From the power of persuasion to the value of honor and beyond, one can observe many facets of human nature represented within the pages of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”. No theme can be seen more flawlessly than the showcase of virtue in opposition to sin. As Gawain is thrown into tests of courtesy, it is clear that much more than just the performance of courteous behavior is examined, the nature of those around him is also taken into account. It's interesting how an author uses the combination of a negatively imbued enemy and a positively inspired hero to highlight the most desirable traits for mere mortals reading such a tale. In “Sir Gawain” the author uses some of the seven deadly sins to poetically draw numerous and highly elaborate verbal images to the reader. For example, in the opening passages of “Sir Gawain” the reader is told of rich and sumptuous clothing, decadent banquets hosted by Arthur, and the sumptuous elegance of his court. The reader may discover that Arthur's court is greedy for these displays of wealth while reading this section. Opulence, however, is a recurring theme in many court and hall scenes in this particular romance. Another specific example of the use of the seven mortals is when the reader is shown that courtesy is a "big problem" for Arthur and his court. On display here is pride, the chief of the seven deadly sins, which obviously reigns supreme when it comes to the reputation for courtesy in Arthur's court. At issue here is whether these traits are entirely good or whether they have a darker, sinful nature attached to them. So, when Gawain was tested for his diligence in courtly behavior, here and there five of the seven deadly sins which a...... middle of paper......s, but makes him seem slightly lazy. Of course, he gets up and goes after the Red Lady who leaves him for the day where he still stays in her room for most of the day chatting or sleeping. Although, in the tradition of the sin of laziness, he is not exactly completely inactive in the sense that he works his brain trying not to make missteps and not offend someone with his speech, so you could say that the idea that he is lazy it's completely ridiculous. However, considering this, one must understand that during this period of time it was more advantageous for a man to earn his dinner rather than sit all day, the irony in this observation however is that it is winter so there is nothing strange in this period. there would be little work to do.Works CitedNorton. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." The Norton Anthology English Literature. New York: W. M. Norton and Company, 2006. 162-213.