Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
An anonymous contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer wrote Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the 14th century. It was written in a Northern dialect and uses alliteration similar to the Anglo-Saxon form of poetry. Alliteration is characterized by the repetition of consonants and a sharp rhyme at the end of each section.
The story begins as King Arthur's court celebrates the New Year for fifteen days. The lords and ladies of the court are having a great time dancing and feasting. The story describes the lavishly served feast with all the trimmings. Each guest is free to partake in the royal meal. However, King Arthur will not eat on such a high holiday until someone tells a fascinating or adventurous tale.
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Suddenly, a giant man on a horse rides into the hall. Both the imposing man and his horse are entirely green. He is, of course, the Green Knight. Even his clothing is described in detail as entirely green. In one hand he holds a large ax and in the other he holds a holly bob. The Green Knight asks to see the leader of the crowd.
King Arthur stands up and speaks to the Green Knight, obviously excited by the thought of the tales that this stranger will tell. The Knight offers a challenge to anyone brave enough to accept it. The Green Knight will allow his opponent to strike his neck with the large ax that he holds. The opponent must travel to the Green Knight's castle in one year to accept a similar blow in return. When none of the knights volunteer, Arthur rises to accept the Green Knight's challenge. Sir Gawain, the youngest of King Arthur's knights, asks to be allowed to stand in for his king.
The Green Knight doesn't move or flinch as he offers his bare neck to Gawain. Gawain grabs the Green Knight's ax firmly and chops off his head. The head falls to the ground and rolls past the feet of many of the people in the court. To the shock of everyone, the Green Knight gets up, grabs the head by the hair, and mounts his horse.
The story begins during the New Year's feast in King Arthur's court. Then a green knight enters asking all of the knights in the court if they would like to play a game. The game is he will allow which ever knight that chooses to challenge him one swing with a battle ax to try and chop off his head, but in order to play the game, the accepting knight must meet the green knight one year later at the green chapel. The brave knight Sir Gawain accepts to the challenge of the green knight. Sir Gawain takes one swing and chops off the head of the green knight. Right after the green knight's head is chopped off he gets up immediately, picks up his head and leaves. Once a year passes, Gawain sets off on a journey to find the Green Chapel. He arrives at a castle in which a lord welcomes him to stay for several days (Gawain only needs to stay there for three). The next morning the lord makes an agreement to share everything he gets during these three days with Gawain, but Gawain must agree to do the same. During days one and two the lord's wife tries hitting on Gawain, but he only allows her to give him a few kisses. At these days Gawain shares what he got to the lord for what he has hunted those days. On the third day, Gawain finally accepts to take a magic girdle from the lord's wife, but he didn't share it with the lord. This magic girdle helped Gawain survive the three fatal swing's of the green giant's ax, only leaving him with a little nick. After Gawain survives these 3 swings at his neck, the green knight then reveals his identity and explains that he is Bercilak, the lord of the castle. He also said that the three blows were taken at him in regards to the three days of their agreement.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the greatest fourteenth century text. It was written by an unknown author between 1375 and 1400. The story begins at Christmas time, and there are many symbolic elements. The Green Knight is a color which symbolizes Christmas. Also, changing seasons and the coming of winter symbolize the passing of life and reminds us that Death is unavoidable. The author also skillfully illustrates human weaknesses in the descriptions of Gawain's temptations.
Dissimilar to King Arthur’s opulent and boyish description, the Green Knight appears earthly, like an overgrown lumberjack in a debutante ball. His very entrance to the narrative aims to shatter Camelot’s superficial relationship with earthly trials. While Arthur seeks pleasure in hearing tales “of some fair feat” (92), the Green Knight undermines all formality known to be chivalrous challenging the king to a life risking game. With a “broad neck to buttocks” (137), (opposed to Arthur’s’ court depicted in the ever regal color red,) the Knight is clothed in green, the color of nature. He appears with no armor other then his faith, merely a utilitarian woodsman’s ax. While Green Knight is described like an animal who is said to have “wagged his beard” (306) yet understands the cyclical nature of life and truth of mans futility, it is only after Sir Gawain proclaims his lack of strength (though he says it at that point as a matter of chivalry) that he is able to ...
The poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight compares a super natural creature to nature. The mystery of the poem is ironic to the anonymous author. The story dates back into the fourteenth century, but no one knows who originally wrote the poem. This unknown author explains in the poem of Sir Gawain not knowing of the location of the Green Chapel and or who the Green Knight really is. This keeps the reader entertained with the suspicion of not knowing. The author then does not give his name or take credit for his own work.
Sir Gawain is originally faced with the challenge of the Green Knight. The Green Knight appears in King Arthur's court and causes a disturbance, issuing an open invitation to all in the court "to strike one stroke for another" (Norton, line 287) with his strong, sturdy, and finely-crafted axe as the prize. This test appears simple enough, and it puts Gawain into a straightforward, short-term conflict with the Green Kni...
A more recent discovery, made in 2014, stem cells are being created from cells of young mice, this involves taking mature cells from mice and turning them into embryonic like stem cells, this new technique has not yet been tested in humans.
William Shakespeare is well known for being a poet, playwright, and actor. Shakespeare's work appears to be very sexist in gender roles. He uses gender roles in his 'Romeo & Juliet' play. Juliet being the main and most important female role in this play; is supposed to be noble and respectful, but instead she goes against her father’s wishes and acts more educated than she really is. Romeo being the main male role in this play is supposed to be focused and noble, but instead he is passionate in love and isn't very wise with decisions but in comparison to Paris, who is very masculine, focused and noble shows a real renaissance male. This paper will demonstrate how Shakespeare uses gender role reversement ; by having feminism and masculinity, arrangement of marriages, and compare and contrast of different characters to prove the model of genders in Elizabethan England.
Even though little is known about the author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it is considered to be one of the greatest romances of all time. The poem tells the story of one of Arthur's noblest and most courageous knights, Sir Gawain, who is in search of the Green Chapel: "Sir Gawain ingeniously combines two plots, common in folklore and romance, although not found together elsewhere: the beheading contest, in which two parties agree to an exchange of blows with a sword or an ax, and the temptation, an attempted seduction of the hero by a lady" (Norton 200). The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight deals with important themes and ideas such as nobleness, chivalry, knighthood, Christian ideals, truth, temptation, and hunting among others. The poem is also a "study [of] how successfully Gawain, as a man wholly dedicated to Christian ideals, maintains those ideals when he is subjected to unusual pressures" (Norton 200). The poet effectively uses literary devices such as alliteration, rhyme, irony, metaphor, symbolism, and imagery to reinforce his ideas and themes.
Stem cell research has been around for some time, and many people have been cured from certain diseases because of it. Many scientists observe that embryonic stem cells are easier and flexible to use than adult stem cells Adult cells are diseased curable cells as well to a certain extent because they are taken from certain tissues that are already established in an area of the body. Stem cell research has long ways to go for scientists to be able to use them to cure all cancers, infectious diseases, and other health problems however stem cells are on the path of changing the world.
Stem cells are becoming a powerful new tool for replacing damaged or destroyed tissue in different parts of the body. There are two basic types, embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Stem cells, found in the body, can engender exact facsimiles of themselves. They have the capacity to construct a number of specially designed cells such as heart muscle cells, liver tissue cells, brain tissue cells, etc. Embryonic stem cells are extracted from aborted fetuses or embryos left over from in vitro fertilization. Adult stem cells are found in both children and adults. Adult stem cells can be utilized for a circumscribed number of other kinds of cells while embryonic stem cells are able to individualize into over two hundred types of cells. Embryonic stem cell research is so controversial because society is judging whether or not taking stem cells from days old embryos is immoral, or if doctors should look past the cons and do what is necessary to eventually preserve many lives.
