Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

1. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight British Lit

2. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Middle English Wel gay watz þis gome gered in grene,And þe here of his hed of his hors swete.Fayre fannand fax vmbefoldes his schulderes;A much berd as a busk ouer his brest henges,Þat wyth his hi3lich here þat of his hed rechesWatz euesed al vmbetorne abof his elbowes,Þat half his armes þer-vnder were halched in þe wyseOf a kyngez capados þat closes his swyre;Þe mane of þat mayn hors much to hit lyke,Wel cresped and cemmed, wyth knottes ful monyFolden in wyth fildore aboute þe fayre grene,Ay a herle of þe here, an oþer of golde;Þe tayl and his toppyng twynnen of a sute,And bounden boþe wyth a bande of a bry3t grene,Dubbed wyth ful dere stonez, as þe dok lasted,Syþen þrawen wyth a þwong a þwarle knot alofte,Þer mony bellez ful bry3t of brende golde rungen.Such a fole vpon folde, ne freke þat hym rydes,Watz neuer sene in þat sale wyth sy3t er þat tyme,with y3e.He loked as layt so ly3t,So sayd al þat hym sy3e;Hit semed as no mon my3tVnder his dynttez dry3e.

3. So what kind of story is this? • It’s a ROMANCE (but not like the movie The Notebook or Sweet Home Alabama). • ROMANCE: • a narrative set in a world of pure wish fulfillment • superhuman heroes fight and almost always conquer the forces of evil • the hero undertakes a hard journey in search of something valuable (a quest…remember that?)

4. Characteristics of the medieval romance include Stories that are full of adventure, conveying a sense of the supernatural, giving a glamorous portrayal of castle life, and chivalric ideas of bravery, honor, courtesy, fairness to enemies and respect for women As you read, determine HOW Gawain displays ideals of chivalry

5. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian romance/courtly love poetry, cont. • Even more importantly, it is around the legendary King Arthur that the chivalric tradition of the middle ages developed. • Chivalry – from the French word cheval or “horse” – refers to the code of behavior that was expected of knights (all noblemen). This tradition was also called courtesie (also French), meaning “the behavior of the court.”

6. CHIVALRY • “Chivalry” comes from the French cheval, or horse (n.b. Norman influence in language). • Only the wealthiest people in medieval society could keep horses and afford to use them in combat. (Why?) • “Chivalry” became associated, therefore, with the qualities of “horsemen”, or knights. • related words: cavalier (Fr., L.), cavalry (from L. caval), caballero (Sp.)

7. In Arthurian tradition, the “Knights of the Round Table” (Lancelot, Galahad, Bedivere, Agravain, Perceval, Tristan, Gawain, et.al.*) embodied – both individually and en masse, the characteristics of courtesie or “courtly love.” *see a complete list at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_the_Round_Table a “portrait of Gawain by artist Jackie Sullivan fromhttp://www.runtotheocean.net/sketchblog/apr03.html

8. Respect the king. Do nothing to bring him dishonor. Respect women. Do nothing to bring dishonor to any woman. Protect the poor and the weak. Honor God as a faithful Christian. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian romance/courtly love poetry, cont. Characteristics of Courtly Behavior

9. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as medieval alliterative verse • Like all other examples of literature we’ve read thus far, SGGK almost certainly began as an oral history carried from village-to-village by a bard – or singing storyteller. • Like the Iliad and Beowulf, therefore, SGGK is marked by meter, rhyme, and (as with Beowulf) alliteration. • All these poetic devices were intended to help in the oral retelling of the story.

10. He was a finefellowfitted in green --And the hair on hishead and hishorse's matched.It fanned out freely enfolding his shoulders,and his beard hung below as big as a bush,all mixed with the marvelousmane on his head,which was cut off in curlscascading to his elbows,wrapping round the rest of himlike a king'scapeclasped to his neck.And the mane of his mount was much the same,but curled up and combed in crisp knots,in braids of bright gold thread and brilliant greencriss-crossedhair by hair.And the tossing tail was twin to the mane,for both were bound with bright green ribbons,strung to the end with long strands of precious stones,and turned back tight in a twisted knotbright with tinkling bells of burnished gold.No such horse on hoof had been seen in that hall,nor horsemanhalf so strange as their eyes now heldin sight.                He looked a lightning flash,                they say: he seemed so bright;                and who would dare to clash                in melee with such might? Why is it called alliterative verse? VERSE FORM: the "Gawain stanza"--a varying number of alliterative long lines terminated by a "bob & wheel," five short rhyming lines (ababa). from: http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/ second/ggknotes.htm A B A B A

11. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as epic poetry Review: Characteristics of the Epic Hero 1. He is a model of faith, loyalty, or bravery… 2. who makes a long, difficult journey… 3. to do battle on behalf of another… 4. perhaps using his own superhuman talents… 5. against an enemy who may himself have or be guarded by supernatural powers.

