Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Comparative Essay

Many years ago, knights were expected to form a certain type of relationship with their king, this relationship was otherwise known as fealty. Fealty is a knight’s sworn loyalty to their king (in other words a loyal relationship should be formed between the two). The use of this relationship is shown in the poem called “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” ( the author is unknown). This poem has a classic quest type of formula, with a knight receiving a challenge and then going out on a journey to pursue that challenge, leading to a return home to report the results of his quest. This story begins at Christmas time when a knight (who is completely green) rides into King Arthur 's hall. The Green Knight proposes a game to those who are around him which is that “Any knight brave enough to strike off the Green Knight 's head may do so, but that man must accept a return stroke in approximately one year’s time”. Gawain accepts the challenge because he will not allow King Arthur to accept this. Gawain manages to then cut off the Green Knight 's head. The knight then picks up his severed head and leaves, telling Gawain to look for the Green Chapel when it is time for Gawain to fulfill the other half of the challenge that he has accepted. Near the end of the chosen year, Gawain sets out in search of the Green Chapel because he must complete the given challenge. On his journey in search of the Green knight, he finds a castle in the wilderness. The

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, after Gawain ventures “into a forest fastness, fearsome and wild” (Norton, 311), he prays that he will be able to find “harborage” on Christmas Eve (Norton, 312). It is the middle of winter, and Gawain has been traveling in search of the Green Knight whose head he has cut off. After he prays and signs himself three times, Gawain finds a magical castle in the midst of a winter forest. He rides to the castle and is granted permission to enter by the lord. Gawain is attended to in a fashion befitting kings, and he meets the lord who tells his identity to all in the court. There are many significant implications and foreshadowings which occur during Gawain’s

Heroes, whether fictional or not, are usually admired and respected for their righteousness and good actions. In today’s society, when one thinks of a hero, one thinks of someone who has supernatural abilities, defeats powerful villains, or even someone who has the capability to lead and make a positive impact in people’s lives. However, by today’s standards, Sir Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight would not be considered a hero as he did not save people’s lives or perform a deed for the greater good. During Sir Gawain’s time, a Christian hero is someone who was just a human being, but was faithful to his or her God, and King, and had a sense of chivalry and courteousness. Sir Gawain is depicted as a true Christian hero because he possessed qualities of selflessness, courage and bravery, courteous, chivalry and devotion to his word and honor, and humility. Throughout the book, Sir Gawain’s heroic actions demonstrate qualities and principles that represent the true meaning of a Christian hero of the Arthurian times.

The tale of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is a well-known piece of literature spawning from the middle Ages. It’s believed to be dated around the year 1400 and it currently survives on a single manuscript in the British Library shared by three other poems. Pearl, is one of the middle-aged poems on the manuscript, the other two are named: “Patience” and “Cleanliness,” and are considered Bible Stories to Historians. These Other Poems however haven’t shown promise of survival in British Literature and Chivalry courses as much as Sir Gawain and The Green Knight has. Not having a known Author also makes this story all the more interesting considering the nature behind the story as well as the mysticism involved in the text. In this essay, a broad

In The Dream of the Rood and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, both by anonymous writers, touch on Christian faith and believing in a higher power. These two literary text show how one’s beliefs can be tested when put in an unfortunate situation. In The Dream of the Rood, when the first speaker has the dream or vision it breaks down how Christian faith comes into play. The speaker looks at Christ differently, goes from wanting to be with more people, having friends again to giving his all to Christ. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it is the same, Christianity wins over courtly values. When Gawain makes the decision to be a part the Green Knight’s game, taking that treacherous journey from home, he was doing it show how much of a great knight he was, but in the end it was not his sword that helped him make it back home. These tales show how a courtly heroic code of honor contests a Christian model of living.

Protagonists also known as the main character or the hero. A protagonist can make or break the story. A hero is defined as a person who goes on a quest to save, restore or heal the community. Most heroes have the same qualities; however, what the character does with the qualities is a different story. For example, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, author unknown and Oroonoko by Aphra Behn are two works where the protagonists are comparable. For example, both men are on a dangerous journey, a woman starts their downfall, and lastly, both put their trust in the wrong people. However, they differ in many factor; the main one however, is that Sir Gawain is a knight and Oroonoko is a prince.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written by an anonymous author some time during the fourteenth century, reflects many of the religious, political and social aspects illustrated in other literary works of the time. The author, a contemporary of Chaucer, lived during a time when gallantry, loyalty and honor defined a true man. During this period, Christianity was prevalent, and inherent human weakness was commonly accepted.

