Pagan and Christian Symbolism in "Sir Gawain and the Green Night"

In English folklore green was used to show rebirth, and a youth's passing (Lewis 50-51). In the story the sash also represents cowardice, he gave into the lady and lied about the present (Goldhurst 61-65). The fear of death ended up causing his downfall. In the end the sash was worn by all at the Round Table, to show them the lesson learned by Gawain both in his "rebirth" in learning his lesson and in remembrance of his sacrifice for King Arthur.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an Arthurian poem; an enchanting story of chivalry, romance and heroism. With its intricately woven details, parallels and symbols, the reader will often easily overlook these facets in a story of this caliber. Undoubtedly, the author would not have spent time on details that do not add to the meaning of the overall telling of the story. The three hunting scenes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and in parallel, the three temptations, monopolize a considerable portion of the story. In a comparison of the three hunts and their corresponding temptations, we will see how the poet parallels these circumstances to emphasize the meaning of its symbolism.

This paper is an analytical essay, I examined the writing “Sir Gawain and the Green knight” and showed how it fits into the medieval romance genre. In conclusion I would say that the story of “Gawain and the Green Knight” definitely fits the criteria to fit into the medieval romance

The author goes on to reveal yet another very important attribute of the loyal knight, his moral goodness. This is done in the description of the shield that Gawain arms himself with to undertake his journey to the Green Chapel. The shield is adorned "with [a] pentangle portrayed in purest gold" (Sir Gawain, l. 620). This pentangle symbolizes Gawain’s "faith in the five wounds of

After beheading the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is depressed by dark thoughts of what lies ahead for him and all while everyone “danced and sang till the sun went down that day. But mind your mood, Gawain, keep blacker thoughts at bay, or loose this lethal game you’ve promised you will play” (485-490). Of course, one would have anxiety of waiting for a year to come. The time has come for Sir Gawain to go through the unknown world to find the Green Chapel. He encounters a serious of dangers in numerous

The alliterative poem “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” is a story of bravery, yet fearfulness of a young knight and his willingness to stand up out of respect for his king. This Middle Age poem, originated in the late fourteenth century by an unknown author called Gawain’s poet, follows the journey of King Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain is a knight for the royal court during the time and when the Green Knight questions the loyalty of King Arthur’s court, Gawain is the only person to stand up for the king. Doing this shows his loyalty to the king and is the beginning steps to reaching courtesy and chivalry.

Sir Gawain battles the urge to keep knightly virtues while he is also trying to reach the Green Chapel. The character archetype in this section of the story is The Temptress, the character development from this character alone is very crucial to the upcoming of the climax. The temptress in this story temps Gawain 3 times and the 3rd time she manages to get him to take a green belt to protect himself. While almost costing his life, the mythical weapon received from The Temptress is a crucial part of his journey, while all of this is connecting towards the development of the character. Upon arrival of Sir Gawain, The Green Knight takes 3 swings on Sir gawain, the first hit Sir Gawain flinches, the second hit test Sir Gawain’s courage and he doesn’t flinch, the final hit causes no harm to Gawain but a slight cut on his neck, Gawain leaps away, draws his sword.

Moreover, Sir Gawain executed the qualities of confidence and courage. A green knight appeared with a strange request. The knight challenged the entire kingdom, including the king, to strike against him. Before the king decided to do the deed, Sir Gawain

Proving his loyalty to the king, and living up to the honor code of a knight, young Sir Gawain accepts the challenge. After beheading the Green Knight, who astonishes everyone by remaining alive, Sir Gawain is led on a journey assumed to end in his certain death. During his adventure, his honor and pride are unsuspectingly put to the test, and his human vulnerabilities are pushed to their limits. After three days of feasting, fighting off the sexual advances of a beautiful married woman, and battling with his own weaknesses, Sir Gawain meets the Green Knight, as he has promised, and is ready to die like a true knight. Only then is Gawain told that this game has not been a test of his bravery as a knight, but rather a test of his moral character as a man. With his almost impeccably honorable actions of the past three days, he has already won his life.

He metaphorically signifies a durable spirituality of courage to embark on a quest which he never knows his own outcome. Furthermore, the readers can understand the sturdy sense of bravery within Sir Gawain, as he challenges his life for King Arthur’s honor and

The epic poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, presents the typical medieval hero going on a ridiculous quest. Gawain exemplifies the five principles of chivalry as he addresses each challenge on his journey, making him a true hero. However, the tale places this serious hero in an absurd situation, illustrating the comical elements the poem holds as well.

1. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” takes great interest in virtue and loyalty and often frames these themes in Judeo-Christian value systems. Yet these themes do not exist in a simple binary of good vs. evil; there is plenty of moral ambiguity within the poem. The antagonist is a perfect example of the poem’s interest in ambiguity. The Green Knight is described in contradictory language that makes his motivations mysterious and consequently, more interesting: “He seemed half an ogre, a giant, / But clearly the biggest creature in the world /

Upon first Reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I noticed that it comes off as a romantic normative poem about chivalric ideals and traditions of the ruling class with covertly Christian Images. The protagonist character Sir Gawain stands out as the role model of the chivalric ideals of the 14th century while displaying Christian images on his armor. The combination of Gawain’s armor and actions throughout the poem exemplify his characteristics of Christian perfection and chivalric ideals. The very first scene with Bertilak of Hautdesert known as the Green Knight begins to mold your perception of how chivalrous Sir Gawain is by portraying him as valiant, humble, and virtuous knight to Arthur. I felt that the interruption of Arthur

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem written during the Anglo-Norman time period that focuses on the quest of a hero named Sir Gawain. The poem’s initial setting takes place during the winter holidays in which King Arthur and his court engage in a 15 day celebration until they are interrupted by a mysterious man whom is regarded as the Green Knight. The Green Knight proposes a game to King Arthur, who is hesitant and is replaced by the courageous Sir Gawain. After surviving a fatal wound, the Green Knight gives Sir Gawain a year and a day before he is to present himself and receive the same fatal wound. During his journey to the green chapel, the place where he is to meet the Green Knight, he encounters a lord and a lady in a peculiar castle who after testing his virtues point him into the direction of the green chapel.

Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is a piece of literature that was written in the time of the middle ages during the Fourteenth century. Like many works written during the middle ages, the definitive author of sir Gawain and the green knight. Although the author of this piece is unknown, it can be derived from the text that he had a “geographical understanding of the northwest midlands between Cheshire and Staffordshire, and that he was also highly sophisticated and well acquainted with the culture of the middle ages (183)”. Although this poem does deal with the subject of romance, it can primarily be considered as a morality play due to the moral tests that Sir Gawain was put through by the read bearded king and his wife. This is because