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Symbolism in sir Gawain and the green knight
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In the medieval romance poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain displays many chivalrous qualities. To a certain extent, the young knight lives an honorable life and fights bravely for the ideals of his king and country. He accepts the challenge of the Green Knight and bravely takes on the quest. While he appears honorable, Sir Gawain has trouble keeping his word of honor and refraining from cheating. He encounters this problem when presented with a magical girdle from Lady Bertilak while under an oath. The young knight also forbears from letting the Queen seduce him while respecting her at the same time. While Sir Gawain lives an honorable life, he encounters situations in which he breaks his word of honor, although he still manages to …show more content…
When a Green Knight shows up at King Arthur’s Christmas feast, with a strange challenge, Sir Gawain bravely asks the king for the challenge. As part of the challenge, he chops off the mysterious knight’s head, and watches in awe as the knight retrieves his head and replaces it to its original position. The Green Knight then departs from the hall leaving Sir Gawain confused and frightened. After a year and a day, Sir Gawain leaves on his quest to find the Green Chapel. While on his search, the young knight encounters many trials in which he must fight against both beasts and the forces of nature. Part two of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight says “many a cliff did he climb in that unknown land… …he fought with dragons, wolves, and wild men that dwelt in the rocks” (15). Although Sir Gawain fights honorably, he has trouble keeping his word of …show more content…
One year after cutting off the Green Knight’s head, Sir Gawain finds himself tempted to drop the quest. In order to keep his word, he sets out on his search. He reaches a fair castle built in a meadow with a park all about it. The Lord of the castle welcomes him and serves him a double portion of food. Gawain and his host then make a covenant which simply requires Gawain to give his host anything he acquires by staying at the castle in return for whatever his host catches while hunting in the forest. On the first day, after the Lord leaves to go hunting, Lady Bertilak enters Sir Gawain’s room and manages to kiss him. When the host returns, Sir Gawain, true to the covenant, gives him a kiss. This continues until the Lady offers Sir Gawain her magical girdle which posses the power to protect whoever wears it from death. Gawain recalls his promise to the Green Knight and how the girdle can help him, and accepts the gift. Before she leaves, the Lady gives Gawain three kisses. The Lord of the castle returns with a boar and Sir Gawain gives him three kisses in return. He refrains from handing over the girdle thus breaking the covenant. In this part of the story, Sir Gawain lacks the knightly quality of keeping one’s word of honor. While he has trouble keeping his word, this young knight has a great respect for
The lord planned to go hunting and invited Sir Gawain to eschange what he recieved in the castle for what the Lord recieved in the woods. For the first two days, the Lord gave Sir gawain venision, bear and a goose. And for every day, Sir Gawain recieved kisses from the Lady, so in return he must kiss the Lord. But on the third day, Sir Gawainj recieved three kisses and a green silk gridle. This gridle was magical according to the Lady. She said ""My knight, you must face many foes. This is a magic girdle; it has the power to protect whoever wears it against any weapon." Sir Gawains desire to live was overpowering so he accepted the gift. He failed to give the Lord this gift, but instead he gave him three kisses. Days passed and eventually Sir Gawain had to face the Green Knight. As scared as Sir Gawain was, he was determined to commit to his word so he allowed the Green Knight to swing his axe with the intent to decapitate him. Oddly enough, the Knight swung his axe three times and only cut Sir Gawains neck slightly.
The Green Knight begins to mock the court; and then boldly, King Arthur accepts his challenge. Sir Gawain realizes that this should not be the king’s responsibility for there are others present worthy of the challenge including him. Symbolically, this scene can be seen as a Christian standing up for what he believes in. Gawain says, “I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest;/ And the loss of my life would be least of any; (354-355). Here, Gawain humbles himself before his lord, just as a Christian should in prayer to God.
