An Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘Chivalry’ as â€Å"the system, spirit, or customs of medieval knighthood,† (â€Å"Chivalry†). The late Letitia Baldridge, who served as the White House Social Secretary for Jacqueline Kennedy as well as an advisor for many more first ladies, has been quoted with saying â€Å"Chivalry isn t dead. It s just no longer gender-based,† (Baldrige). Baldrige, who was the author of more than twenty books on subjects ranging from etiquette to business and interior design, has also been recognized as amongst some of America’s first woman small business owners (Baldrige). Whereas the concept of chivalry has evolved over the years, a perfect example of its meaning can be found in the fourteenth century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The poem opens with allusions to Greek and Roman history and eventually sets the story on Christmas in Camelot with King Arthur and his knights of the round table. Gawain, King Ar thur’s nephew and a knight in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, faces trials and temptations that one would typically expect from a knight of the round table. Through careful and juxtaposed analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and articles by reputable authors, this paper will examine the theme a knight’s chivalric code in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the transformation of Sir Gawain as he faces multiple trials. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a poem written in the late 1300s, represents the values and beliefs of the time;Show MoreRelatedEssay Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight1050 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, after Gawain ventures â€Å"into a forest fastness, fearsome and wild† (Norton, 311), he prays that he will be able to find â€Å"harborage† on Christmas Eve (Norton, 312). It is the middle of winter, and Gawain has been traveling in search of the Green Knight whose head he has cut off. After he prays and signs himself three times, Gawain finds a magical castle in the midst of a winter forest. He rides to the castle and is grantedRead More A Character Analysis of Sir Gawain as Presented In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight1426 Words   |  6 PagesA Character Analysis of Sir Gawain as Presented In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is skillfully brought to life by the unknown author. Through the eyes of numerous characters in the poem, we see Gawain as a noble knight who is the epitome of chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all, courteous. As the story progresses, Gawain is subjected to a number of tests of character, some known and some unknown. These tests tell us a greatRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight955 Words   |  4 Pagesthe classic medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that is used to form a more captivating story and construct a deeper meaning to the plot. The color green certainly is a prominent color in the poem, especially with the Green Knight, who is literally green from head to toe. The Green Knight makes quite the entrance on his horse as he rides into Camelot disrupting King Arthur and his knight’s New Year’s Feast. The Green Knight has come to find out if the Knights of the Round Tab le are as loyalRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight940 Words   |  4 Pages In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the men and women appear to have different roles in the society. The men attempt to live a more noble life while emasculating the power of the women. Throughout the poem, women display hints of their potential through manipulation and trickery, traits that are uneasily recognized by men as growing power. Morgan la Fay manipulates the Lord Bercilak to assume the role of the Green Knight, and she uses him for revenge against Queen Guenevere. She engineered a planRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1054 Words   |  5 PagesIn his book The Discarded Image C.S. Lewis states that â€Å"the Middle Ages depended predominantly on books†¦reading was one way of the total culture.† To illustrate, imagine a young heroic knight, holding his sword in one hand and his shield in another. Standing in confidence, with a determined look upon his face before confronting his next challenge. Bravery is found in many interesting stories throughout the medieval ages. It is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as â€Å"courageous behavior or character† (OxfordRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight846 Words   |  4 PagesAnd Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is not an exception to the rule. The poem uses imagery, juxtaposition of scenes, and the action of the chara cters to present the numerous themes to the reader and the presentation is done throughout the work. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the idea that in the world, there are man-made and natural rules that one must follow but in times, the two rules come in conflict with each other. By analyzing the two games played by Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, theRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1199 Words   |  5 Pagesfrequently depicted as a knight in shining armor, an image that originates from age-old literature such as the fourteenth-century Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In such literary works, the heroic knight has several virtuosic character traits: friendship, chastity, generosity, courtesy, and piety; however, he must also endure a quest in which his virtues are tested. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, three obstacles challenge the hero Gawain’s morals, including the Green Knight, the seductress, andRead MoreAnalysis of Sir Gawain and the Green K night866 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† is the classic tale of a knight of the round table who takes up the challenge of the mysterious Green Knight. The poem begins with the Green Knight’s sudden arrival and his declaration of his proposition: a knight may strike him, and then a year and one day from then he will return the blow. This tale is most well-known for dealing with the themes of a knight’s code of chivalry, loyalty, resisting temptation, and keeping one’s word. While the whole poem is full ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1374 Words   |  6 PagesThe language of symbols plays a major role in medieval poetry â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† is no exception. The use of symbolism gives a writer the ability to draw important connections between items in their story and the audience. The poet behind â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† gives the reader a detailed description of the pentagram, his most important symbol, in order to form the key understanding of this poem. The narrator compares knightly ideals such as integrity, focus, and strengthRead More Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: An Analysis of Parallel Scenes636 Words   |  3 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight: An Analysis of Parallel Scenes The anonymous author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was supposedly the first to have originated the alternation of temptation and hunting scenes, which both contribute importantly to the effectiveness of the poem (Benson 57). The two narratives are obviously meant to be read as complementary. Therefore, the parallel juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated episodes is the basic characteristic of the narrative. The narrative