The Theme of Fear in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'

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In the story of Sir Gawain and the green knight the idea of fear is portrayed as a major theme and allows for certain characters to develop in different ways throughout the book. Fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat, and a defense mechanism allowing warning for a person before they are put into danger. (Hinton p.264-275) Although mostly every human being develops fear as a survival mechanism the idea of being fearful is often mistaken for weakness. Throughout the story, sir Gawain’s character is rushed with a fear of death and loss, and is forced to deal with his emotional conflicts in order to preserve what he truly stands for. As one of king Arthur’s knights of the round table Sir Gawain had a moral code to live by. Sir Gawain was forced to live under the rule of his chivalric values and to represent himself as the most noble and loyal knight he could possibly be. Sir Gawain had dedicated his life to becoming a knight and knew nothing else; everything Sir Gawain had was based around his values and his chivalric values. In the first seen of the poem The Green Knight enters king Arthurs Christmas party bringing with him a certain mindset along with cunning opportunities, and with a game that consisted of the exchange of devastating axe blows. As he entered the room he brought with him fear, instilling it in every person in the castle. To some the green knight brought physical fear such as shaking and trembling, but to others such as Sir Gawain the knight brought a fear of something else. A fear of the loss of everything Sir Gawain had, which was his loyalty, his bravery as a knight, and his life. With these thoughts, brought up by the green knight, conflicting in his head Sir Gawain spoke up and bowed to the king, “release me, Permit me to rise without discourtesy, and without displeasing your queen. Let me come to counsel you, here in
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