Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Women Analysis

Late in the poem, the men recognize the magnitude of effect the women had on their actions. For example, Sir Gawain confesses that he was outwitted by Morgan la Fay and Lady Bercilak, “Both [Lady Bercilak] and that other, my honorable ladies,/ Who so neatly entangled their knight in their nets,/ It’s no marvel a man can be made to look foolish,/ Be wrecked and disgraced by such womanish wiles…” (2412-2415). But these women are more than just clever players in the plot of the poem. They use their abilities, namely manipulation and wiles, and aspirations to stimulate the events of the story. Sir Gawain’s speech to Lord Bercilak fortifies that women are the initiators of action in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and exemplifies how women can