Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• author is anonymous
• written c. 1400 in Middle English
• important in literature because it represents all
  of the following significant poetic genres
• Arthurian romance poetry/courtly love poetry
• medieval alliterative poetry
• epic poetry

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• Wel gay watz þis gome gered in grene,And þe
  here of his hed of his hors swete.Fayre fannand
  fax vmbefoldes his schulderesA 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 swyreÞe 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 goldeÞe 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 sy3eHit semed as no mon
  my3tVnder his dynttez dry3e.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Middle English
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian
romance/courtly love poetry

• There is no solid evidence for/against the reign
  of a historic King Arthur.
• Some historians suggest Arthur was a Roman
  military leader who held power anywhere from 3rd
  to 7th century A.D. (Artorius plowman)
• Arthur is more important for the legends that
  developed around him and his Knights of the
  Round Table

A statue of King Arthur from around 1400 AD image
from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageArthur348
7.jpg
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian
romance/courtly love poetry, cont.

• Arthur traditionally credited with uniting all
  England (i.e. uniting the pagan tribes) and
  therefore creating the potential for the
  development of a unique British character after
  the Norman invasion of England.
• Arthurian legends reach height in/around 12th
  century A.D.
• (from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King
  _ArthurThe_Arthurian_romance)

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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.

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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.)

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian
romance/courtly love poetry, cont.

• 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
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian
romance/courtly love poetry, cont.
Characteristics of Courtly Behavior

• 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.

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian
romance/Courtly love poetry, cont.

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (from now on
  SGGK) is cited as a seminal example of Arthurian
  romance poetry or courtly love poetry.
• Assignment As we read SGGK, identify all
  behavior on the part of any character in the poem
  that conforms to the medieval regard for
  courtesie.

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as medieval
alliterative verse

• Like all other examples of literature weve 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.

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• He was a fine fellow fitted in green --And
  the hair on his head and his horse's matched.It
  fanned out freely enfolding his shoulders,and
  his beard hung below as big as a bush,all mixed
  with the marvelous mane on his head,which was
  cut off in curls cascading to his
  elbows,wrapping round the rest of himlike a
  king's cape clasped 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-crossed hair 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 horseman half so strange
  as their eyes now heldin sight.                H
  e 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
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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.

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as epic poetry,
cont.

• Review Characteristics of the Epic Poem
• 1. An epic poem is a long, highly- stylized
  narrative 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.

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Journey Quest

• In medieval poetry, the epic heros journey to
  battle (like Achilles voyage to Troy or
  Beowulfs to Dane-land) becomes a quest.
• A quest is an adventurous expedition in search
  of something spiritually fulfilling or
  self-enhancing.

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Gold spurs?

• Immediately upon reading/hearing these lines
  about the Green Knight who has burst into
  Arthurs Christmas festivities, the audience
  would know that he was a guy not to be messed
  with

He was got up in green from head to heela
tunic worn tight, tucked to his ribsand a rich
cloak cast over it, covered insidewith a fine
fur lining, fitted and sewnwith ermine trim that
stood out in contrastfrom his hair where his
hood lay folded flatand handsome hose of the
same green huewhich clung to his calves, with
clustered spursof bright gold (ll. 151-55)
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• Whats so hardcore so OD about gold spurs?

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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 Arthurs
  knights and any creature reminiscent of Britains
  pagan past is, by extension, a battle between
  good and evil or between the Christian
  piety of Arthurs knights and their tribal,
  non-Christian predecessors.

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Gawains Shield
In the poem, Gawains shield is very clearly
described as a golden pentangle on a field of
red. The pentangle, the poem goes on to tell us,
represents Gawains Five Fifths.The pentangle is
also called the endless knot.
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(No Transcript)
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In medieval symbology, red signifies humility as
the blood of ChristGold signifies perfection.
from http//faculty.uca.edu/jona/second/ggknotes
.htmid008
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Gawain was said to possess five qualities one
for each of the pentangles points wherein he
farexcelled all other knights.
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The first of these Five Fifths was his
faultlessness in his five senses.
from http//faculty.uca.edu/jona/second/ggknotes
.htmid008
22
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
.htmid008
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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.
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from http//faculty.uca.edu/jona/second/ggknotes
.htmid008
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The Jerusalem Cross

1. The wounds in the hands.
2. The wounds in the feet.
3. The wound in the side of Christ

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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
.htmid008
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The five joys of Mary are also known as The Five
Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. They are

1. the Annunciation
2. the Nativity
3. the Resurrection
4. the Ascension
5. the Assumption

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Gawain was said to possess five qualities wherein
he far excelled all other knights, cont.The
last of these Five Fifths was Gawains
well-known practice of the five social graces.
from http//faculty.uca.edu/jona/second/ggknotes
.htmid008
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The five social graces which Gawain exemplifies
above all others are

1. free-giving (generosity)
2. brotherly love
3. chastity
4. pure manners (courtesie)
5. piety

from http//faculty.uca.edu/jona/second/ggknotes
.htmid008
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Gawain faced 5 challenges

1. to voluntarily confront the Green Knight
2. to strike his blow properly
3. to keep his vow to meet the Green Knight in a
   year and a day.
4. to survive journey to the green chapel
5. to resist the ladys temptations

from http//faculty.uca.edu/jona/second/ggknotes
.htmid008
30

• 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.

More on Gawains fifth challenge
from http//faculty.uca.edu/jona/second/ggknotes
.htmid008
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The Garter

• Honi soit qui mal y pense
• Shame be upon him who thinks evil of this.

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Chastity? Piety? Respect for the King?

• Q Gawain knows that he is facing certain death
  and SOON when he finally confronts the Green
  Knight and accepts his half of the bargain. Why
  would he still adhere to courtesie and resist the
  Ladys temptation?