12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as epic poetry, cont. Review: Characteristics of the Epic Poem 1. An epic poem is a long, highly- stylizednarrative poem… 2. that recounts the exploits of its main character – the epic hero. 3. Because most epic poetry originated as sung or spoken verse, it is rigidly metered and rhymed.

13. Journey = Quest • In medieval poetry, the epic hero’s journey to battle (like Achilles’ voyage to Troy or Beowulf’s to Dane-land) becomes a quest. • A quest is “an adventurous expedition in search of something spiritually fulfilling or self-enhancing.”

14. Main Characters… • King Arthur (ever heard of him?): • Legendary king of Britain • Husband of Guinevere • Uncle of Gawain • Over the famous Knights of the Round Table at Camelot • Brave, courageous, chivalrous

15. Main Characters… • Sir Gawain: • Arthur’s nephew and one of the most loyal, brave knights • Follows the chivalrous code (humility, piety, integrity, loyalty, honesty) • Courtly lover • One flaw: loves his life so much that he will lie to protect it (obviously breaking the code)

16. Gawain’s Shield In the poem, Gawain’s shield is very clearly described as a golden pentangle on a field of red. The pentangle, the poem goes on to tell us, represents Gawain’s Five Fifths.The pentangle is also called the “endless knot.”

18. In medieval symbology, red signifies humility as the blood of ChristGold signifies perfection. from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

19. Gawain was said to possess five qualities – one for each of the pentangle’s points – wherein he farexcelled all other knights. 1 The first of these “Five Fifths” was his faultlessness in his five senses. from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

20. 2 Gawain was said to possess five qualities wherein he far excelled all other knights, cont.The next (second) of these “Five Fifths” was his faultlessness in his five fingers. from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

21. Gawain was said to possess five qualities wherein he far excelled all other knights, cont.The next (third) of these “Five Fifths” was the strength Gawain drew from his devotion to the “five wounds of Christ.” 3 from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

22. The Jerusalem Cross • The wounds in the hands. • The wounds in the feet. • The wound in the side of Christ

23. Gawain was said to possess five qualities wherein he far excelled all other knights, cont.The next (fourth) of these “Five Fifths” was the strength Gawain drew from his devotion to the “five joys of Mary.” 4 from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

24. 5 Gawain was said to possess five qualities wherein he far excelled all other knights, cont.The last of these “Five Fifths” was Gawain’s well-known practice of the “five social graces.” from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

25. The five social graces which Gawain exemplifies above all others are: • free-giving (generosity) • brotherly love • chastity • pure manners (courtesie) • piety from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

26. Main Characters… • The Green Knight: • Yes…he is a green man. • Huge guy with big muscles/carries a huge axe • Says he comes in friendship but proposes that someone step forward to play the “beheading game.” • Expects the knights to be courageous and step forward to play.

27. Why theGreen Knight? • In medieval England, the “Green Man” was a pagan representation of nature. The “Green Man” was not Satanic, but did symbolize the nature worship that characterized pre-Christian tribal paganism. • The “Green Man” is not evil, but is also not Christian  a battle between any of Arthur’s knights and any creature reminiscent of Britain’s pagan past is, by extension, a battle between “good” and “evil” – or between the Christian piety of Arthur’s knights and their tribal, non-Christian predecessors.

28. Other Characters… • Lord and Lady of the castle where Gawain stays for Christmas (The lady tries to seduce Gawain every day he is there.) • Queen Guinevere: Arthur’s wife and queen

29. The Court and its Knights • Like the culture itself, Arthur is young and inexperienced. The knights are equally clueless. Since everyone is starting from scratch, the knights typically go out on adventures and face the forces of good and evil, uncertain how to balance bravery and Christianity.

30. A Christian knight must decide how best to act in ambiguous situations. • Most important for the development and instruction of society, the knight must return to the court and report his actions. • Only in this way can the court learn from the individuals' experiences. Then, future knights will have more to guide them.

31. Gawain goes out into the wilderness to face the Green Knight as he has honorably promised. He prides himself on being the perfect Christian knight.

32. But here is the problem facing the Christian knights: how can one emulate Christ and be a soldier living in the real world? • Is it possible to be like Christ? Have the knights set themselves a goal they will never achieve?

33. Faced with magic, and a lady who tempts him, Gawain stumbles as a perfect knight. He takes the story of his humiliation back to the court so that they all might learn from his mistakes. • He serves his king and helps develop new values for his civilization.

