Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

Medieval scholars continually inspect the particularities of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (SGGK) within the context of the preexisting Gawain literary tradition, and the issue of Gawain’s sudden antifeminist diatribe repeatedly comes to the forefront of these textual investigations. Often, literary critics claim that Gawain’s antifeminist outburst is common for the fourteenth century and that his acceptance to wear the girdle as a sign of shame still epitomizes him as a model of knighthood. Other scholars hesitate to dismiss Gawain’s misogyny as commonplace, they note that this moment is inconsistent with his reputation as an ideal knight. Gawain’s hasty compulsion to blame women suggests ruptures within the essentiality of his chivalric identity and a closer examination of the text reveals that this moment is not isolated. Despite scholars repeated attempts to identify the essential knight within Gawain, there are several examples of Gawain’s unstable identity throughout the text. I will argue Sir Gawain’s knightly identity is performative rather than essential, and his diatribe is the culmination of his failure to perform his own expected social identity.

Society expects ultimate perfection of all people. Due to this people are pressured to act a certain way that they would otherwise not act. The journey of obtaining perfection and maintaining it leads to success and failure. But what is considered failing while trying to become a different person? This topic is addressed in the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written by Pearl Poet. The main character Sir Gawain finds himself on a journey that will test his knightly integrity and the true nature of his personality. Sir Gawain fails his quest when he responds to the challenge in an aggressive way; by doing so he shows his lack of concern for human life, he fails to uphold his agreement with Lord Bertilak, and succumbs to fear when the

“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is the classic tale of a knight of the round table who takes up the challenge of the mysterious Green Knight. The poem begins with the Green Knight’s sudden arrival and his declaration of his proposition: a knight may strike him, and then a year and one day from then he will return the blow. This tale is most well-known for dealing with the themes of a knight’s code of chivalry, loyalty, resisting temptation, and keeping one’s word. While the whole poem is full of great lines that beautifully deliver the message, one of the best passages come at the end of the poem after Sir Gawain has managed to survive his second encounter with the Green Knight. This passage perfectly encompasses the various themes of the poem, as it deals with all of the trials Gawain has faced up until that point and also explains how he deals with the shame he feels for surviving the game in the way he did.

"Pentangle's "endless knot" forming five interconnected points is an icon for Gawain's perfection and interdependence of his virtues." "The interlocking lines of the pentangle are loyal to each other"Their unflawed combination makes them strong. The narrator's language emphasizes on the strong relationship of these five virtues that is being tasted in the poem. These five fives are being tempted during Sir Gawain's quest for perfection.

Such a long explanation seems out of place in a poem full of fast-paced action, supernatural beheadings, seductive temptresses, and jolly hunts. The narrator realizes this but plunges into his description after inserting a disclaimer: ``And why the pentangle is proper to that peerless prince / I intend now to tell, though detain me it must'' (30. 623-4). This alerts the reader to pay attention, that the symbolic meaning of the pentangle is important to a proper understanding of thenarrator's message.

As an avid recreational reader I enjoy reading books of all types, however, one of my favorite genres is fantasy. This love began in my reading of George MacDonald's Phantastes, and continued throughout the past year as I have been working my way through C.S. Lewis’ The Space Trilogy. What is so interesting, and simply enjoyable, for me about reading Sir Gawain is that it is a more original and classic take on the typical structure and plot of a fantasy/fairytale. In the beginning you already get a general idea of how the story is going to go, yet the story has its own quirks that keep it interesting.

Throughout one’s life, a person will go through numerous changes, both physically and mentally. These continuous changes in life are a few of the steps to maturing, which also helps build a person’s identity. In the romantic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by Pearl Poet, the hero, Sir Gawain goes through a passage which develops his perspective on adulthood leading to his maturity. Gawain’s knight errant mentality is what drives him to mature during the adventures he takes on. While on his journey to adulthood, he passes three major tests. First, he shows courage and initiative when he volunteers to take the place of Arthur and accepts the challenge the Green Knight had demanded. Second, he shows discipline, self-control and honor

An archetypal analysis of Gawain’s quest reveals some significant changes that occur in the hero’s character. We will analyze the progress of the hero, Gawain, as he ventures out to complete his quest. By analyzing the works of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight along with The Hero With A Thousand Faces, and how it completes the Hero’s Journey.

