Sir Gawain: triumph or failure?Sir Gawain is presented as a noble knight who is the embodiment of chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all courteous. He is the perfect knight; he is thus recognized by the different characters in the story and, despite all his modesty, implicitly in his vision of himself. For others, his greatest qualities are his chivalrous courtesy and his success in battle. For Gawain, these elements are important, but he seems to place even greater value on his courage and integrity, the two central pillars of his manhood. The story is concerned with the conflict between his conception of himself and reality. When Arthur's court was challenged by the Green Knight, Gawain alone offered to take the cup from Arthur's hands. He showed pride and courage more than any other – by coming forward. The poem is filled with opportunities in which Gawain was inevitably forced to face difficult decisions. During his travels he had every opportunity to turn back, especially when the rain, cold and desolation became fierce. Gawain, however, continued on his way. Three times the lady tempted him and twice he managed not to offend her with rudeness, nor to accept her amorous advances and defile her chastity. “In sad or happy destinies, true men can only try.” life as are the beats of his heart. The consequences follow him forever – he is judged by them and they affect his entire existence. However, judgment should not be made on a man's individual decisions, but only by observing the way he has chosen to live his life. The circumstances in which each choice was made must also be considered. From the beginning, Gawain faced not only the ruin of his pride, his reputation, and his spirit, but also almost certain death. As a result, he learns an essential and unavoidable fact about himself and about human nature: there is no shame in living. being imperfect. The true test of Gawain's bravery was baring his neck to the Green Knight and ending their exchange of blows. Even with his “magic” belt, Gawain flinched the first time. The second and third times, he managed to hold on and accept fate. After the ordeal, the Green Knight ridiculed him for his weakness and fear...