Threshold guardians are those that guard the mythical world before the hero enters. Within the story, the green knight, the porter at the castle, and the guide that was with Gawain to show him where the green chapel was can all act as threshold guardians. Although the green knight presented the call, he still tested Gawain's ability before crossing the threshold into the unknown by presenting to him the beheading game. This game tested Gawain's stance as a knight and also started his journey. If he could not have successfully beheaded the green knight then he would have been unable to set about the journey in the first place. This therefore shows how the green knight can function as a threshold guardian. Likewise, the porter is a threshold guardian since at the castle he asked Bertilak if Gawain can cross the bridge in order to enter the castle. The other threshold guardian is the guide that was sent with Gawain to the green chapel. When the guide questioned him and asked if he was certain that he wanted to encounter the dangerous man that lies in the …show more content…
This is when the hero is praised in both the mythological and the old worlds. Gawain becomes the master of two worlds when he is praised by the King and also the green knight for passing the majority of the trials that he faced on his journey. The sin that Gawain held strongly was looked at as a common doing and therefore was not held against him by the individuals in both of the worlds. He therefore gained the respect and the title of a virtuous knight in both the mythical or unknown world and the place he calls home. In the last step of the hero's journey, the freedom to live, he gains the freedom to live when he wears the green girdle and continues to live his life as a virtuous knight. Although he holds the burden of his mistake, he is able to be alive, return safely to his home and to continue to live in the world that he knows