War and peace
King Arthur decided that falsehood was better than a war with its all inevitable victims, injustice and sorrow. According to Master Wistan, Arthur made a mistake, for that peace was based on lies. Who is right then? There is no exact answer. Yes, Arthur used falsehood to stop that feat of death, but could we really blame him for that? The dragon is killed and a new wear is going to break out soon by Saxons, for they want to avenge. But how are they going to do it? Will they kill as many as Britons did? Are Briton women, children and the elderly guilty of the deeds their grandfathers done? The theme of war and peace leaves an unsettling feeling, for it is clear from the very beginning that Saxon are not going to establish justice. Instead of it, a new massacre is going to happen.
Loyalty to one’s master
A knight is supposed to be loyal to his master. In such a way, his master will be able to rely on him in hour of need. In the contemporary world, we can hardly imagine how it is even possible to dedicate one’s life to a person who is neither one’s loved one nor relative. Sir Gawain represents the theme of loyalty in the novel. He keeps Arthur’s secret, puts up with the jokes about his inability to kill the dragon and even dies for Arthur regardless the fact that his master has been dead for many years. One might think that such unbreakable devotion is too extreme and foolish behavior but it is impossible not to admire it.
An ability to admit mistakes and forgive
Axl and Beatrice seem to be a perfect couple. However, everything is not that simple. Later on, readers learn that Beatrice hasn’t always been faithful to her husband, while Axl is actually capable of cruelty. They are humans, which means they can’t avoid making mistakes. What is more important is that they learn how to forgive each other. Both Axl and Beatrice summon up enough courage to say that they are sorry for the mistakes they did and let go of anger and bitter disappointment.
