The Handmaid's Tale: A Fictional Narrative

On the second hunt, the boar, a more intimidating rival, continues for most of the day, to elude the huntsmen. The boar being more aggressive in nature advances on the men. They are wounded in pursuit of this prey. "Most grim when he grunted - then grieved were many,/ For three at the first thrust he threw to the earth,/" (3.1442-43). This ferocious animal is much more difficult to catch and kill. This is representative of Gawain's responses to the mounting advances of the lady. Likewise, Gawain, who is now waiting for the lady, is a more intimidating rival. He unfalteringly, but politely, resists her advances.

The role of women was a key role in medieval times. In the poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, two women represent this role. They are Lady Bertilak, who is Lord Bertilak’s wife, and Morgan La Faye. It all starts when Sir Gawain is welcomed to Lord Bertilak’s castle and then he meets these two women living there. At all times, Bertilak requests Gawain to feel at home and socialize with these women without problems. Bertilak trusts Gawain even though he would be away and Gawain would remain alone with women. However, his nameless wife uses many different ways to chase Sir Gawain and take advantage of her condition as the host’s wife. Lady Bertilak is a superior being that

The first temptation of Gawain is perhaps the most difficult for him to defend. This temptation corresponds with the hunt scene involving a stag. In terms of the hunt, the stag is hunted due to it being a staple food, but it can also be mounted as a trophy. In the same sense, the Queen views him as the “stag” she is trying to hunt. Her sexual desire for him is the sole purpose of her “pursuit”. She then tries to guilt him by saying, “A good man like Gawain… could have never lingered so long with a lady without craving a kiss” (p.164; line 1297). She is, in a sense, "hunting" Gawain in that she is pursuing him for the sole purpose of making him her “trophy” but is not flirting with him as much as she does in the next two temptations. If he falls prey to this temptation, then he has failed his knightly honor. In his reaction to the Queen, Gawain acts much like a stag. He first tries to unsuccessfully ignore her. Then, he stealthily avoids her advances, not directly confronting her, but subtly downplaying her advances, until he could attempt to escape.

After a moment of consideration, Sir Gawain accepts the terrifying challenge. As he tries to perform the first part of the challenge, he stumbles into an even bigger surprise. As Gawain hits the Green Knight with an ax, the head of the Green Knight falls on the floor. Instead of the Green

In this small section of Fitt 2, the reader learns more about Sir Gawain’s character than in any part of Fitt 2 and beyond. He begins his Hero’s Journey to find the Green Knight, so he can return the favor of cutting his head off. Gawain meets his obstacles but “only diligence and faith in the face of death will keep him from being a corpse or carrion.” The reader now truly recognizes Sir Gawain for the persistent hero he is. He faces giants, wolves, and bulls and those aren’t even close to the main trial he must soon face. He faces the foes he comes in contact with instead of dying like a coward. He moves on oward for the honor of his knighthood and for King Arthur. Sir Gawain is not only a persistent he’s also a dutiful Christian. On his

The women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Paradise Lost both had a serious impact over the men in their lives. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the host’s wife heavily influenced Sir Gawain’s thoughts and strategies through seduction, especially when she offered her girdle. The host’s wife was put there to test Sir Gawain’s loyalty, and he gave in. In Paradise Lost, Eve was beneficial to Adam in many ways. Eve provided Adam with companionship, gave Adam confidence, and also helped convince him to eat the apple. Both women held crucial amounts of power, and effected the outcome in both poems.

By portraying Gawain as noble and honorable, the poet is able to shock the reader with actions that are uncharacteristic of a chivalrous knight. The first of these conflicting actions is obvious in the temptation of Gawain by his host's lady. This lady, the huntress, seeks to pursue Gawain in order to fool him into actions that contrast the knightly ideal. She will do anything to accomplish these actions in him, even through sexual temptations. With another man's wife pursuing him, Gawain must be courtly to the lady, but at the same time must deny her advances. This unavoidable conflict creates a fear within Gawain. Upon discovering that the lovely lady was approaching him in bed, Gawain lays a sleep, in order to "try her intent" (1199). This action reveals Gawain's fear that his host's lady is pursuing him. This unavoidable fear causes his failure of courtliness, for Gawain would have claimed a kiss from the lady, but did not. The lady ridicules him for this, even though, the situation was unavoidable. Gawain must abide by his morals and abstain from immoral thoughts, while at the same time being a courteous guest. Moreover, Gawain is forced to make a choice between courtesy and adultery, either of which would result in the dishonor of the lady ,his host, or Gawain himself. By choosing to return each of the following kisses received, Gawain is able

“The only thing I've yet to achieve is two women in my bed at once.” Gawain leaned back against a tree, his hands behind his head, resting against his thick brown hair.

