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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Source: Burrows, J.A. A Reading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1966. Sir Gawain . The Character Courageous and brave Flawless example of Christian chivalry Flawed everyman. Sir Gawain . Element of Romance

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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  1. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Source: Burrows, J.A. A Reading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1966.

  2. Sir Gawain The Character • Courageous and brave • Flawless example of Christian chivalry • Flawed everyman

  3. Sir Gawain Element of Romance • Set in a remote place and time • Incorporates the marvelous and miracles • Hero is superior to other men and his environment • May involve “Testing Plot”

  4. Sir Gawain Testing Plot • Tester is unrealistic and remote • Test is extreme • Hero follows the higher of conflicting virtues • Tester relents and allows hero to fulfill lower virtue

  5. Sir Gawain Departs from Romance • Calendar time/ real places • Hero is one of us, not superior • Tester is split: Morgan and Bercilak • Gawain fails the test because he is human and sinful • Mixture of romance and realism

  6. Sir Gawain Main Characters • Arthur: King of Camelot • Sir Gawain: Representative, not elect • Green Knight: Ambiguous nature Green body-supernatural Green and gold equipment-courtly youth Holly bob-life and peace Axe-war

  7. Sir Gawain The Game • Governed by rules • Tests important knightly virtues • Involves seemingly inevitable death

  8. Sir Gawain Code of Chivalry • Posses faith in God • Loyal to people, principles, and promises • Without deceit • Upright and Virtuous

  9. Sir Gawain The Five Virtues • Generosity • Companionableness • Courtesy • Pure mind • Compassion

  10. Sir Gawain Recognition • The Green Knight • The exchange game was the real test

  11. Sir Gawain Confession • Shame and mortification • Statement of Sin: Gawain admits cowardice, covetousness, and untruth • Request for penance

  12. Sir Gawain Condemnation • Gawain did sin • Sin was from love of life, not malice • Problem of shifting blame to women

  13. Sir Gawain Thematic Points • Openness and ambiguity • Combination of romance and realism • Gawain is human/sinful

  14. Sir Gawain Sir Gawain’s “human experience” • Social living • Alienation • Self-discovery • Desolation • Recovery and Restoration

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