Byington 1

Danielle Byington
Dr. Crofts
Arthurian Legend
Final Paper
Sir Gawains Exchange of Reputation for Identity
As stated by Moll, there is a, disparity between Sir Gawains reputation and his own
self-image (793). In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight an opportunity to test ones identity
becomes the central theme of the story. For Gawain this involves a challenge between his
external reputation and his internal identity. His reputation is created by the outside influences
of the poem, as mentioned by characters, while his identity is the less-than-perfect Self that
surfaces in the end. Gawains human flaws are revealed to readers throughout the poem and its
consistent use of symbolism, as the imagery often contrasts his reputation and his Self.
The most frequent motif in the story is that of exchange, which presents itself in various
forms, including the exchange that propels the text: the Beheading Game. The idea of exchange
works as an analog for two other reoccurring motifs: the knot, and the colors red and white.
While the knot subjectively demonstrates the notion of Gawains reputation being tied to his
identity, its use in the text is made more complex by the repetitive imagery of colors. While the
use of green may seem like an obvious example, one might find that focusing on the occurrence
of red and white is more relative to Gawains external and internal identity. These motifs
coincide with the use of the Beheading Game as a ceremony for Gawain to replace his reputation
with his identity.
Byington 2

The first recurring motif of the poem is that of exchange, an occurrence responsible for
setting Gawains quest in motion. In part one there are festive exchanges described between the
guests, such as kissing games, present swapping, and knightly games such as jousting. It is in
this scene that the most important exchange is encountered: swapping blows in the Beheading
Game. The Green Knight asks who the King is so that he may exchange words with him,
leading to the proposition of the Beheading Game (I.224-6). The identity of King Arthur and
Gawain may seem exchanged at this time while Gawain / the good sat beside Guenevere
(I.108-9), which one might assume to be the Kings seat. Leaving Arthurs court one year later,
Gawain exchanges civilization for wilderness as he heads for the Green Chapel, as a foreigner,
far removed from his friends (II.714).
The use of exchanges throughout the text may coincide with Gawains exchange of his
perfect reputation for his flawed identity. Each instance of exchange seems to occur during a
moment of the story relative to Gawains quest to receive his returned blow in the Beheading
Game. Because submitting to having his head chopped off by the Green Knights axe is clearly
fatal for a mortal, Gawains acceptance of the Beheading Game puts him in a weakened position.
As Lupack explains, the concern of Gawains fame is a theme in the poem, and by electing
himself as the Beheading Games participant he surrenders his powerful reputation for a role
whose results can ultimately mean death (302). The holiday games surrounding this event,
which include minor types of exchange, simultaneously occur with Gawains introduction to the
Green Knights offer. These exchanges in the storys beginning eventually lead to Gawains
final exchange of reputation for his imperfect identity.
Once he enters Bertilaks court, further arrangements of exchange are negotiated as the
host gives to Gawain what he catches in the hunt each day, and Gawain must give to Bertilak
Byington 3

what he gets from the Lady. Later in the poem, the exchange with Bertilaks wife leads to
Gawain externalizing his imperfection by wearing the green girdle when he must submit to his
turn of being beheaded. The Green Knight tells Gawain:
That belt youre wearing: its mine, my wife
Gave it to youI know it all, knight []
For I planned it all, to test youand truly,
Not many better men have walked
This earth, been worth as much[]
But you failed a little, lost good faith
Not for a beautiful belt, or in lust,
But for love of your life. I can hardly blame you. (IV.2358-68)
This situation of humiliation exposes Gawains real character, creating an environment where
Gawains perfect reputation is exchanged for the acceptance of his human flaws.
The symbolic use of the knot also reoccurs in the poem several times, serving as an
extension of the exchange motif. Throughout the text, there is abundant imagery of things
directly referred to as knots, and less directly explained as things tied together. This can be
viewed as the simultaneous connection of Gawains flawless reputation tied to his flawed Self.
A scene in the text which best demonstrates this idea is that of Gawain preparing for his journey
to the Green Chapel. Gawain is described in his attire as wearing a hood, tied at the neck
(II.572), his legs / Wrapped all around with well-hinged metal (II.574-5), and knee-plates,
Byington 4

