Gender in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is locked into a static binary consisting of masculine and feminine; relative opposites within which individuals are expected to conform to a certain quota of behavior – because not fitting into either category would seem to render a character irrelevant to the plot: a celebration of masculine virtue. As a late Arthurian tale, the poem bears close resemblance to its counterparts – posing Gawain of King Arthur's court, an apparent example of this masculine virtue and chivalric valor, in competition with the mysterious and equally muscular Green Knight, known later as Lord Bertilak - creating an image of absolute and inscrutable masculinity. Interestingly, although constructions of masculinity remain central to the narrative, the women seem to act as the architects of the poem's plot, using their femininity, both through love and contempt, to dictate the actions of the male characters around them. Not only does this confirm the static binary by placing gender in relation to narrative role, where women generate the plot and men follow suit, but there is, furthermore, a contrasting blurring of what it means to be innately masculine or innate feminine. The blurring of binary behaviors distorts the importance of gender in the poem as well as its appearance as a key theme throughout, essentially rendering the celebration of masculine heroism void since it celebrates femininity equally, if not more subtly, in Morgan's ultimate revelation on Faye's successful deception of Gawain. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get the original essay Masculinity has an indisputable connection to Arthurian literature and could be described as thematically key in the construction of an Arthurian narrative such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The chivalrous male protagonist, who remotely follows a variation of the earlier epic heroic code, participates in a quest, normally centered on romantic interest, in order to gain the favor of the court and the lady in question; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight loosely follow these principles. Gawain is almost immediately introduced to us as possessing the characteristics that entirely create the desirable chivalrous male: “Gawain was of good reputation,” since his behavior is “so cortay, so chivalrous” – later displayed through his armor, “full of hallmarks ”, and then his actions. The representation of Gawain as a knight is in this sense relatively stereotypical, bringing together all the masculine aspects of chivalry, represented by the “five points” of the pentangle; having the ability to fight well while being a devoted follower of Christianity. The poet points out that “pure [virtues] were more difficult to achieve on this hathel than on any other” – he is the embodiment of masculinity – essentially, chivalric representatives do not get much better than Gawain. Gawain's armor is described in detail and we are introduced to Gawain in great detail - far more than any other man throughout the poem, with the exception of the Green Knight, later known as Bertilak , who represents masculinity through his lordship. Much emphasis is therefore placed on the character of Gawain, as if readers are relying entirely on him to convey what masculinity is in terms of Arthurian literature - there is in fact little inclusion of other male characters , and even King Arthur himself is sidelined to focus attention on Gawain, the "kindest knight of the lot", and hisgender representation. Gender representation is reduced by this process. The Green Knight, Lord Bertilak, is the only other reliable representative of masculinity, as his character is also given meaning by the poet, known as "lede of lordeschyp a lee of ledes ful goode". Bertilak's character, both as himself and as the Green Knight, is recognizably "sturned", which conveys a similar masculine strength and power possessed by Gawain both during the challenge of the blows and during his return to Arthur's court. Bertilak’s “hunts,” like Gawain’s quest, are representative of his masculine characteristics – depicting violent force and power over the natural world. Hunting, like battle, is a recurring theme in Arthurian literature and therefore points us towards the belief that masculinity is constrained and dictated by gender. The exchange between Gawain and Bertilak as the Green Knight forms the central aspect of the plot, and the entire narrative is almost purely dedicated to the challenge of beatings between them, giving added centrality to masculinity and expected behaviors male characters so that they can have meaning. The emphasis on masculinity seems inscrutable since, despite occasional interruptions, the main theme of the poem is continually brought back to the male struggle to accomplish what is expected of them as male members of society: to prove of ultimate strength, resilience, and virtue in all situations, as Gawain attempts and Bertilak undoubtedly possesses, having an understanding that allows him to forgive Gawain for his failure in matters of relative masculine perfection; the ultimate achievement in a male-oriented Arthurian world. Femininity is presented as the obvious opposite of masculinity in the Arthurian world, where the binary seems strict and there is little to no deviation