(Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) || (Moses and God)

Any challenge proposed to man by a supernatural being will inevitably expose the faults of humanity.  These quests are designed to test morality in such a way that success can only be achieved by surpassing innate human tendencies. Essentially, the Gods set us up to fail. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain assumes the role of fallible human while the Green Knight plays God using magical, immortal abilities. This plot and character pair parallels the journey of Moses accompanied by God in the book of Numbers. In both tales, a man with a mission that is bestowed upon him by another, embarks on a successful journey, only to be permanently shamed at the culmination of his travels for a miniscule slip up amongst otherwise consistently honorable behavior.

As one of the more humble members of King Arthur's round table, Sir Gawain sacrifices himself without second thought when met with a mortal challenge from the Green Knight. Sir Gawain beheads the Green Knight, only to discover his immortality, and that in a year and a day Gawain must come find the Green Chapel to receive his payback. The date approaches, and Gawain travels through harsh conditions, stopping only due to starvation, at a castle where he is welcomed with open arms. Gawain agrees to a game in which he promises to give the King whatever he receives during the day while the King is out hunting, and in turn, the King will give Gawain his yield from the day's hunt. Gawain spends his days resisting the beautiful Lady Bertilak, Queen of the castle, in her attempts to seduce him. Each night he gives the kiss Lady Bertilak bestows upon him to the King, in an attempt to keep his word. On the last night, however, the Queen insists that Gawain accept her girdle, as it will protect him from physical harm. When the King displays the day's hunt for Sir Gawain, he gives the King the kisses he received, but keeps the girdle in an effort to preserve his own life. He sets off to face the Green Knight, claiming that he must go through with the challenge, even when given the opportunity to retreat. Gawain prepares for death, but the axe-wound delivered consists only of a nick on the neck. The Green Knight reveals himself to be the King; the nick was a punishment for not presenting the garter at the end of the day. Sir Gawain returns home alive, but doomed to bear the scar forever and wear the Lady's girdle as a reminder of his shame.

Moses, a man chosen by God (and consequently obligated) to lead the people of Israel, was thrust into his mission by interruption of a higher power in his everyday existence, much like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. He then carried out God's lengthy quest in an honorable and obedient manner, save for one minor mishap with major consequences. When instructed to speak to a rock in order to draw water from it, he instead hit the rock, which also yielded enough water for the Israelites to drink. However, because of his deviation from command, the final chapter of his quest became bitter instead of rewarding. Upon arrival to the promised land, Moses was forbidden to enter and died without ever setting foot inside. Sir Gawain's inability to follow command also concluded his journey in lament, even thought he'd completed the rest of his mission with diligence. Riding back to Camelot, tail between legs, Sir Gawain's attempt to protect himself from death instead of upholding his agreement yielded him a scar and girdle of shame to remind him of his inherent weaknesses.