Frailty

Before there is a comparison made between the two epics, there needs to be a look at the background and historical context of each work. According to Tolkien, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was probably written in the latter half of the fourteenth century, by an author who was from the West Midlands of England, and much more conservative and less cosmopolitan than his contemporary, Geoffrey Chaucer in London (Tolkien 229-230). Merwin, however, places the author closer to Wales and states further that Sir Gawain and the other Arthurian legends were popular among the English knights and soldiers during the Hundred Years War between France and England (xiii, xxi). Additionally, Sir Gawain, used grammar and language that is called "alliterative," which is a form of writing that matches the beginning consonants of words, as

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tempted more than he has been the entire year as the lord of the castle and his wife seek to find the human frailty and weakness in Sir Gawain. Each day the lord of the castle goes hunting and presents what he has caught as a gift to Gawain. Gawain in turn gives the host what he has received, usually a kiss of greeting, since that is what he received from the lord's wife. Each day Gawain remains in the castle and is tempted by the lord's wife. Resisting her is not a matter of simply saying no as true courtly behavior demands that he treat his hostess well and be honest with the host (Ramsey 206). This he is able to do until the final day. Sir Gawain has been tempted with luxury and seduction for several long days. When he does finally succumb to the weakness of accepting a gift from his host's wife, it is because of fear of his life as he accepts what he is told to be a magic girdle that will save his life (Tolkien 290:74). When Sir Gawain does finally meet up with the Green Knight, who is also his host, he is remonstrated for his frailty because he flinched, or showed cowardice, as the ax swings down (300:91), as well as after the third swing, for the dishonesty of not being honest with his host about the gift of the girdl
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Approximate Word count = 1911
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)