“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is an excellent work to reference when examining different relationships within Arthurian legends. The author of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is unknown, but he is sometimes referred to as the “Gawain Poet” or “Pearl Poet” because of his additional works: “Pearl,” “Purity,” and “Patience.” All four poems were part of the Alliterative Revival of the Middle Ages of Northern England, containing mostly religious content. This may be the origin of Gawain’s exaggeratedly religious portrayal in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is organized in a stanza arrangement. Each stanza ends with one short line and four longer lines, called the bob and wheel, which “knits” the story together. It may important to note that the work was most likely written in the fourteenth century. The work is set in sixth-seventh centuries, but includes modern advances in armory, dress, and décor from the time the poem was written. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” exhibits many different types of love and relationships in which they are demonstrated. Familial love, spiritual love, erotic love, and courtly love are demonstrated within families, friendships, marriages, and Godly relationships.

Temptation exists everywhere and for everyone, yet for everyone temptation exists in oddly different ways. For some temptation could be that delicious ice cream cone on a hot summer afternoon, conveniently while dieting. For others temptation could exist in a six-pack of beer or bottle of liquor. The point is anything could be a temptation to someone. However, for Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight temptation existed around every corner while he was playing the game of the Green Knight. Temptation existed every day and each day it existed in a new way. Gawain never knew what was coming his way throughout the grand scheme of the game, but one thing was for certain he was being tested. Without his reliance religious faith and dedication to his reputation, Gawain would not have been able to make it through the game of the Green Knight alive and resist the temptations put in his path. Temptation was a huge part of the Green Knights game with Gawain, but because of his impeccable reputation Gawain was able to resist the temptation put before him the majority of the time.

Women. Some cannot live with them, some cannot live without them. Women play a key role in everyday living. During the romantic age, they played either the lover or the mistress, like in the two literary passages, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Marie de France’s Milun. In these two texts women are key players in how the men are presented. One could question whether these women are to be portrayed as social, sexual, or psychological beings, or maybe they even embody all three ideals. So how do the two stories compare to one another, through love, lust, or sacrifice?

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines chivalry as the medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code. Sir Gawain, a knight for King Arthur in Pearl Poet’s famous work Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, demonstrates certain standards of chivalry according to the reader. Sir Gawain first portrays these qualities when he remains loyal to King Arthur and accepts The Green Knight’s challenge. Next, Sir Gawain remains honorable to Sir Bertilak by refusing to sleep with his wife, Lady Bertilak, and turning down her request to marry her. Finally, Sir Gawain acts courageously by reporting to The Green Knight a year and a day after accepting his challenge while understanding that The Green Knight will chop off his head. In Sir Gawain and the Green Night, Sir Gawain fulfills the chivalric standards of loyalty, honor, and courage throughout the challenges he faces throughout the story.

Sir Gawain is one of the knights in King Arthur’s round table, as well as the king’s nephew. In the literary story of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” he’s portrayed as a knight who truly follows the code of chivalry, throughout the poem he showcases his nobility as a knight and all his virtues that make him a noble knight. Not only is he the noblest knight, he’s also represents the chivalric code; which makes him the noblest knight.

Upon delving into a specific genre, one may have a set of expectations before the commencement of their reading. A historical-fiction novel may entail allusions to monumental events. A tragedy might end with a series of events that go terribly wrong. Finally, a chivalric romance might include a knight who sets off on a quest to prove himself to be loyal to his lord and lady. The poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is an example of a chivalric romance.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a wonderful example of how context can change the way a story is accepted and interpreted. In the time of this poem, there was power in the idea that Gawain blundered and was not perfect. And this imperfection showed his subservient nature to God and his court, further instilling his heroic characteristics. However, in today 's society, perfection is idealized; therefore, Gawain’s mistakes allude to him being less of a hero and in a greater sense a regular human.