There is a fine line between the characteristics of being a perfect king or knight, and the characteristics of being a realistic and practical character, knight or king. The character of Sir Gawain is one of a most noble background, and is someone that sets an example for the rest of the knights of the round table of King Arthur. Although Sir Gawain has his weaknesses, he is a strong character that defends his king with utmost loyalty and tries his hardest to be noble in his ways. Another character that I know of that is absolutely noble and basically perfect in everything that he does is Mufasa from Disney’s The Lion King. Now, Sir Gawain and Mufasa are not of the same hierarchical status, being knight and king respectively, but both are thoroughly honorable and upright characters in the roles that they play.
One aspect that Mufasa and Sir Gawain share is the power to stand up against their enemies or the enemies of their people, in the case of Sir Gawain it is him standing up for King Arthur, and in the case of Mufasa it is him standing up for the animal kingdom and the welfare of it, too. The great lengths that both of these characters go through to achieve their goals is extensive, and are honorable to say the least. For example, Mufasa protects the well-being of his kingdom by making sure that his evil brother, Scar, is kept away from civilization. This allows the animal kingdom to be as vibrant as possible, and it clearly shows that Mufasa is the image of a perfect king that will do absolutely anything to keep the animal kingdom stable. For Sir Gawain, it is something of similar characteristics, but it is tailored to the story of Sir Gawain. The green knight issues a challenge to the court of King Arthur, and after the king accepts, Sir Gawain steps up for King Arthur and accepts the challenge for himself so that the king can continue and not risk his life. After Sir Gawain leaves the court of King Arthur, he embarks on a journey to seek out the green knight and eliminate him, plain and simple. What is put before Sir Gawain seems like an easy job, find the green knight and kill him, but it is something much more than just search and destroy. It is a job of mystery and unrealistic coincidences, and it takes a lot of common sense and wit together to figure out the situation of the green knight and how he was, the entire time, disguised as the king who was housing Sir Gawain while he rested before battling the green knight. Even though both characters are different in their ways and in their status in each other’s kingdom, they come together in the face of enemies and in their nobility of how they approach situations regarding the safety and stability of their kingdom or king.
The comparison of Sir Gawain and Mufasa is a unique one, but it shows that even from very different backgrounds and realms of stories, there are common characteristics that noble characters share that are a core part of being knightly or kingly. It is something that everyone should strive for, and for some it will become values that are imprinted into their mind that will guide them through their decisions in life.
