Lady Bertilak

However, she comes alone to Gawain's chambers on three mornings in a row, each time in a more alluring form, with her last appearance being in a simple gown, her hair uncovered, and without cosmetics.

Her “active sexual role is hardly more representative of romance heroines than of real medieval women.”[2] Claiming one hundred and twenty two lines[3] of speech, she plays a quintessential role in testing Sir Gawain's honour, loyalty, and most importantly his honesty through her sexual innuendoes, where she becomes “a potent threat to the exclusively masculine code of knightly behaviour.”[4] Most interesting about these scenes is the dilemma Sir Gawain faces, where he must be courteous to Lady Bertilak (Knightly Code), and at the same time loyal to his host.

"[7] It is also from Lady Bertilak that Gawain receives the green girdle (sash) with the power to protect its wearer "against anyone who seeks to strike him.

Despite Sir Gawain's attempts to remain reserved, he indulges in Lady Bertilak's advances which results in his slight injury from the Green Knight's axe later on.

Lady Bertilak had succeeded in her plot, as directed by her husband, and because of the lack of malice towards him had been able to make Sir Gawain admit to his imperfections and faults in the end.