Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a story full of tests and inner challenges, was written by an unknown author somewhere in the late 14th century. The poem begins the same as it ends: with the mentioning of the fall of Troy. After the fall of Troy, the Trojan survivors ventured to Europe where each began a new kingdom. "Ticius to Tuscany, and towers raises, Langobard in Lombardy lays out homes, and far over the French Sea, Felix Brutus on many broad hills and high Britain he sets, most fair." (Norton p. 202) In the same lines in the original text, "And fer ouer the French flod Felix Brutus On mony bonkkes ful brode Bretayn he settez wyth wynne" Britain is described as a land that is settled "wyth wynne" or, with joy.
The second stanza describes how many warriors and "bold boys" were bred in Britain. The text continues and describes that many exceptional things are happening in this land than in any other for a long time. Most importantly, the text proceeds to offer a description that sets up the visualization and stature of the setting and characters included in the poem. Of all of the British kings, "King Arthur was counted most courteous of all" (Norton p. 203). He was the most respected, and therefore was the most powerful and most successful. There are many stories about the Arthurian Legend, but the author denotes that the story that he is about to retell, is one that is incomparable to any other. "Wherefore an adventure I aim to unfold, that a marvel of might some men think it, and one unmatched among Arthur's wonders. If you will listen to my lay but a little while, as I heard it in hall, I shall hasten to tell anew." (Norton p. 203) The author is saying that he heard it in passing and doesn't want to offend anyone by what he is saying.
The final stanza of this passage offers a description to the scenery, traditions and some of the usual festivities that take place at Camelot. Under King Arthur's command, the New Year's party is underway, including song, dance, and competitions. It describes how only the youngest and best of all the knights and the fairest of all the ladies were present. "And the loveliest ladies that lived on earth ever, and he the comeliest king, that that court holds, for all this fari fold in their first age were still.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a stranger rides into King Arthur's court with a challenge. This stranger, green in color from head to toe, proposes to play a game with a member of King Arthur's court. This game will be played by each participant taking a blow from a weapon at the hands of the opponent. The person that dies from the hit is obviously the loser. On top of this, the Green Knight offers to let his opponent take the first swing. This sets up the action in the passage beginning with line 366 and ending with line 443.
"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is a poem written by a poet (name unknown) approximately 6000 years ago in the late 1300's in the medieval times. This story was originally written in medieval literature with a real unique rhyme scheme, but was translated later in time to regular English for high school students and researchers to study and read.
At the onset of Sir Gawain and the Green Night the unknown author goes to great length physically describing the opulence of Christmastime in Arthur's court. For Camelot even Christmastide, a deeply religious holiday, is given significance based on its futile aesthetic veneer rather than inherent religious value. The dais is “well –decked” (Sir Gawain and the Green Night, 75), and “costly silk curtains” (76) canopy over Queen Guinevere. The Knights are described as “brave by din by day, dancing by night” (47 ), this is to say they are the paradigm of bravery and gentility. Both bravery and gentility are not indicative of the knights’ humanity, his feelings and thoughts, rather how appears and acts.
In the opening scene Sir Gawain faces his first trial when the Green Knight proposes his “Christmas game.” The room falls silent for “If he astonished them at first, stiller were then/ All that household in hall, the high and low;” (lines 301-302). The Green Knight begins to mock the court; and then boldly, King Arthur accepts h...
Born as the eldest son, March 16, 1911, in Gunzburg, Germany was Josef Mengele. His father was a very wealthy business owner of a manufacturing company of farming equipment. Josef grew up with a strict catholic religion. Later being accepted the University of Munich and obtaining a degree in philosophy. He then pursued a medical degree from the University of Frankfurt am Main, concentrating on physical anthropology and genetics (Killer File). “In January of 1937, at the Institute for Hereditary Biology and Racial Hygiene in Frankfurt, he became the assistant of Dr. Otmar von Verschuer, a leading science figure widely known for his research with twins” (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). In 1937 Josef Mengele earned his medical degree and made the decision to enlist into the Nazi Party. This is where a man that everyone perceived as smart, intelligent, and nice turned into what he would soon be called, “the angel of death”.
Mengele was assigned in the Nazi army as a physician and surgical medic, who were greatly wanted by patients, however they were also feared. The most tremendous jobs he ever had, was of course his goal to find the key to heredity, and the selection of life or death. In other words Mengele was in charge of where people were sent, whether it is the working camps, or the crematory. Survivors today co...
“Culture does not make people. People make culture” said Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian writer and educator, in a presentation on feminism in a TedTalk. The culture in which Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written was misogynistic and it shows in the writing of the poem. Medieval cultural misogyny manifests itself in multiple ways in SGGK. This paper will examine the negative relationships between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and gender by discussing: the representation of female characters, gendered violence, and Christianity in the Middle Ages.
January 30th, 1933 was the day thousands of lives were affected greatly. Adolf Hitler began as the Chancellor of Germany. Hitler and his newly founded army, were always viewed as the true killers of the innocent Jews. Many did not notice the people who actually did a great deal of the killing, the doctors that is. There were a number of doctors from the Holocaust that are known for horrific killing but one stands out above the rest. Dr. Josef Mengele is the one that most people know about. He is the one that is known for his antics in the killing of Jews. He can’t be compared to the others because what he did was like no other.
