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“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Literary Analysis
Symbolism in sir gawain and the green knight
Symbolism in sir gawain and the green knight
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Recommended: “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Literary Analysis
The three Ideas of Chivalry (How Chivalry is connected in the stories?) Have you ever been taught how to treat a lady? Have you ever been told how you should be treated? Today, respect for women is different, but I think it’s the same way for men as well. In the old ways, women had to respect their men, and obey them.
The main theme of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the journey to maturity of Gawain, the hero. During the passage, Gawain goes through three tests on his development. First, Gawain shows courage and resourcefulness when he volunteers to take the Green Knight’s challenge instead of Arthur doing so. Second, Gawain shows authority, self-restraint, and integrity when he denies the sexual endeavours of the lady of the house. Lastly, Gawain shows bravery when he faces death by keeping his meeting with the Green
During the Medieval times chivalry was one of the most important characteristics a knight could display. Chivalry was viewed as a moral obligation that involved bravery, honor, respect, and gallantry. Knights were expected to uphold this code or face social consequences for any infractions, with punishments ranging from humiliation to termination of their knighthood. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” presents the struggles knights faced with honoring the chivalrous code at all times. Sir Gawain, while imperfect, exhibits qualities expected of knights and embodies the internal struggle between honoring the chivalrous code and giving into selfish desires.
It could be argued that the primary thematic goal of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is to explore the ideals of Arthurian knighthood though the titular character as he establishes himself, is tested, and ultimately fails to upkeep his honour. While the action of the poem revolves around Gawain’s trials and errors, it is necessary to build up Gawain as a valiant and chivalrous knight before we see his hardships and mistakes. The passage in the text describing Gawain’s travels through England (2.691-739) contains many elements that help in the development of Gawain’s heroic characterization. This passage moves the plot of Gawain’s dedication to his quest along, explores the more mystical elements of the story and continues the trials Gawain
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late fourteenth century Arthurian Romance Poem. During the time of Sir Gawain, society was dominated by males with women receiving little power. Women were treated with chivalry, but not respected as beings of their own rights. Knights were prided in having the code of chivalry yet were under the assumption woman could not attain much for themselves.
Essay: Consider how the Theme of courage is treated in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It has to be said that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is arguably one of the greatest middle English poems of the 14th Century. The author of the text, whom, amazingly is still unknown tells the reader, through the medium of poem the courage of the Great Sir Gawain as he bravely challenges the Green Knight. The poem also shows the courage of others. In Medieval times and especially medieval writings, there was a great engrossment with courage.
In literature as in life one’s character is always being tested and judged by others. Such is the case in Pearl Poet’s work “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” where Gawain is constantly tested to prove whether or not he’s noble as a person and a knight. In my paper I will discuss how whether or not Gawain passes the tests pushed his way. I will do this by analyzing how Gawain acts to these tests and the reactions of other characters to Gawain’s actions. Temptation is part of an everyday life, how you go about it determines your character.
Throughout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we see, as with many medieval stories, a wide array of symbolism from the clothes he wears to the plants he walks by. One of the most important parts of the story centers around the hunting trips that the lord of the castle, the Green Knight, goes on. While he is out hunting each morning, he sends his wife to seduce Gawain to test the reputation of Arthur’s court. By alternating the stories of the hunt and those of the bedroom, the poet emphasizes the connections between the two. Just as the Green Knight is hunting, his wife is as well.
Sir Gawain was respected for his honorable actions, and how he followed the a strict code. The author, Pearl Poet, had set out to explain the Sir Gawain as honest “Look that you go, Sir Gawain, as good as your word” (line 179). Sir Gawain brought up with respect to those in a higher power than him, he proclaims “I might without bad manners move down from my place” (Poet line 127). A journey of Sir Gawain, starts with the acceptance letter from the King allowing Gawain to take the Green Knights challenge “Let the King step down And gave Sir Gawain the game!” (line146).
The medieval elite is commonly known for entertaining many kinds of leisure, including hunting and feasting, as long as the country was at peace. When it was not, however, the men would have to go to war, leaving the women behind to look after the estate. For them, not as many types of relaxation available, and, adding to that, their marriages were mostly political. Romances offered a solution to that problem, as they often focused on women, passion and true love, three things that were not common amongst the medieval elite. Therefore, it appears that medieval romances mainly targeted noblewomen, serving as their pastime.
In the story of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” which is a medieval Romance.in the Webster’s dictionary it tells you that Medieval romances are narrative fictions representing the adventures and values of the aristocracy. Romances may be written in prose, in which case they tend to resemble "histories," with more pretense to being truthful about the past, or they may be written in stanza of non-stanza verse, in which case the narrators rarely make more than perfunctory efforts to simulate historicity. Back during the medieval time times, king Arthurs had a Christmas party. The party wasn’t going as good as he planned. Out of nowhere a great big green giant came in with a axe in his hand and riding a big horse.
The tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight—a well-known, late 14th century Middle English romance—embodies significant themes. These themes are successfully fulfilled by the influential characters in the story. One of these characters, Sir Gawain—the protagonist of the story and one of King Arthur’s knights—proves to be the hero of the story. Although he humbly denies it, Gawain has a repute of being a distinguished knight and loyal subject. In the story, Gawain is portrayed as possessing the acme of all knightly characteristics, yet, still has several attributes to master.
Romance as a genre has two basic plots: the adventure plot and the love plot. In these plots, there is usually an individual hero who is on a quest. The hero, usually a knight, encounters one or more others. The two most important others are the public other and the private other. The public other competes with the outside worlds, such as: enemies, animals, monsters, strange environments and adverse conditions.
The stories of castles, heroic knights and their gallant steeds, all pieces in the quest of saving the maiden. The story of “Gawain and the Green Knight” is a perfect example of romance in literature. The main character of the story Gawain, is at a New Year’s Eve feast hosted by King Arthur, following a series of events he is given a quest as some might say, a challenge. The Green Knight makes a claim that “If there be a man in this house who holds himself so hardy, is so bold inhis blood, so rash in his head, that he dares stiffly strike one stroke for another, I shall give him as my gift this rich gisarm, this axe, this is heavy enough, to handle as he likes; and I shall abide the first blow as bare as I sit. If any warrior be wight enough to try what I propose, let him leap lightly to me and take this weapon — I quit- claim it forever, let him keep it as his own – and I shall stand him a stroke firmly on this floor…I will give him respite of twelvemonth and a day” (Neilson).
Respect (A Discussion on Chivalry used in The Green Knight and Morte D’Arthur.) Chivalry is code of conduct used by knights, and heroes of the past. “Chivalry, the order of knighthood and, especially, the code of knightly behavior that was a feature of the High and later Middle Ages in western Europe”(Funk). Along with this idea of Chivalry, Feudalism was used in Europe as well. Feudalism is the system of both government and land ownership, where in exchange for a nobleman 's oath of loyalty, a king would grant them land.
