daily life and human vanity.