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Sir Gawain Feudalism

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The Death Drive in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The acronym “YOLO” or, “you only live once,” is a termed coined by the music artist Drake that encourages its hearers to live on the edge and experience all life has to offer, even if it may mean the end of life itself. Though this term has become popular in recent years, engaging in risky activities has been a fascination of humanity for generations. During the medieval days of literature, depictions of blood, gore and near-death experiences were celebrated by both author and reader alike. D. Vance Smith writes, “the ‘chivalric economy’ is one in which death and enjoyment, surplus and void, possession and relinquishment, are dangerously convertible.” (Miller, p. 221) Both psychoanalysts Sigmund …show more content…

Taking the scenes described above in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the actions that both Lady Bertilik and Sir Gawain convey are actually the opposite course of action each fantasizes about. Using the example of rape culture, Zizek writes, “Men who actually perform rapes do not fantasize about raping women -- ….they fantasize about...finding a loving partner; rape is rather a violent passage d l’acte emerging from their incapacity to find such a partner in real life.” (Zizek, p. 702) If we take this approach to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, what occurs in the bedroom is the complete opposite of what both wish to do. Lady Bertalik, who fantasizes about being a noble and submissive wife to Hautdesert, agrees to this twisted game of flirtation at the supposed suggestion of her husband. She plays the character who is the complete opposite of who she fantasizes of being-- a faithful wife. Sir Gawain who is described as devoutly religious and at least on the journey, celibate, is also sucked into this game of flirtation. He imagines the opposite of having a lady in his bedroom. Sir Gawain fantasizes resisting temptation and as a result, in Zizek’s argument, comes dangerously close to succumbing to what he imagines withstanding. If we look at the death-drive from this perspective, the death-drive becomes the “life-drive.” We fantasize about living so much that we actually wind up striving to die. Either way both Miller and Zizek offer new perspectives on the death drive and provide the explanation for “YOLO” that Lacan and Freud refused to

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1141 Words | 5 Pages

However, to her surprise, Sir Gawain undeniably refused her desperate request as he realized that not only is she already married but that he wasn’t willing to compromise his reputation for her inappropriate sexual desires. These types of actions from Lady Bertilak towards Sir Gawain is continuously seen throughout the entire story. In addition, at the end of the story, Sir Gawain even confesses that women, in general, can not and should not be trusted. “to love women and not trust them" (2,421) (Shmoop). This is stereotyping, and a woman's decision doesn’t and shouldn’t determine the fate of the female generation as a whole.

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1378 Words | 6 Pages

Lady Bertilak tried to play on Gawain’s pride, by saying that she wants to be taught how to love. Gawain wanted to remain chaste, and not dishonor his host by committing adultery. But Gawain also wants to remain, a valiant knight, that is looked up too. So Gawain is forced to tread carefully, and thwart Lady Bertilak’s advances, but also not shame her by openly rejecting her. During the third day of one sided wooing, Gawain had to expertly use courtesy to reject Lady Bertilak, but not act like a boor.

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Sometimes deceit is needed in order to see a person’s true virtues. Lord Bertilak wants to test his chastity and compassion. He sends his wife to tempt Sir Gawain in order to see if Sir Gawain will uphold chastity.

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1271 Words | 6 Pages

In Part II, there are multiple ways to characterize Sir Gawain and his actions, some of which are faithful, modest, and resourceful. First, Sir Gawain demonstrates himself as faithful by only accepting the kisses from Lady Bertilak, the wife of Lord Bertilak. Although Lady Bertilak was looking for a more intimate gesture than just kisses, Sir Gawain remains faithful to Lord Bertilak by exchanging the kisses he receives, by Lord Bertilak’s own wife, with him. This is portrays the agreement between Lord Bertilak and Sir Gawain, which was whatever they were to receive or obtain for three days, they were to exchange the objects with one another. Prior to Sir Gawain giving kisses to Lord Bertilak, when Sir Gawain received the game Lord Bertilak earned while hunting, “. . .

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1719 Words | 7 Pages

Bertilak has one motive, that being to make Sir Gawain no longer look as if he is a Goddess, but as a failure. Lady Bertilak is very successful in deceiving Sir Gawain as part of Bertilak’s plan, leading to Bertilak's main motive being achieved, which is making Sir Gawain feel as if he is not as great as everyone thinks he is, and that really he is just a failure and sinner. At the end of the poem Sir Gawain and the Green knight meet to challenge each other when Bertilak reveals himself as the green knight “Because of our other agreement, in my castle; You kept it faithfully, performed like an honest Man, gave me everything you got. Except that you kissed my wife: I swung For that reason-but you gave me back her kisses” ( Page 128). Bertilak reviles himself, which conveys to Sir Gawain that he had been deceived the whole time, especially when Lady Bertilak acted as if no one would know and that they were completely alone the entire time she wanted to have relations with him.