In one hand, the green knight held a very green sprig of holy while on the other, a great deadly green axe. The Green Knight clears that he comes in peace but has one game challenge for the warriors which turns into an avoidable situation when the Green Knight adds “But if you’re half as honorable as I’ve heard folk say / you’ll gracefully grant me this game which I ask for / by right” (272- 274). All the warrior present are brave and strong both physically and mentally, and what the Green Knight is doing is setting up an environment where the knights cannot reject his request. Since the warriors have their reputation and boldness, the Green Knight’s request gets accepted. The Green Knight challenges any warrior to behead his head with the great green axe he has brought with him and that warrior shall come to search the Green Knight in a year to receive the axe blow in return. First, King Arthur accepts the challenge but Sir Gwain quickly persuades King Arthur and takes the task for
In the beginning of the passage, not much action is going on. The Green Knight then rides into King Arthur's house on his horse. He gives a challenge to everybody in the hall. The king says that whoever cuts the Green Knight's head will be a brave person. Then Sir Gawain says that he will take the Green Knight's challenge. But, he wants to know the Green Knight's name. Sir Gawain says,"Nor I know you not, knight your name nor your court. But tell me truly thereof, and teach me your name (Norton 210,line400-401). The Green Knight, however, does not give his name to Sir Gawain. Instead, the Green Knight says Sir Gawain has a year to find out where the Green Knight lives. Once Sir Gawain discovers where the Green Knight lives, he will know his name. The Green Knight says, "If I tell you true, when I have taken your knock, and If you handily have hit, you shall hear straightway of my house and my home and my own name" (Norton 210 lines 406-408). At this point Sir Gawain does not know what to do. Sir Gawain asks the Green Knight for directions to his house. But the Green Knight will not give any clues to Sir Gawain, and he says, "That is enough in New Year, you need say no more" which means that after the year is through, Sir Gawain will know everything (Norton 210 line 404).
A mysterious knight shows up at the king’s castle and calls himself the Green Knight. The Green Knight then challenges one to play a game which he challenges the king to strike him with his axe if he will take a return hit in a year and a day. Sir Gawain steps forward to accept the challenge for his uncle King Arthur when nobody else in the castle would. He took the King’s role in the game to protect him from the Green Knight. He must learn to accept his responsibility as a knight, in accepting his fate.
Cigarette makers know that nicotine addiction helps sell their products. Nicotine is the main ingredient in tobacco that causes addiction. Feeling and pleasure are the two parts of the brain that are triggered by nicotine use. It only takes minutes for the effects of nicotine to wear off. This causes the smoker to take another puff to keep feeling good. (Junior Scholastic, 2006) When tobacco products are used nicotine is quickly absorbed into your blood stream. Within seconds it enters the brain causing the brain to release adrenaline, which in return causes a buzz of pleasure and energy. The feeling quickly fades and leaves the user feeling tired, down and craving that feeling of pleasure once more. This could result in the individual lighting up another cigarette due to the fact that the body has built up such as high tolerance to nicotine. This cycle will only continue to repeat resulting in addiction. Although for many once they’ve reached this point it seems almost impossible to quit smoking even when they want to. ("Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction | Be Tobacco Free.gov”) Nearly 35 million people make a serious attempt to quit each year, unfortunately most fail...
When I ask my dad why he started smoking he would say to be cool. Millions of people started smoking not knowing what would happen to them in years later. Most smokers like my dad have tried to stop but have failed. There are lots of side effects besides smelling bad. If you have children there is a potential to pass second hand smoking that may lead to the same diseases has the smoker can contracted. Most smokers don’t even know the makeup of a cigarette and what those chemical can do to you. Nicotine is an insecticide and interferes with the nervous systems. When a smoker smokes the nicotine, it reaches the brain faster about 7 seconds. This stimulates cells in the brain and blocks the nerve impulses. This is where the addiction happens not with tobacco with nicotine. “Nicotine also causes accelerated heart rate, but at the same time it leads to contracting and hardening of the arteries.”(Tabaco Stop Center)