Role of Women[edit]

Introduction[edit]

Women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Morte Darthur play major roles in the outcome of the two epics. Their role is to act as an obstacle to overcome for the knights Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot. In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, Lady Bertilak’s goal is to tempt Sir Gawain into doing what she wants for the Lord. In Morte Darthur, Lady Guinevere tempts Sir Lancelot into adultery and causes the war between him and King Arthur.

Overview: Sir Gawain and The Green Knight[edit]

Sir Gawain is challenged on New Year’s to a game by the Green Knight. The Green Knight wants Sir Gawain to swing an ax at him with all his might. Sir Gawain does this and ends up chopping off the head of the Green Knight. The knight then leaves, and Sir Gawain is tasked with searching for the knight. Sir Gawain is given one year to find the knight and let the knight use as much force as Sir Gawain had done to him. One year later Gawain sets out to find the Green Knight and comes across a lord who invites Sir Gawain to stay at his castle. Throughout Sir Gawain’s time at the Lord’s castle he comes across Lady Bertilak who continuously tries to tempt him into doing what she wants from him. Through three attempts Gawain only falls into temptation once. Once he finds the Green Knight, Gawain lets the knight swing an ax at him. Gawain is only minorly injured when the Green knight reveals himself to be the lord. The lord was testing Gawain to see if he would fall into temptations and the only time Gawain failed was when he accepted the girdle from Lady Bertilak.

Overview: Morte Darthur[edit]

In Morte Darthur, Sir Lancelot and the wife of King Arthur Lady Guinevere, are accused of adultery by Sir Agravain who ends up plotting to catch the two in the act. King Arthur allows Sir Agravain to do this, and once caught in the act by Sir Agravain, Sir Lancelot flees promising to save Lady Guinevere. After this ordeal King Arthur sentences Lady Guinevere to burn to death. Sir Lancelot ends up coming and saving Lady Guinevere, and in the process kills two knights of the round table. This sparks the war between King Arthur and Sir Lancelot. King Arthur is mortally wounded during the war. Lady Guinevere dies shortly after and requests Sir Lancelot to bury her with King Arthur.

Role Of Women[edit]

Lady Guinevere in Morte Darthur acts as an obstacle for Sir Lancelot and King Arthur. Once Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere are found out Sir Lancelot kills the assailants who attempted to kill him. After Sir Lancelot kills the knights of the round table, Lady Guinevere says “now ye have done so much harm, it will be best that ye hold you still with this. And if ye seen that as tomorn they will put me unto death, then may ye rescue me as ye think best” (Mallory 344). After being caught in the act of adultery with Sir Lancelot, Lady Guinevere convinces Sir Lancelot to save her if she is put to death by King Arthur the next day. Sir Lancelot without hesitation saves Lady Guinevere the next day and ends up killing two knights of the round table. This sparks the war between King Arthur and Sir Lancelot which shows how Lady Guinevere acts as an obstacle between Sir Lancelot and King Arthur. King Arthur is killed during the war and before Lady Guinevere dies she tells her ladies, “and hither he cometh as fast as he may to fetch my corse, and beside my lord King Arthur he shall bury me” (Mallory 353). Ironically, Sir Lancelot is left on his own with Lady Guinevere asking to be laid to rest with King Arthur.

Lady Bertilak in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, takes numerous attempts to tempt Sir Gawain. The Lord leaves Sir Gawain with Lady Bertilak and she tells Sir Gawain, “And right her you lie. And we are left all alone… You’re free to have my all, do with me what you will” (Sir Gawain 1230-1239). Lady Bertilak tries to tempt Sir Gawain to which he replies, “such gracious flattery, though I am not him of whom you speak. I don’t dare to receive the respect you describe” (Sir Gawain 1241/1243). Lady Bertilak attempts to tempt Sir Gawain and he ends up rejecting her in order to maintain his integrity. Lady Bertilak tries twice more and fails until her last try. She eventually succeeds and gets Sir Gawain to take a green girdle. Gawain goes on to confront the Green Knight, who ends up being the lord. The lord takes the girdle from Gawain and says, “Because the belt you are bound with belongs to me, it was woven by my wife so I know it very well. And I know of your courtesies, and conduct, and kisses, and the wooing of my wife – for it was all my work!” (2357-2361). The lord used his wife Lady Bertilak to tempt Sir Gawain and succeeded in this endeavor. This teaches Sir Gawain a lesson to not give into his desires.

To conclude, the women played a massive role in both Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and Morte Darthur acting as an obstacle. Lady Guinevere acts as an obstacle by driving a wedge in between Sir Lancelot and King Arthur which causes a war. Lady Bertilak is an obstacle to Sir Gawain as she continuously tries to tempt him.

Works Cited[edit]

“Sir Gawain and The Green Knight.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature, by Stephen Greenblatt et al., W.W. Norton Et Company, 2018, pp. 140–195.

Mallory, Thomas. “Morte Darthur.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature, by Stephen Greenblatt et al., W.W. Norton Et Company, 2018, pp. 339–357.