between the two gender spheres. Once again, femininity in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight follows a set of stereotypical ideals that masculinity follows, but the basic tenets of these ideals are very different: instead of the hero, they are the "damsel", sometimes distressed, but most of the time. usually a tempestuous lover. Arguably, Lady Bertilak is the only representative of femininity throughout the poem, as she is the only female character to be endowed with personality, having the ability to initiate conversations with her male counterparts. Her character also embraces the flirtatious feminine nature expected of the Arthurian "lover", acting as a temptress to Gawain from her initial entrance with her bare chest displayed, and through the exchange in the bedroom: eager for Gawain to teach him "why while [his] lord came. Her beauty is at the heart of her power, and this is emphasized by the poet in the constant reminders: "the successful lady, the most beautiful to behold." The appearance of femininity, on the other hand, is much more subtle than that of masculinity, not only because the appearance of female characters is lesser, but also because it does not appear on the surface that femininity displays the same power and the same strength as masculinity; femininity seems relatively weak since it relies on emotional and mental qualities that are often difficult to perceive rather than physical attributes like Gawain and The Green Knight. The power of femininity lies in its ability to control – the best example of this in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is Lady Bertilak's persuasion of Gawain into the bedroom, and Gawain's subliminal acceptance of her conditions without fail, making even putting his desires before his own. – accepting his request to lie about thebelt even if it endangered his chivalrous reputation. Women in the medieval era would have been seen as closely connected to Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, and this stereotypical temptress image is followed and represented by Lady Bertilak as part of her gender binary. Morgan le Faye, introduced at the conclusion of the poem, but not sharing the same influence as Lady Bertilak due to her lack of physicality, also appears to use her femininity through her successful temptation and her use of other characters for narrative development . Morgan le Faye, although it does not appear that she uses her feminine nature for sexual temptation like Lady Bertilak, as her character is not physically encountered in the story, definitely possesses the ability to control the masculine that l 'uses.femininity. Interestingly, this makes masculinity seem relatively low. The mental strength of the male characters is not explored, as we have seen previously, the emphasis is on their chivalrous virtue rather than their intelligence as such, sexual or not. Women, like Lady Bertilak and the briefly mentioned Guinevere, are constructions of their place in the hierarchy, meaning that while their power exists, it is not necessarily recognized as equal; it does not share the same clarity of nature as that of masculinity. This is what separates masculine and feminine into two distinct binary genders. The “flesh” and “lere” of the woman are important, they must perform to highlight these qualities; achieving the ultimate goal of femininity by having charm such as Lady Bertilak. Yet their performance is not passive as one might expect, rather it is an extremely active process. Arguably, both masculinity and femininity are necessary for the narrative construct to work - since it seems that masculine virtue and feminine intelligence are both necessary. to achieve a fully developed plot, causing the binaries to coalesce through their dependence on each other for a successful narrative. Some characters begin to possess both masculine and feminine attributes, possessing both physical strength and mental skill, confounding the clear gender ideal in Arthurian literature that reflected medieval society and the hierarchical trappings that defined performance genre of the time. . Unexpectedly, based on dominant medieval masculinity, women seem to drive the entire plot. Dependence surrounds the female characters, as if the poet himself demands that women establish a chronological connection between events by guiding the male protagonists between storylines. In the poem's conclusion, it is revealed that Morgan le Faye succeeded in a plan to deceive the Arthurian court by using Bertilak as a Green Knight, and by using Lady Bertilak to deceive Gawain more specifically: "thanks to the mygnt of the Morgue the Faye.” The character of Morgan le Faye is able to use his understanding of femininity and the female role not only in society but also in the narrative to undermine masculinity through the manipulation of chivalrous encounters between the characters. Even if she does not produce the work herself, her character is at the top of a literary chain; having ultimate control over Bertilak, his wife and ultimately Gawain. The female centrality appears relatively unusual in a narrative whose focus is clearly masculine – one aimed at following and making sense of the trials of chivalry, a profession dominated by masculinity. Instead of following the premise, Morgan le Faye becomes without.