Sir Gawain: The Hero with a Thousand Faces or a Hero out of a Thousand?
...l is the beginning of Gawain’s journey: only “God knows” where his journey will lead him. Sir Gawain soon prepares himself for a dangerous road marked by countless trials and tests after accepting the challenge. According to Campbell, after the hero has “traversed the threshold,” he ventures into the unknown “where he must survive a succession of trials” (Campbell 97). By hewing off the Green Knight’s head, Sir Gawain crosses the first threshold, accepting his destiny of an inevitable road of hardships. The trials allow the hero to display his might; victories against ferocious creatures await his path. Upon leaving the familiar land of Camelot, Gawain “rides…through the realm of Logres,” and into a mysterious abyss. According to Campbell, during this stage, the hero “must face” (Campbell 104) his “perilous journey into the darkness” (Campbell 101) alone. Sir Gawain travels with “no mate but his mount” and “far off from all his friends” in search of his destiny, because the hero can demonstrate his might only when he is isolated from outside help. The poem states hat “twere a marvel if he met not some monstrous foes,” thereby insinuating that a hero’s journey would not be complete without exhilarating fighting scenes with monsters. Adhering to the essential stage of other epic journeys, Sir Gawain’s journey does not deviate from the “succession of trials” (Campbell 97). Sir Gawain battles “with serpents…savage wolves…wild men of the woods…bulls and bears;” like the other epic heroes, Sir Gawain faces many trials “again, and again, and again” (Campbell 109). However many battles or ordeals he suffers from, Sir Gawain will always have the “preliminary victories” (Campbell 109) because the unstated rules of epics destines the hero’s triumph. The dramatic and valiant battles build up suspense, contributing to the audience’s awe at and heightening their faith in Sir Gawain’s knightly gallantry. Despite his apparent fearlessness, the poet adds the undertone of unfaithfulness in his character. As a devout Christian, the pious Knights are supposed to seek God’s guidance before their journeys. Only when Sir Gawain is in “peril and pain and predicaments dire” does he “[pray] with all his might.” The allegedly devout knight on the other hand, depends solely on his own strength through the trials, never seeking God until he is completely hopeless in his search. Another aspect of these hardships is to provide points where the hero gains “momentary glimpses of the wonderful land” (Campbell 109) ahead of him. During Gawain’s journey, he catches sight of “mountains… forests…fearsome and wild high hills…hoar woods…hazel and the hawthorn…with rough raveled moss.” The new perspective of nature Gawain gains in the Green Knight’s territory contrasts with his accustomed view of Camelot, and his newfound awareness plays a significant role in his journey towards self-realization. The contrast between the landscapes is parallel to and foreshadows a clash of ideas between Camelot and the Green Knight. As a result, the distinction contributes to the climax when Gawain changes the perception of his character, which is different from the original image Camelot presents. Not only does the hero need to endure physical challenges on the road of trials, but also he must endure psychological temptations of women. Because Sir Gawain’s responses to the situations “are the reflections of the unsolved enigmas of his own humanity” (Campbell 121), he fails to show “a restriction of consciousness (Campbell 121). Upon his arrival at Bertilack’s castle, Sir Gawain is tempted multiple times by the lady of the house to break the Cod of Chivalry: the image of an ideal society represented by the Knights of Camelot. The temptress finds Sir Gawain, who is in conflict between showing discourtesy to the lady and betraying the lord’s trust, “much at fault.” Sir Gawain, like many of the past heroes, is restricted by his humanity. However, contrary to past heroes who overcame temptation before proceeding to the next stages, Sir Gawain falls into temptation, a vice he brings into the final stages of his journey. Although with the intention to decline all the offers by the lady, Sir Gawain cannot resist her last attempt of temptation with the green girdle, whose “tenderness entices the foul taint of sin.” He sees the green girdle as a “pearl for his plight,” enabling him to “escape unscathed” from any weapon on earth and guaranteeing his success of enduring the Green Knight’s blow. Sir Gawain, supposedly faultless, succumbs to the irresistible lure, only to discover that his actions and thoughts are “tainted with the odor of the flesh” (Campbell 122) and covered by his carnal fears. By accepting the lady’s green girdle, Gawain succumbs to his natural desire to live rather than to uphold his knightly virtues and strays from his image of perfection. Although aware of his dishonorable acts, Gawain is unable to defy the innermost and unconscious need of his humanity. Building up to the climatic encounter with the Green Knight, Sir Gawain’s ignoble deed leaves the audience questioning the outcome of his journey. Every hero’s journey ends with the accomplishment of his goal, bringing him to a higher level of self-realization. Even though in the final stage of his journey, the hero can come to “a realization of the inevitable guild of life” (Campbell 238), he may also “[cast] off worn-out clothes and [put] on others that are new” (Campbell 238). After the Green Knight reveals the true purpose of his test, Sir Gawain recognizes his “cowardice, care for [his own] life, and coveting.” Sir Gawain’s human nature is “contrary both to largesse and loyalty” that all knights should possess. Sir Gawain realizes that he is guilty of succumbing to “disloyalty, lies…and greed.” By confessing his own faults, his “failings made known,” Sir Gawain regains his reputation as a worthy and noble knight. As a result, the Green Knight once again considers him to be “polished as a pearl, as pu...