Through Gawain’s gruesome travel North, he is very weak and struggles to find shelter. Gawain finds himself “more nights than enough among the bare rocks, where splashing from the hilltops the freezing stream runs, and hung over his head in hard icicles” (730-732). Apart from Gawain’s highly anticipated and frightening meeting with the Green Knight, the weather illustrates the environment as a considerably large hardship he attempts to overcome. As nature displays a sense of trouble for Gawain, the portrayal of his cold and isolated surroundings magnifies into the understanding that Gawain is sincerely alone, with no one around to help

To point out, women unlike men had a more submissive role in the Anglo-Saxon era. In the story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight shows a woman that is seductive toward a man, which is not her husband, but only because her husband orders her to. Thus validating that men had the authority over their women. In the poem this is proven to be when, “The lovely lady came laughing sweetly, / Fell over his fair face and fondly kissed him; / Sir Gawain welcomed her worthily and with pleasure; He found her so glorious, so attractively dressed, so faultless in every feature, her colors so fine” (Line 200-220). The Lady is trying to seduce Sir Gawain, but he rightfully declines her offer. The fact that The Lady is looking so pleased and she is kissing him, that does not seem to interfere with the way Sir Gawain feels about her at that moment. Sir Gawain encounters multiple uncomfortable situations with The Lady when: “For that priceless princess pressed us here so hard… And drove him so close to the line that she left him no choice... But to take the full pleasure she offered but refuses her. (Line 240) Sir Gawain did not want to sleep with The Lady because he did not want to violate the chivalric code. During that time period, men and women had to obey the chivalric code, which was a system of ideas and social codes governing the behavior of knights and gentlewomen. Chivalry brought about an idealized attitude toward women, but it did little to improve their actual position. The chivalric code brought a certain level of respect to the women of that time; even though it did not necessarily change their positions in

Sir Gawain deals a savage blow to the Green Knight’s neck severing his head, only

The woman acts as a temptress to Gawain, luring him into breaking his bow. But Gawain cleaverly avoids her. The second time the woman meets Gawain, she tells him that he should have sex with her because it is his duty as a hero. He gives her a kiss and she goes out. The third time, the lady enters the room wearing no clothes and gets inside Gawain’s bed, claiming that if he refuses to have sex with her is because he is in love with someone else or not in interested in her. Gawain finds himself in a

The first temptation of Gawain is perhaps the most difficult for him to defend. This temptation corresponds with the hunt scene involving a deer, In terms of the hunt, the deer is hunted because it is a staple of the diet, or it is something that satisfies a person. In the same manner, the Lord's wife viewed Gawain as art animal that she was hunting. She was pursued him on the sole basis of her carnal desire. This, her first temptation, is totally sexual. She says "Do with me as you will: that well pleases Inc.,/ For I Surrender speedily and sue for grace Which, to my mind, since I must, is much the best Course" (1215-1217-) She is viewing Gawain much as a hunter would view a deer. She has no interest in any kind of relationship, and she is not extensively flirting with him as she does in the next two temptations; she simply wants sex from him, plain and simple. She is, in a sense, "hunting" Gawain; hunting in that she is pursuing Gawain for the sole purpose of making him her trophy. If he falls prey to this temptation, then she has slain him. In his reaction to the lady, Gawain acts much

This temptation corresponds with the hunt scene involving a boar. Boars are not so much hunted for food as they are for sport. A boar is a very unruly animal. It will attack any hunters viciously, and with reckless abandon. Successfully capturing a boar is a testament to the physical courage and strength of the hunter. In the second temptation, the Lord's wife appears to Gawain in the same voluptuous manner as she did on the previous day. But this time, Gawain does not attempt to avoid her advances. He is much more direct and confrontational with the lady. The lady also asks Gawain to tell her one of his war stories. Gawain refuses, on account that it would be boasting. He replies

Part Three of the tale is the peak of Gawain’s obstacles in the form of the Lady Bercilak. He is repeatedly tested in a psychological game of chivalry against courtesy. To Gawain, the Lady Bercilak is even “Lovelier than Guenevere” (line 945), his own queen, so it is no doubt that the challenge imparted upon him by her attempts at seduction is a great one indeed. In addition, Gawain also must compete in Lord Bercilak’s game of trading each day’s winnings for the winnings of the other