Themes allow the author to write a story that conveys a positive message to the reader. Generally speaking, a story has multiple themes and there are many ways that the author uses to present the theme to the reader. And Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is not an exception to the rule. The poem uses imagery, juxtaposition of scenes, and the action of the characters to present the numerous themes to the reader and the presentation is done throughout the work. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the idea that in the world, there are man-made and natural rules that one must follow but in times, the two rules come in conflict with each other. By analyzing the two games played by Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the theme will be better understood.

“Now, you see, the world is full of temptations. They’re wrong things that seem great at the time.” (Carlo Collodi). In Pinocchio, there is a scene where Pinocchios conscious is talking to him about how he wants to a real boy, and what temptations he must avoid to be a good one at that. Though Pinoke makes many mistakes along his journey in becoming a real boy; those mistakes taught him a valuable lesson and built him to be a better person. Life lessons learned in, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, portray the importance of promises being kept and the right in being honest; due to Gawain’s inadequacies, he lied and decided to do something unchivalrous which proves the lesson that he is not in fact a perfect knight after all, whereas,

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the men and women appear to have different roles in the society. The men attempt to live a more noble life while emasculating the power of the women. Throughout the poem, women display hints of their potential through manipulation and trickery, traits that are uneasily recognized by men as growing power.

Though often extensive detail may be condemned as mere flowery language, in understanding Sir Gawain and the Green Knight one must make special emphasis on it. In color and imagery itself, the unknown author paints the very fibers of this work, allowing Sir Gawain to discern the nuances of ritualistic chivalry and truth. His quest after the Green Knight is as simple as ones quest toward himself. Through acute awareness of the physical world he encounters Gawain comes to an understanding of the world beyond chivalry, a connection to G-d, the source of truth. He learns, chivalry, like a machine, will always function properly, but in order to derive meaning from its product he must allow nature to affect him.

Throughout the history of fictional writing, cultural values of certain time periods have been expressed and implemented through the depiction of the heroes’ experiences on their journeys and the knowledge they gain by the quest’s end. For example, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a chivalric romance written in the Late Middle Ages, Gawain epitomizes a knight with the characteristics that knights from the Late Middle Ages were expected to possess according to the requirements outlined in the rules of chivalry, such as honor and valor. Likewise, Beowulf, the hero of the folk epic Beowulf, embodies the qualities of an exemplary hero as well as king. Therefore, in both stories, the reader encounters a heroic character that is presented with traits that Anglo-Saxons and the Middle English valued in their culture through their stories’ monomyths, a concept of similar and structural sequences that can be applied to many stories, created by Joseph Campbell. Some of these values are carried from the Early to Late Middle Ages and can be seen through the works of both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf.

In the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," Gawain is a guest at Hautdesert Castle. During his stay at the castle, three separate hunts take place. These hunts also parallel temptations aimed at Gawain by the wife of the Lord of Hautdesert Castle. In each hunt scene, a characteristic of the prey of that hunt is personified in Gawain's defense against the advances of the Lord's wife.

The portrayal of Christ as a warrior fighting for his people in "Dream of the Rood" is a very powerful picture of a hero and savior. Christ is described here as a young hero, a warrior fighting to save his people. Christ and the tree are drenched in blood, covered with markings, and yet they stand strong and have courage. This is truly the mark of a hero in Anglo-Saxon

A close reading of the Sir Gawain and the Green Knight reveals a very antifeminist view. The poem, told in four parts, tells of common medieval folklore. The stories seem to be of different plotlines, but start to intersect in interesting ways – that is, the character of Morgan Le Fay begins to frame the stories together. The half-sister of King Arthur, she holds intense hatred for her half-brother and his court. It is her thirst for the downfall of Camelot that makes this character infamous, and, surprisingly, her success and the strength of her ability that give a bad name to women. Through the examination of Morgan Le Fay’s character, it is clear that a successful woman is always an illusion.