Three Arthurian Misfits of Gawain and the Green Knight

71 he failed in bravery, flinching beneath the axe of the green knight. Through these instances, the Pearl Poet shows the entire court to be worse than their reputation, as even their best., Sir Gawain does not live up to the code. In total, the Pearl Poet uses events such as these, and the poem as a whole, to point out was is wrong with romantic perceptions of chivalry. Although many pieces have been written to glorify and romanticize 6th-century knighthood, the Pearl Poet brings perception of Arthur’s Court to a more realistic level. The poet, using Gawain and the experiences he encounters, points out the weaknesses and blemishes of chivalry.

Of their time together, it is said, “great peril attends that meeting should Mary forget her knight.” (Gawain poet 2029) It is a godly man who has his prayers answered. Gawain illustrates his valiant belief code by stepping in for his uncle, King Arthur. He refuses to let Arthur participate in the Green Knight’s beheading game. He knew the king was not someone who was expendable. He says to King Arthur, “I beseech, before all here, that this melee may be mine.” “And the loss of my life would be the least of any”.

Gadshill says that he has "the receipt of fernseed, we walk invisible." [II.i.89] And just as Robin and Oberon put stars in the lover's eyes with an enchanted pansy, Falstaff declares that Poins must have given him "medicines to make [Falstaff] love him." [II.ii.18] Falstaff clearly occupies a privileged position as a sort of court jester, his constant jabs at Hal and the crown itself accepted without punishment -- save Hal's verbal parries at Falstaff's slovenliness. Robin explains to a passing faerie that his purpose is to "jest ... ... middle of paper ... ...t things can be set right: "The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well." [III.ii.463] Even when they try to portray evil, Falstaff and Robin do such a lousy job of it that we are assured of their relative innocuousness.

Perhaps the most relevant point to make is Morgan’s hand in the plot. At the end of the poem the readers learn from the Green Knight that the entire situation is set up by Morgan. Essentially, the entire story rides on the fact that Morgan dislikes Guinevere and wishes to both scare her (Possibly to death) and humiliate Arthur and his knights. Without this malice towards Guinevere, there would be no poem to begin with. Morgan sets up the conflict by enchanting Lord Bertilak and ordering him to do as she bids, going to Arthur and his knights and posing the challenge to them.

The opening scene of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, in which there is nothing light – hearted, is completely expository and contrived but fulfilling its function of revealing the plot line to the audience. The fact that Shakespeare uses this kind of dramatic technique in the first scene twice shows that he wants to make the wickedness of Oliver perfectly clear. The action starts when Orlando, the younger brother decides to rebel against the oppression of his older brother, who is treating him like a common pheasant. He tells Oliver: ‘The spirit of my father, which I think is within me, begins to mutiny against this servitude. I will no longer endure it, yet I know no wise remedy how to avoid it.’ Orlando’s complaints are completely justified, as Oliver is mean spirited and malicious in the treatment of Orlando, which the audience can clearly see from this opening scene.

Suppression and Silence in The Reeve’s Tale Such comments as, “I pray to God his nekke mote to-breke” quickly reveal that the ver-bal game of “quite” involves much more than a free meal to the Reeve in “The Canterbury Tales” (I 3918). This overreaction, which grabs the attention of the audience and gives it pause, is characteristic of the Reeve’s ostensibly odd behavior, being given to morose speeches followed by violent outbursts, all the while harboring spiteful desires. Anger typifies the Reeve’s dialogue and his tale, which begs the question why. It appears to be a reaction to the Miller’s insults, but they are not extreme enough to provoke such resentment. He seem-ingly has no hesitation in articulating his bitterness, yet he and his story are as much marked by suppression as expression.

The Epic Sir Gawain and the Green Knight He discovers even the greatest of knights must overcome enormous temptation and pressure to live up to the chivalric and Christian ideals of knighthood. We see his shame when he returns to Arthur 's court and confesses his faults, " 'See! My lord, ' said the knight, touching the girdle, �this is the blazon of this guilty scar I bear in my neck, this is the badge of injury and the harm which I have received because of the cowardice and covetousness to which I there fell prey" (Abrams 1979, 289). Sir Gawain does exhibit bravery and loyalty, two aspects of the chivalric code. He exhibits many others as well, but his weakness with respect to fear of the Green Knight and his affections for the lady of

Later on, Hamlet intentionally tells the actors to skip to the line “come to Hecuba” (Hamlet 2. 2. 440). This shows how Hamlet is trying to compare the emotions of Hecuba queen of Troy to Gertrude’s emotions even though unlike the story, Gertrude didn’t witness her husband’s death (Allingham). The actor gives us vivid imagery when he says “When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport in mincing with his sword her husband’s libs, the instant burst of clamor that she made, Unless things mortal move them all, would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven, and passion in the gods” (Hamlet 2.

Lear is initially consumed by what Burton would refer to as the human appetite,[1] and exhibits traits indicative of someone dominated by the choleric humor: he is prideful, yearns for authority, and bullies others when he doesn’t get his way. After Cordelia refuses to dote on him in the first scene, he goes into a fit of rage: Let it be so; the truth then be thy dower… Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever. (I, i, 110-118) [2] Lear’s fury, however, only masks the fact that he is really a very needy person, consumed by an insatiable appetite for power and attention. As Bloom says, “Lear always demands more love than can be given.”[3] Lear proves this to be true when he repeatedly rejects those who love him most, banishing both Cordelia and Kent, who would protect him from his other two daughters’ impending betrayal. D... ... middle of paper ... ...say (Trans.).

It takes Odysseus time to realize that Penelope and Ithaca are part of his innermost longings and happiness. The early acts of Odysseus, such as with Cyclops, show him trying to attain something much different than his warm bed and lovely wife. On the island of the man-eating Cyclops, the brawn of the Cyclops is outwitted by Odysseus's clever use of semantics. Gigantic and brutal, Polyphemos is not the brightest creature. However, he is a formidable opponent, and Odysseus, curious eyed, finds him then blinds and taunts him.