The next year came quickly for Gawain, and when it did come Gawain set out a few days early to find the Green Knight. He searched long and hard for the green chapel, where the Green Knight lived, but he could not find it. He did, however, come upon a castle with a kind lord, who told Gawain he knew where the Green Knight lived and would help him get there when he needed to. Until then, the kind lord offered to let Gawain stay in his castle. Everyday, the lord went hunting so Gawain and the lord made a deal. The lord would give Gawain all the game he killed that day if Gawain would give him whatever he was given within the castle. On the first day when the lord was out hunting, the lady of the castle, the lord’s wife, gave Gawain a kiss. Therefore, that night when the lord came home Gawain gave him a kiss on the cheek. He did not have to tell the lord where the kiss came from because that was not a part of the deal. The same thing happened on the second day. On the third day, however, in addition to a kiss,
Sir Gawain's inner values and character are tested to the fullest and are clearly defined in the text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The unknown author describes Gawain and the other knights as "Many good knights" (Norton 159), and he is referred to as one of the "most noble knights" (Norton 159) in King Arthur's land. This claim by the author is solidified by a challenge presented by the evil Green Knight, who enters the court of King Arthur and asks him to partake in a Christmas game. Sir Gawain, after hearing this challenge, asks the king if he may take his place. This represents that Gawain is very loyal to his king. Sir Gawain is also an honest knight in the text because in a year's time he ventures out in search of the Green Knight to endure a blow with the ax as the rules of the game were stated. He very easily could have not have carried out his end of the bargain by not traveling to the Green Chapel to meet the evil being, but Gawain is an honest knight who is true to his word.
He holds his responsibilities to God as his number one priority. Critic Tison Pugh explains, “Games and play--those of the Arthurian court, of the Green Knight, and of Christianity--advance the narrative so that Gawain displays his virtuous identity through his pentangle shield and armor; the godgame of the Green Knight (the beheading game and the exchange game) and the godgame of Christianity (the rules of the pentangle).” These are all hidden symbols of Gawain’s devout Christian faith. Tison Pugh also allows us to understand that the main role the Green Knight plays is to, “force Gawain to confront his personal limitations and to gain a better understanding of his place within a Christian world.” He plays this role sneakily, but Gawain remains faithful almost always. This is quite impressive due to all the temptations he faced. We realize from Tison Pugh’s exquisite commentary that the moral of this entire story is “...perfection is a rule that can never be maintained in a fallen world.” No matter how hard anyone tries, even the noblest of knights, there is no way to be completely perfect. When Gawain met the Green Knight to compete in the second portion of the challenge, where the knight would have his chance to behead Gawain, the Green Knight spares his life and only nicks his neck. When Gawain questions this odd situation, the Green Knight reveals that he was the lord from the castle, and his wife’s
Hoping that Lady Bertilak was right, he is dishonest to the Lord. The girdle will protect him from dying when his turn to get his head truncated came. He chooses to keep the girdle and possibly his life over being truthful with the Lord Bertilak. This seems ironic to an extent because Sir Gawain did not hold back giving the kisses to him, even though they were obtained from his wife. His dishonesty and deceit on the third day of the game breaks a general knight code of conduct: to be honest and live by the values of chivalry, respect and honor. The girdle challenged Gawain to show his value of honor and he proves that he puts himself higher of a priority than the code of chivalry, something a knight was not supposed to do. This is when the girdle begins to signify something
In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Poet Pearl, Sir Gawain, knight of the Round Table, acts chivalrously, yet his intents are insincere and selfish. It is the advent season in Middle Age Camelot, ruled by King Arthur when Poet Pearl begins the story. In this era citizens valued morals and expected them to be demonstrated, especially by the highly respected Knights of the Round Table. As one of Arthur’s knights, Sir Gawain commits to behaving perfectly chivalrous; however, Gawain falls short of this promise. Yes, he acts properly, but he is not genuine. The way one behaves is not enough to categorize him as moral; one must also be sincere in thought. Gawain desires to be valued as
Despite being a knight, Sir Gawain sinned. He was greedy. He accepted a woman’s girdle because it would literally save his neck in the covenant he had with the Green Giant. The woman’s girdle was magical and saved people from every thrust or strike they would endure. Sir Gawain learned his lesson through all the guilt he feels when he was caught. Moreover, when Sir Gawain says, “Dread of the death blow and cowardly doubts meant I gave into greed, and in doing so forgot the freedom and fidelity every knight knows to follow,” (“Sir Gawain” 235). Even though Sir Gawain was a noble knight he still sinned against the knightly code and also against the Ten Commandments.
After reading through the piece of literature Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one will realize there are many elements present throughout that could be analyzed such as humility, chastity, and courage. It could be interpreted that the author meant for the main theme of the writing to be a theme of chastity. Although the element of chastity is present in that Sir Gawain is tested by many sexual temptations, the element of humility is one that is prominent and changing throughout the piece. Humility is apparent throughout the story in the way Sir Gawain displays false humility at the beginning, the way he keeps his humility during his stay at the castle, and the way he is truly learns humility after his challenges with the Green Knight are over.
