Sir Gawain

1
Sir Gawain the Green Knight
2
Background Information

• Setting
• Christmas-season party at King Arthurs court in
  Camelot
• The gigantic Green Knight appears, armed with
  only his huge ax
• Makes an offer to the court He will submit to a
  blow from the ax if he can return the blow in one
  year and one day.

3
Background Information

• Sir Gawain accepts the challenge and cuts off the
  Green Knights head
• The Green Knight picks up his own head, gets on
  his horse, reaffirms the offer and rides away
• One year later, true to his word, Sir Gawain
  leaves Camelot to find the Green Knight and stay
  true to the bargain

4
Background Information

• Travels for weeks through the cold and haunted
  forests of north Whales
• Comes to a beautiful castle where is warmly
  welcomed by the lord and the lady
• During the next three mornings, the lord of the
  castle goes hunting and the wife woos Sir Gawain

5
Background Information

• While the lord of the castle is away, Sir Gawain
  kisses his wife
• Sir Gawain and the lord of the castle exchange
  the fruits of the day
• The lady presents Sir Gawain with a love token
• A magic green girdle that will protect the wearer
  from any harm

6
Background Information

• Eventually, Sir Gawain sets out to find the Green
  Knight with a servant from the castle
• The servant tries to persuade Sir Gawain to not
  search for the Green Knight
• Sir Gawain does not accept the proposal rather,
  he rides on alone

7
Setting

• Then he spurred Gringolet down the path, Across
  a slope, beside a grove, Riding a rough road to
  the valley Below. Then he looked about. It
  seemed wild, No sign of shelter anywhere,
  nothing But steep hills on every
  side, Gnarled crags with huge rocks, Crags
  scratching at the sky! (1-8)

8
Setting

• Wilderness is described as chaotic and dangerous
• Demonstrates Sir Gawains courage

9
Setting

• He saw holes at the end and the sides, Saw
  patches of grass growing everywhere, And only an
  old cave inside-- A holea crevice in a crag
  he couldnt Tell. My Lord, My Lord,
  said the courteous knight, Can this be
  the chapel? At midnight, Here, the devils of
  hell Could pray their prayers quite
  well! (21-29)

10
Setting

• By Jesus, its lonely here this chapel Is
  ugly, gruesome, all overgrown. But a good place
  for the green knight, He could serve the devil
  properly here, By Christ, its Satan who struck
  me with this meeting, I felt it! Hes sent
  me here to destroy me. What an evil church may
  destruction end it! The most cursed chapel Ive
  ever come to! (30-37)

11
Setting

• Even though the entrance to the cave is fearsome,
  ugly enough to be a place where devils reside,
  Sir Gawain does not back away.
• demonstrates his courage
• Gawain connects the Green Knight with the devil
• This is an incorrect assumption by Sir Gawain

12
The Green Knight

• Then he stopped, and stepped Down across a
  crag, came Through a hole, whiling a fierce
  weapon, A long-bladed battle-ax, sharpened for
  the stroke, Its massive blade bent to the
  shaft, Filed like a knife, on a grindstone four
  feet Wide a leather strap hung at Its
  length and the green man looked as hed
  looked At the start, his skin and his beard and
  his face, Except that he skipped like a dancer,
  setting His ax handle on stones and leaping
  along. At the brook, to keep dry, he leaned on
  the handle And hopped across, and hurried to
  Gawain (61-73)

13
The Green Knight

• Creates a mood of fear
• He is agile
• He holds a huge ax
• He is huge
• He can skip (very agile)

14
Sir Gawain

• Gods will be done!Alas, alas!-- What good
  is wailing? It never Helps Ill never
  gasp, Though my life will be
  severed. (49-52)
• Gawain puts his faith in God

15
Sir Gawain

• By God, said Gawain, may the Holy Ghost Grant
  me the power to begrudge you nothing. Keep
  to the bargain, swing just once, And Ill stand
  still, and youll do exactly As you
  please. And he bent his neck, leaned Forward
  the white flesh gleamed. He tried to
  seem Fearless, but his knees Were
  weak. (91-100)

16
Sir Gawain

• Displays many of the characteristics of a knight
• Keeps his word
• Trusts in God

17
Sir Gawain

• Yet he does display fear
• Weak knees
• Gawain flinches when the Green Knight is about
  ready to strike
• Not a typical trait of a knight

18
Sir Gawain

• I flinched, said Gawain, I wont
  again. And this much is plain My head,
  if it falls, wont talk in my hands. But
  get it done, let it be over. Bring me my fate,
  and bring it quickly. Ill stand like a stone
  on my word of honor My neck will be still till
  your stroke comes to it. (121-128)

19
Sir Gawain

• Gawain is aware of his mortality
• He is unlike the Green Knight, who was able to
  pick up his head and still live, Gawain would die
  if his head were to be cut off.

20
Conclusion of the Poem

• The Green Knight only slightly wounds Sir Gawain
• At first, Gawain does not understand that the
  Green Knight deliberately spared his life

21
Conclusion of the Poem

• The Green Knight reveals he was the lord of the
  castle Gawain deceived
• In the complete poem, we find out Arthurs
  half-sister sent the Green Knight to test
  Gawains nobility

22
Conclusion of the Poem

• And Gawain stood silent, stood a long time, So
  burdened with grief that his heart
  shuddered His blood ran like fire in his
  face, He winced for shame at the green mans
  words. And finally he found words of his
  own A curse on cowardice and a curse on
  greed! They shatter chivalry, their vice
  destroys Virtue. (210-217)

23
Conclusion of the Poem

• Gawain is embarrassed
• Gawain is shocked as he learns what really
  happened
• Understanding will lead to repentance
• Repentance will lead to forgiveness

24
Conclusion of the Poem

• Christian philosophy of sin and forgiveness
• Sin
• Penance
• the wound from the ax

25
Conclusion of the Poem

• Christian philosophy of sin and forgiveness
  (cont.)
• Forgiveness
• The damage you did me is cured, its gone. You
  stand confessed so clean, you took Such plain
  penance at the point of my ax, That I hold you
  cleansed, as pure in heart As if from your birth
  to this day youd never Sinned! (231-236
  )