Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Comparison

A Timeless Comparison of the Old and the New Agatha Christie and the rather known, unknown author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight appear as if they are sharing the same playbook when it comes to major themes in their writing. Possibly a British concept, but using themes that capture the reader’s attention is key when writing a piece of literature. Over the course of time, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Murder on the Orient Express have been raised upon the themes of isolation, color, time, and skill.

Remote, outlying, and inaccessible are three traits that both the main characters of these stories exhibit. Charles Osborne says it best with the words, “A murder mystery is usually at its best when a group of people are isolated

Charles Osborne describes the characters of Agatha Christie’s work as “colorful and an international collection of travelers” (Osborne 113). It is true that these characters are from many different backgrounds and different places, ergo their “colorfulness.” The main character of Christie’s novel, Hercule Poirot, is a very skilled detective that waits for suspects to show their true colors before assessing a murder and naming the killer. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, however, color is moreover a physical aspect of the story. The first appearance of the Green Knight starts with the people of King Arthur’s court staring at the large green man. “That a horseman and a horse should have such a hue, grow green as the grass, and greener it seemed” (Borroff 172). Throughout the course of the story, color is very adamant about making an appearance. “But he fails to give the lord the magic green girdle that the lady gives him” (Borroff 178). The green girdle is not the only place that color emerges, in fact there is the Green Chapel, the Green Knight, and even nature; all important elements of the plot. The authors of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Murder on the Orient Express use the theme of color to become raconteurs and bring to life a livelier and thought out side of the story. Color can have a double

If these types of characters don’t have their respective skills, what would the authors be writing about? Christie’s Poirot is a prime example of how skill helps develop a character alongside the plot. “I know your powers… I know your reputation” gives readers the idea that Poirot is known and carries a very large reputation in his line of work (Christie 46). Along with his skill, Poirot is not one to brag about said skills and successes, instead he stays low, and because of that he is able to utilize his skill even more than a more flamboyant person does. Physical strength is just as much a skill as mental strength, so don’t count Sir Gawain out. It is made clear near the very beginning of the story that Sir Gawain is no Hercules or Thor. He is more of a Ron Weasley or Robin Hood, and just like Ron Weasley and Robin Hood, he steps up to offer what little strength he has to help his King against the intruder. “I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest…” (Borroff 174). As time passes on, Sir Gawain shows his skills by not falling prisoner to Lady Bertilak’s advances, almost being one hundred percent honest, and by following through with the Green Knights