34. Green Knight as Fertility God • The Green Knight represents the life force in nature and in human beings. • The life force is what makes human beings try so hard to survive and what makes human beings reproduce. • Look at his color, his clothes and his wearing of the holly.

35. A Christian Poem • This poem is truly Christian, not the unformed Christianity of Beowulf. • The season for the story's setting is Christmas, the biggest ritual in the Christian world.

36. The early Christian Church, trying to make Christianity an easy to follow religion, chose Dec. 25 for Christmas. The pagan people (fertility-worshipping) were used to having a major celebration about this time around the Winter Solstice (Dec. 22, the shortest day of the year). This superimposing the new religion on the old is one of the reasons for the success of Christianity in Europe

37. The Beheading Game • The Beheading Game occurs in earlier eighth and ninth century Irish (Celtic) romances. • In this poem, the Green Knight invites Gawain to exchange blows, not to chop off his head. • Watch how Gawain is tempted by anger. • He's insulted because the Green Knight belittles the valor of Arthur's court.

38. Gawain faced 5 challenges • to voluntarily confront the Green Knight • to strike his blow properly • to keep his vow to meet the Green Knight in a year and a day. • to survive journey to the green chapel • to resist the lady’s temptations from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

39. More on Gawain’s fifth challenge The FIFTH TEST is the temptations and the three gifts; it tests especially the fifth point of the pentangle, the social virtues. Gawain falls: his acceptance of the girdle is not a fault; his hiding of it is a potential fault; his actual withholding of it from Bertilak is his fall. Had he given it back to the lady, he would have erased his potential fault. The real fault, from Gawain's point of view, is that the reality of his own mortality induces him to break the endless knot. Thus two effects of original sin are reasserted: cowardice (bodily mortality) and covetousness (willful cupidity). His nature as a man is asserting itself against his nature as a knight. from:http://faculty.uca.edu/~jona/second/ggknotes.htm#id008

40. Major theme… • Chivalry: • The world of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is governed by well-defined codes of behavior. The code of chivalry, in particular, shapes the values and actions of Sir Gawain and other characters in the poem. The ideals of chivalry come from the Christian concept of morality.

41. Major Theme… • Arthur's court depends heavily on the code of chivalry, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight gently criticizes the fact that chivalry values appearance and symbols over truth. Arthur is introduced to us as the “most courteous of all,” indicating that people are ranked in this court according to their mastery of a certain code of behavior and good manners. When the Green Knight challenges the court, he mocks them for being so afraid of mere words, suggesting that words and appearances hold too much power over the company. The members of the court never reveal their true feelings, instead choosing to seem beautiful, courteous, and fair-spoken.

42. Major Theme… • The lesson Gawain learns as a result of the Green Knight's challenge is that, at a basic level, he is just a physical being who is concerned above all else with his own life. Chivalry provides a valuable set of ideals toward which to strive, but a person must above all remain conscious of his or her own mortality and weakness. Gawain's faults throughout this story teach him that though he may be the most chivalrous knight in the land, he is nevertheless human and capable of error.

44. The Author • Composed this poem in the late 14th century. The poet is unknown, but he is referred to as "the Pearl poet" since he also wrote "The Pearl." • He was probably a member of a court since he is so familiar with court life, costumes, and entertainment. • The poet was a contemporary of Chaucer, and he wrote in a dialect much less modern than that of Chaucer.

45. Test Motif • An applicant has to pass a test to prove himself worthy. Sinners often had to suffer through painful tests (ordeals) as penance (punishment) for their sins • In this poem, Gawain is a chivalrous, heroic knight who is being tested for his courage, fidelity and sexual morality as he embarks on a quest

46. Setting up the story… • During a New Year's Eve feast at King Arthur's court, a strange figure, referred to only as the Green Knight, pays the court an unexpected visit. He challenges the group's leader or any other brave representative to a game. The Green Knight says that he will allow whomever accepts the challenge to strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger find him in exactly one year to receive a blow in return.

47. Setting up the story… • Stunned, Arthur hesitates to respond, but when the Green Knight mocks Arthur's silence, the king steps forward to take the challenge. As soon as Arthur grips the Green Knight's axe, Sir Gawain leaps up and asks to take the challenge himself. He takes hold of the axe and, in one deadly blow, cuts off the knight's head. To the amazement of the court, the now-headless Green Knight picks up his severed head. Before riding away, the head reiterates the terms of the pact, reminding the young Gawain to seek him in a year and a day at the Green Chapel. After the Green Knight leaves, the company goes back to its festival, but Gawain is uneasy……..and away we go from there!