Sir Gawain Persuasive Essay

“The monsters within us are far worse than the monsters of the world.” A quote that possesses more wisdom than it appears. When I first read this quote, it spoke to me on a deep level. When people think of monsters, they think of the Wolfman, Dracula, Frankenstein, etc… but what we don’t realize, is that some of the scariest monsters can be within us. We are non-fiction and sometimes monsters can come out within the most unexpected people. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an example of how someone that is deemed honest and loyal could even have a monster somewhere within. There are people who even have a monster much more apparent than others, such as Barbara Allen. We may romanticize the idea of monsters and fear them in these stories,
but we deny the truth that we are indeed the worst monsters of them all. As children and on, we have all heard the stories of the Frankenstein monster, Dracula the vampire and even Wolfman the werewolf. These iconic figures have shaped the idea of monsters we all hold today. What we don’t realize, is they are fiction, but we are real people. To us, we seem powerless, but the quote speaks strongly to the monster within us. Everyone has a monster in them, whether it be a stranger, your neighbor, or even your family and friends. Some people carry it much differently than others. A monster could be a murderer of children, adults, animals. This person would be deemed as someone who cannot hold the monster and is otherwise labeled as such for the rest of their lives. Some of us are normal people, who have a monster within that reaches its breaking point at certain times. Many historical works represent both of these and otherwise prove a point that monsters aren’t just fictional creatures. The story Barbara Allen illustrates a point that some people are naturally born as monsters. As the story begins, you read of a boy who is lying on his death bed. He is sick from his love for Barbara Allen and wishes to tell her how he feels as his last words. He does and she scorns him, leaving him to die heartbroken. The cruel Barbara Allen leaves and upon hearing his funeral bells, she realizes she loves him. Her ill fate leaves her die from a broken heart and the story ends. Monsters can naturally appear within us and sometimes they do not leave. Barbara Allen was cruel, heartless and did not realize what she had until it was too late. This is often a true trait for people in real life. They are blinded by the hate from their monster and do not realize what good is until it is gone. “… And shun the fault I fell in: Henceforward take warning by the fall of cruel Barbara Allen." Our last example is one we can often relate to, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Sir Gawain is deemed as a very honest and loyal knight, the most chivalrous in the Kingdom of Camelot. When he makes a deal with the Green Knight to find him in one year to receive a strike on his head, Gawain agrees. He sets of on his journey to find the Green Knight one year later as he agreed and comes across a castle. Gawain stays at this castle for three days, making a deal with the Lord of the castle that he would exchange his winnings every day. He does as he is told, exchanging the Lady of the castles kisses and gifts as she comes to visit him in his room every night. On his final night, she offers him her green girdle and states that upon wearing it, he cannot be hurt. Sir Gawain hides it for himself and finds out from the Green Knight that it was a test of his honesty and he failed. “… but you failed a little, lost good faith - Not for a beautiful belt, or in lust, but for love of your life.” Upon arriving back to Camelot, he wears the green girdle to represent his sin and dishonesty as well do the other knights to honor their fellow friend. This shows that even monsters can be within the best of people. It may be small or even slightly large, but everyone shows their monster at some point. There is no denying it even within the most wonderful people of the
world. In conclusion, humans are the real monsters and though we deny it, they really are within us. Creatures such as Dracula and Frankenstein have shaped our view of monsters. We always look at them as though they are the true threat, when really we hold the great power of monsters. Anybody could have such a thing within them, even your closest friend. They come in all shapes and sizes and at different times within different people. Some are naturally monsters, such as Barbara Allen, and never learn to overcome so until it is too late. Then there are some people, who are honest and wonderful, much like Sir Gawain. However, even in them there is a monster waiting to be released, even if it just a little dishonesty. We are the real monsters, non-fiction and throughout history we have always been so. “This band and the nick on my neck are one and the same, the blame and the loss I suffered, for the cowardice, the greed that came to my soul. This sign of bad faith is the mark of my sin: I 'll wear it on my waist as long as I live, for a man may hide an injury to his soul, but he 'll never be rid of it, it 's fastened forever.”

Citations:

"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2013.
"Barbara Allen." By Anonymous: The Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2013.