polished bright / And fastened tight by golden cords (II.576-77), all of which are things tied to
his body. It is especially the pentangle painted on Gawains shield that drives the imagery of the
knot, being referred to in the text as, everywhere / In England called the infinite knot
(II.629-30). Lupack also discusses both the pentangle and green girdle as an idea of exchange,
stating how Gawain does not rely on his shield, but instead, the green girdle at his turn of
beheading, exchanging Christian virtue for Pagan magic (303).
Gawains armor is removable like his reputation, and just like the purpose of armor, his
reputation can act as both protection and a disguise for the Self underneath. The poet highlights
the importance of Gawains preparation for his journey by providing elaborate detail of the
procedure. An equally fine description is seen again in the slaughter of the animals in the hunt.
The text describes the ordeal:
First the throat was slit, and the gullet scraped
With a sharp knife, and tied; then they cut
The legs and skinned them; then broke the belly
Open, and carefully hauled out the intestines,
Leaving the gullet knotted in place. (III.1330-4)
While the earlier scenes involve Gawain constructing himself as a knight with armor, the latter
scenes involve the deconstruction of the animals as they are slaughtered. These separate images
are tied together, and also suggest an exchange of Gawains artificial perfection for the
breakdown of the primitive. The scenes of the hunt and slaughter also coincide with the Ladys
attempts to sleep with Gawain. One may tie these two separate instances together, especially
Byington 5

once Gawain accepts the green girdle from the Lady. By accepting the green sash, Gawains
reputation constructed by his attire has been exchanged for the stripped-down basics like the
animals in the hunt, as both seek to survive.
The use of red and white usually involves a description of white becoming tainted by red,
another exchange of perfection for flaw. Gawains shield with the golden pentangle is scarlet
red; this side of the shield faces away from Gawain. If red represents imperfection, then the
shield symbolizes Gawains flaws that he carries yet does not face. In contrast to this idea, when
Gawain discovers the castle in the forest the highlights of its description involve its parchment-
like whiteness, so it seemed scissored out of paper (II.802). As Gawain enters, the men who
allow Gawain inside are described as, [kneeling] in the snow, welcoming on their knees / That
noble knight (II.818-9): another image suggesting the predominance of white. The abundance
of white describes Gawains environment, and one may assume that Gawain easily sees
perfection, especially his own.
Exchange resurfaces in this motif of red and white as the time draws closer for Gawain to
face the Green Knight. The Lady who frequently tries to sleep with Gawain is responsible for
this occurrence. The first time she attempts to sleep with Gawain her skin is described as white,
flushing pink (II.1205), accurately portraying her intentions to exchange Gawains chivalry for a
more brute-like behavior. Her goal to bed Gawain may be read as a lesser-than challenge to the
Beheading Game, as the ability to fail his courteous virtue would serve as a prime example
removing his reputation. While she fails to persuade him to sleep with her, the Lady does
succeed in convincing Gawain to exchange his trust in prevailing in the Beheading Game for the
acceptance that he will probably die. This is demonstrated in his acceptance of the green girdle
that will allegedly save his life.
Byington 6

The exchange of the green girdle ties that scene to the succeeding one of Gawain
receiving his blow from the Green Knights axe. When the Green Knight only nicks Gawains
neck, bright / Blood shot from his shoulder to the ground, / And [] he saw that gleam on the
snow (IV. 2313-5). In this instance of the color-themed imagery, the symbolism of Gawains
flaws is placed directly in front of him. Before the blow from the axe, Gawain only saw the
white of the snow, and because the Green Knight purposely misses a fatal strike to Gawains
neck, the purity of the snows image becomes corrupted by his blood.
In conclusion, the swapping of strikes in the Beheading Game fosters extensions of
exchange that continue until Gawains reputation is replaced by his true self. The author utilizes
the action of exchange both literally and figuratively, making it both accessible to readers
understanding and hidden for the purpose of the final moral. While imagery of knots and use of
specific colors may be defined as additional motifs in the poem, one may conclude it is best to
see these also as instances of exchange. Gawains reputation is tied to his identity, and through
the repetitive use of the knot one can draw this conclusion. The authors choice to portray much
of Gawains environment with white while reserving red for Gawains encounters with his
imperfections demonstrates the more figurative side of the exchange motif, though both convey
the same message. Overall, the Beheading Game, the most significant exchange of all, acts as a
ceremony that allows Gawain to not only exchange his reputation for his Self, but also accept the
flaws that exist in himself.




Byington 7

Works Cited
Lupack, Alan. The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend. New York: Oxford
University Press Inc., 2007. Print. 302-23.
Moll, Richard J. Frustrated Readers and Modern Decapitation in Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight. The Modern Language Review. 97.4 (2002): 793-802.
Web. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/3738612>.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Burton Raffel. New York: Signet Classics, 1970. Print.