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Color symbolism sir gawain and the green knight
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Role of Religion in Sir Gawain and Othello
Respect for religion and government is an important part of any country, but what happens to a country when these values begin to change? England was beginning to go through this change in 1603 when Othello was written by William Shakespeare. Comparing the religious themes and heroes of Othello to the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight which was written during the Middle English era, will demonstrate just how far England had come. Both heroes are clearly religious, but Gawain maintains his faith until the end, while Othello falls into the snare of temptation. The spiritual hero of Middle English is quite different from the tragic hero of the Machiavellian era.
To begin, look at a night in the life of Sir Gawain. It is Christmas Eve and Gawain is in need. He needs a place to stay in his search for the Green Knight's castle and he has traveled a long way. What does he do? Gawain could boast of his great ability to find his way and gallop on. He could give up and go home as many others would. He could become so completely discouraged after all his hard work with no results, that he wishes someone would just thrust a sword into his side and put him out of his misery. Gawain doesn't do any of those things though. That is just not Sir Gawain of Camelot. He is not that kind of hero.
And at that holy ride
He prays with all his might
That Mary may be his guide
Till a dwelling comes in sight. (736-739)
If that wasn't enough, Gawain continues praying when he realizes that it is Christmas Day and he is missing mass:
I beseech of Thee, Lord,
And Mary, thou mildest mother so dear,
Some harborage where...
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...troduction" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (1-6)
Dinney, Larry. Religion and Tradition in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1995.
Gardner, John. The Complete Works of the Gawain Poet. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1965.
Gawain Poet. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams et al. 6th ed. 1 vol. New York: W.W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. 1:200-254
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (39-55)
Snyder, Susan. "Beyond the Comedy: Othello" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (page 23-37)
Barron, W.R.J., trans. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.. New York: Manchester University Press, 1974.
In the final scenes of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain’s encounter with Sir Bertilak allows Gawain to perceive his own flaws, manifested in his acceptance of the Green Girdle. The court’s reaction to his personal guilt highlights the disconnect between him and the other knights of the Round Table. Gawain’s behavior throughout the poem has been most noteworthy; his understanding of his sin, one that many of us would dismiss since it was propelled by his love of life, enhances his stature as a paragon of chivalry.
...Gawain’s time in the wilderness, living nature, and his acceptance of the lady’s offering of the green girdle teach him that though he may be the most chivalrous knight in the land, he is nevertheless human and capable of error.
Bennett, Michael J. "The Historical Background" in A Companion to the Gawain-Poet, pp. 71-90. Derek Brewer and Jonathan Gibson, editors. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1997.
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Element of Literature, Sixth Course. Austin: Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, 1997. 161-172. Print.
Anonymous, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, eds. Abrams, et al. (New York: Norton, 1993), 200.
Web. 30 Sept. 2009. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume A. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt.
Markman, Alan M. "The Meaning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Modern Language Association 72.4 (1957): 574-86. JSTOR. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
8[8] Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Marie Borroff. Norton Anthology of British Literature Vol. 1, New York: WW Norton, 1993.
Though God does grant forgiveness, it must be earned at a price. The Lord opens people’s eyes to the severity of one’s sins, which often leaves a person feeling ashamed. Despite having committed a grave sin against the Christian honor, Sir Gawain was forgiven by the Green Knight. He has “confessed . . ., admitted [his] fault, and done honest penance on the edge of [the Green Knight’s] blade” (Winny 4.2391-2392). No one has to continue to live with the guilt, but should at least understand their sin. Sir Gawain realizes that he surrendered to cowardice and learned “to give way to covetousness” (Winny 4.2380). The Green Knight fulfills his role as God by bringing to attention the weakness Sir Gawain possesses as a knight and as a human. The Gawain poet describes the significance of “God’s grace for the forgiveness of sin and the granting of salvation” through the Green Knight’s godly role (Champion
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55)
Bennett, Michael J. "The Historical Background" in A Companion to the Gawain-Poet, pp. 71-90. Derek Brewer and Jonathan Gibson, editors. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1997.
"Othello." Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 649-87. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. .
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994.
- - -. Othello. 1968. Ed. Kenneth Muir. The New Penguin Shakespeare. London: Penguin Books, 1996.