... a few hours, the overall impact of consuming this drug can inevitably lead to serious complications and illnesses. Before consuming or breaking down to pressure, it would be wise to become educated on the subject of heroin. Its original intend failed to be a cure to addiction but was contrary to the belief, and ended up being highly addictive as its original component, morphine. From the reasoning and scientific evidence displayed above, heroin is a molecule that disrupts the natural order and balance of life, leaving behind a path of destruction. It is also important to note that heroin addiction is treatable and is manageable with the help of a professional (“Heroin in the Brain”, n.d.). Whether it is snorting it, smoking it or injecting it there is no okay amount or consumption of this drug that will benefit an individual. Its nature is too disrupt and destroy.
Heroin poses many threats, not just to the user, but to the people around them. If a woman is pregnant and she is abusing heroin it could affect the unborn child. The baby could have decreased birth weight, prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation and neonatal withdrawals, and possible death, are some of the effects on the fetus. If the mother used dirty needles while abusing heroin, she could have contracted hepatitis C or HIV, which she can pass on to the baby. The baby could have poor nourishment, vitamin deficiencies, or anemia.
We are born into our ethnicity, race, gender, and culture. They are a part of who we are when we enter this world. One of the few diversities that may be acquired later on in our lives is disability. All of us, regardless of where we come from, what we believe, or who we are, can be afflicted with some form of disability in our life time through disease, accident, or other conditions that render us incapable of caring for ourselves in the same way that was possible before. This knowledge creates fear and is one of the primary reasons for the prejudice and stigma our society places on the disabled. The process of recognizing this fear, becoming knowledgeable, and culturally aware, is the ideal for individuals moving towards cultural competence, However; for those who are able to move past these prejudices, other biases await them. The well-meaning who overcompensate by solicitous and over protecting behaviors may be just as harmful as those whose bias creates prejudice.
While other doctors would often get themselves drunk in order to forget what they have done, Josef Mengele would walk into work with a smile (“Josef Mengele, The Cruelest Doctor in the Holocaust,” n.d.). Often known as “The Angel of Death” (“Nazi Experiments,” n.d.), Josef Mengele would often work with kids, and before he performed experiments on them, he would try to gain their trust. He would give them toys and play with them. Many kids there ended up calling him “Uncle Mengele” (“Josef Mengele,” n.d.). However, this relationship would not last for long. Soon he would start to perform his experiments. Josef Mengele had a fascination with twins. He thought experimenting with them would help cure several diseases. This led to him performing many controversial experiments. These included stitching twins together, dissecting them, and giving them blood transfusions. In addition to this, he would often inject chemicals into his victim's eyes in an attempt to change their eye color (“Josef Mengele: The Cruelest Doctor in the Holocaust,” n.d.). Because of his actions, Josef Mengele became the most infamous and feared person in
Josef Mengele, also known as The Angel of Death, was responsible for the deaths of many innocent people during the Holocaust. His ideas for experimenting were strongly influenced by his family, childhood, and past. He caused human suffering through his lethal experiments. By committing all of these atrocities, one could easily argue that he did not get proper justice.
The poem begins with a narrator questioning a Knight at arms. The Knight is seen wandering around lifelessly and listlessly. Not only is he lifeless, but, around him, the whole forest is dying as well. "The sedge has withered from the Lake/ And no birds sing!" (Keats, p506 lines 3-4) The Knight is feverish, a word Keats uses to depict starvation and intense longing. The color on the Knight's cheeks is fading like the flora.
“The Temple [of The Sagrada Família] grows slowly, but this has always been the case with everything destined to have a long life. Hundred-year-old oak trees take many years to grow tall; on the other hand, reeds grow quickly, but in autumn the wind knocks them down and there is no more to be said"1. These words, spoken by Antoni Gaudi about his life-long work, Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, are a means to justify the extremely long time needed for the construction of the Sagrada Família, while referencing the themes and structural concepts he borrowed from nature in his designs. While this logical explanation may give comfort to some, others doubt the temple’s eventual completion, as its construction has just passed 123 years, with roughly half of the temple completed.1 Although churches and cathedrals have always endured long periods of construction, the plan set forth by Gaudi is of such an elaborate nature as to set the temple in a league of its own. The drive of Gaudi and others involved in the project are very representative of the Catalan people. Catalonia, and specifically Barcelona, has historically been a successful and prosperous region in Western Europe, a leader in politics and trade, but lost much of its importance and independence in modern times. Catalan nationality persevered, and Barcelona sought ways to reaffirm their identity and show the world it is a city rich with life and culture. While many projects would follow, perhaps the best example of this desire to show the world the worth of Catalonia is embodied in the Sagrada Família. The grand magnitude and elaborate attention to detail involved in the construction of the Sagrada Família are a clear portrayal of the ideal of Catalan pride.