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1114 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout this paper we will examine three ways in which the characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight attempt to cover up the underlying theme of violence within the narrative. During Fitt 1 of the poem, we uncover the first method in which the characters attempt to mask the fantasy of violence. In order to ensure their thirst for bloodshed does not spiral out of control, there are certain rules that the court must adhere to. The Court of Camelot places violence in a strict binary with courtesy.

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1211 Words | 5 Pages

After the Green Knight exposes himself to Gawain as Lord Bertilak, he explains how he sent his wife to go into Gawain’s room while he was out and seduce and try to sleep with him. Gawain, after learning about all of this, begins to go into a type of “anti-female” speech with an expression of anger. Here Gawain

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645 Words | 3 Pages

Being merciful is showing God’s dealings with mankind and is a quality of God. Bertilak refers Gawain to being a knight worthy and has no equal. Bertilak exclaims that he was sent on this task to find Gawain and see what he is about. The revelation after the Bertilak spares Gawain’s life and knowing about the girdle all along leads Gawain to truly embrace his flaws and humility for the first time and in so doing to find atonement and a more stable base for Christian behavior than the rule-based chivalry of Arthur’s court. “Sir Gawain And The Green Knight” shows Christian ideas and shows behavior towards everyone.

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688 Words | 3 Pages

“But no wonder if a fool should fall for a female and be wiped of his wits by womanly guile- it’s the way of the world.” (Armitage: 181,2414-2416) Gawain blames all of his troubles the past year on women. Not people who might’ve gotten in his way, or the lord of the manor, but specifically woman.

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573 Words | 3 Pages

Gawain is courteous to no end, even asking for permission to “abandon [his] bench and stand by [Arthur]” (Pearl Poet l. 344) so he may risk his own life instead of his kings to abide by the Green Knights game. He even humbly states that he “[is] the weakest” (l. 354) and that it would be the least lost of he was to parish which is untrue. Gawain is also extremely courteous when he is denying the wife’s attempts to seduce him saying he is “a knight unworthy” (l.1245). He plays a game of wits as he must not offend her advances but at the same time must not let the wife win the “game” because then he would have to lay with her and that would be uncourteous to his host, Lord Bertilak. The only time Gawain faults in his courteousness is when he refuses to acknowledge the agreement he made with Lord Bertilak which was “whatever [Lord Bertilak] win[s] in the wood shall at once be [Gawain’s] and whatever gain [Gawain] may get [he] shall give in exchange” (ll. 1107-08).

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938 Words | 4 Pages

Many historians believe that Richard was a homosexual, and rumors of his dalliances with other men were whispered during his lifetime. I will argue that the Gawain poet shaped his subject matter, a tale of Arthurian legend, to suit the secret tastes of his king. The author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight uses homoerotic imagery, homosocial bonding, and triangulation of desire to reveal a coded celebration of homosexual love. The poet uses homoerotic imagery throughout the poem to reveal the desire that Sir Gawain and Lord Bertilak feel for each other. Throughout the course of

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1446 Words | 6 Pages

Within the actions of the characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, mostly Sir Gawain himself, the rejection of heteronormative actions and acceptance of homosexuality becomes more clear. The use of gender role inversion, rejection of heterosexual behavior and the acceptance of homosexual behavior that can be discovered by looking at this paper with a queer theory lens makes the theory that heteronormative actions were not the only accepted actions can be

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974 Words | 4 Pages

Sir Gawain's manhood is at stake in the bedroom scenes, and inevitably he is portrayed as a more feminine character afterwards who enjoys giving kisses to Bertilak. The heterosexual culture of the poem attempts to eliminate any possibility of homoerotic relations by inserting defence mechanisms against Sir Gawain's actions. Nonetheless, the kisses given to Sir Bertilak by Sir Gawain are elusive to these defence mechanisms as the possible sodomitical relations are visible. Though the authors attempt to protect Sir Gawain's fragile masculinity by sticking to the heterosexual culture, the exchange of kisses between Sir Gawain and Sir Bertilak cannot be ignored for their evident

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1838 Words | 8 Pages

People throughout the years had different ways to organize the government. The medieval times used a system called feudalism, feudalism allowed everyone to receive what they desired. The manor was important in order for feudalism to advance smoothly. One of the essential roles in a medieval manor was a peasant, they were the main reason the manor was organized. Feudalism in a manor creates an economy that lets a military protect peasants who work for the upper class, by using laws.

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869 Words | 4 Pages

The last seduction scene, Lady Bertilak plays on his courage with the temptation of a chance of survival with a green girdle which is said to be able to protect him. Sir Gawain is only seen to compromise on his honour as he did not give the green girdle to Sir Bertilak as promised that they will exchange what they get for the day. Sir Gawain’s ideals that he has to hold up to as a knight has broken down as he realised that they contradicted with one another. Sir Gawain’s action of accepting the girdle suggest his desire to live. The notion of survival is an instinctive thought to

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