Who Is The Trickster In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight?

In the Middle English poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," the trickster is a mysterious character known as the Green Knight. He presents himself as a challenge to the court of King Arthur, offering to exchange blows with any knight who dares to accept. Sir Gawain ultimately accepts the challenge, and the Green Knight is revealed to be a supernatural being, with the power to endure being struck with an axe and to heal instantly.
Throughout the poem, the Green Knight proves to be a cunning and mischievous character, testing Sir Gawain's chivalry and bravery in unexpected ways. He gives Sir Gawain a green girdle, which Sir Gawain believes has magical powers, and encourages him to wear it in order to preserve his life. However, when Sir Gawain ultimately decides to use the girdle to cheat death in his final encounter with the Green Knight, he learns that the girdle was never magical and that he has failed the test of integrity.
In many ways, the Green Knight serves as a symbolic representation of the devil or a tempter figure. He tempts Sir Gawain with the green girdle and tests his character, revealing the knight's weaknesses and flaws. This is an example of the use of the trickster archetype in medieval literature, in which a cunning and mischievous character is used to test the hero's moral fortitude and to highlight the flaws in human nature.
Overall, the Green Knight serves as a central figure in the narrative of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," serving as both a test and a reminder of the importance of chivalry, integrity, and bravery in medieval society. Through his actions and interactions with Sir Gawain, the Green Knight highlights the complex moral and ethical questions that were central to the Arthurian legends and medieval culture.