Sexuality In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

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In the romances of the Middle Ages, and in most of today’s genres, sexuality is never explicitly illustrated. To avoid graphic images, authors have used flowery language or intense innuendo to portray sexuality. Just like today’s readers, audiences from the Middle Ages wanted ‘the guy to get the girl’. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a satire for the aristocrats of the Middle Ages; when audiences expect romantic and sexual interactions between the Lord and the Lady, the author does not deliver. Sexuality is shaken up and put into different, unexpected places in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. For example, the anticipated relationship between a man and a woman appears not in the encounters between the Lady and Gawain, but in the Lord’s …show more content…

Normally in the Middle Ages, sexual or romantic interactions between men are avoided. However, despite both the Lord and Gawain possessing immense masculine qualities and being “strong and experienced” (844) knights, they share intimate moments. The Lord and Gawain’s “gracious kisses” (1118) mirror the kisses shared between the Lady and Gawain; Gawain’s actions and “courteous speech” (1117) with the Lord are just as chivalric as his behavior with the Lady. The “three vigorous kisses” (1937) may have been solely because of the Lord and Gawain’s comradery, however it could be interpreted sexually because the gestures are the same. Even if the Lord and Gawain do not have sexual or romantic feelings towards each other, their comradery and friendship is depicted through a lens of …show more content…

Additionally, carnal destruction of meat and flesh serves as an outlet for sexuality. Even the dogs “slobbering with desire for meat” (1909) could be interpreted sexually. Language usually expected in a love scene makes fun of what the reader desires of the Lady and Gawain’s relationship. The reader expects melding of man and woman. Instead, the author delivers “man and boar blend[ing]” (1590) together.
Audiences from the Middle Ages were in search of sexuality in literature. During the Middle Ages, audiences had two different forms of literature from which to choose, fablian and Medieval Romance. Fablian literature was for the masses and it appealed to crowds of lower classes with lewd, scatalogical humor and explicit innuendo. On the other hand, the Medieval Romance genre was for aristocrats and learned peoples with its sophisticated quests and love

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