He observes the progress of one’s journey and listens to people’s prayers. Similarly, the Green Knight secretly watches Sir Gawain through a disguise – Lord Bertilak. By disguising himself, the Green Knight could continue to test Sir Gawain’s faith by initiating another agreement. Unaware of the Green Knight’s presence, Sir Gawain is continually examined to discover the truth to his fidelity. Initially, Sir Gawain faces stressful and challenging experiences along his trek to the Green Chapel. Alone and enveloped by harsh winter’s cold, he “prays for God’s grace to save him” (Champion 418). Luckily, Sir Gawain’s prayers are heard when he uncovered Lord Bertilak’s castle amongst the woods. By humbly inviting Sir Gawain into the castle, pleas for safety and shelter from harsh conditions are answered, a depiction of God’s (the Green Knight’s) grace. Nonetheless, Sir Gawain’s hardships do not cease, but in fact, they continue to fall and weigh upon his shoulders. Once again, Sir Gawain partakes in another agreement, involving the exchanging of winnings. Human faith is yet again being tested, and once more fails to succeed. The affection of Lady Bertilak is arranged by the Green Knight himself as another test; however, Sir Gawain “fell short a little . . . and lacked fidelity” (Winny 4.2366). Fear of death encourages Sir Gawain to submit to greed. In order to continue living, he wears the Green Knight’s
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight edited and translated by James Winny is a poem about a knight, Sir Gawain, from King Arthur’s court. In the very beginning Sir Gawain volunteers to take King Arthur’s place upon the Green Knights arrival when he declares that one knight must agree to receive a blow by his axe after having the chance to give a blow to him. Sir Gawain ends up chopping off the Green Knights head and is then declared to meet the Green Knight in one year to accept a blow from the Green Knight and his axe. When the year comes Sir Gawain sets off to find the Green Knight at the green chapel, which where he will receive the blow. On Sir Gawain’s ventures
When Gawain spurns the lady 's advances, she questions the validity of his reputation: "So good a night as Gawain is rightly reputed / In whom courtesy is so completely embodied / Could not easily have spent so much time with a lady / Without begging a kiss, to comply with politeness / By some hint or suggestion at the end of a remark. " Here we see the first example of Gawain 's values being thrown into opposition: he cannot hope to hold his honor, fellowship, and chastity without calling his chivalry and courtesy into question. Gawain faces a fork in the road in the first bedroom scene, yet it quickly becomes clear that neither road ends with perfection. The perfect, archetypal knight, one who seamlessly, simultaneously embodies all of the qualities so harmoniously unified on Gawain 's shield, cannot exist, as the five points of Gawain 's pentangle cannot fully be kept
The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight revolves around the knights and their chivalry as well as their romance through courtly love. The era in which this story takes place is male-dominated, where the men are supposed to be brave and honorable. On the other hand, the knight is also to court a lady and to follow her commands. Sir Gawain comes to conflict when he finds himself needing to balance the two by being honorable to chivalry as well as respectful to courtly love.
Gawain’s acceptance of Lady Bertilak’s girdle causes him to progressively lose himself internally in order to save his physical life. Gawain appears to be the perfect image of a knight, who exhibits himself as worthy and noble when he accepts the Green Knight’s challenge. Known to be “honored all over the world,” his remarkable valor and devout behavior define his character. He loses his honorable reputation, though, when he disrespects the honor of King Bertilak. Disgracing his knightly code, Gawain fails to exchange all of his gifts with the king and lies, without hesitation, to the king when he claims that “what [he] owed [King Bertilak] [he has] paid [King Bertilak]” (1941). Gawain directly lies to him without hesitation, proving that his conscience does not seem to be effecting his actions. Lying is a common action, but generally, it causes us to feel remorseful and guilty over our wrongs. Gawain breaks the code of chivalry that requires a knight to be loyal and honest, but he is not regretful due to his apparent selfish nature (“Code of Chivalry, 2 and 15”). He makes a deal with the king to “[trade] profit for profit,” yet he dishonestly “[hides] [Lady Bertilak’s] love gift” rather than honoring the king’s wishes (1677, 1874). Gawain makes a promise that he fails to fulfill. The girdle drives him to destruction because it pulls him away from what he knows to be good and
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain shows qualities of a chivalrous knight. He demonstrates that by showing generosity, courtesy, and loyalty during his travels. 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.He demonstrates goodness at the hand of the Green Knight. He shows courage by accepting what is to come upon him during his voyage. His journey to find the Green Knight is filled with temptations.In the conversation with him and the “Lady”, Sir Gawain showed a Chivalrous code by keeping his loyalty to the king by not kissing his wife. The lady states “if I should exchange at my cho...