astle, turn him green and order him to walk and talk with a severed head. The Virgin Mary also plays a prominent role in the tale. It seems as if Mary and Gawain have a relationship based on a special untainted Christian love. That Gawain is Mary’s knight is made clear in the scene where he is robed for battle. “That all his force was founded on the five joys that the high Queen of heaven had in her child. And therefore, as I find, he fittingly had on the inner part of his shield her image portrayed, that when his look on it lighted, he never lost heart” (Adams, 215). This is referring to both the pentangle on the inside of his shield which represents the Five Virtues of Gawain and the carving of Mary on the inside of his shield which gave him faith and courage. Gawain’s shift in faith from Mary to the Green Girdle at the end of the story dictates his downfall. Gawain’s temptation begins upon entering Bertilak’s court, which is a totally different world to him. Although he is initially in a serious mood, he drops his guard at the sight of Lady Bertilak. All he wants to do is to escort her down the aisle and admire her loveliness. “When Gawain had gazed on that gay lady, with leave of her lord, he politely approached; to the elder in homage he humbly bows; the lovelier he salutes with a light embrace. He claims a comely kiss, and courteously he speaks; they welcome him warmly, and straightway he asks to be received as their servant, if they so desire” (Adams, 222). Strolling down the aisle beside Lady Bertilak is an older woman who serves as a standard for comparison, accentuating her beauty. “But unlike to look upon, those ladies were, for if the one was fresh, the other was faded” (Adams, 222). This comparison is a reminder of the moral statement associating women with sex, sin and death. Decay of the flesh is sometimes a perceived as spiritual decay, as with E...
