The Middle Ages : Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Medieval scholars continually inspect the particularities of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (SGGK) within the context of the preexisting Gawain literary tradition, and the issue of Gawain’s sudden antifeminist diatribe repeatedly comes to the forefront of these textual investigations. Often, literary critics claim that Gawain’s antifeminist outburst is common for the fourteenth century and that his acceptance to wear the girdle as a sign of shame still epitomizes him as a model of knighthood. Other scholars hesitate to dismiss Gawain’s misogyny as commonplace, they note that this moment is inconsistent with his reputation as an ideal knight. Gawain’s hasty compulsion to blame women suggests ruptures within the essentiality of his chivalric identity and a closer examination of the text reveals that this moment is not isolated. Despite scholars repeated attempts to identify the essential knight within Gawain, there are several examples of Gawain’s unstable identity throughout the text. I will argue Sir Gawain’s knightly identity is performative rather than essential, and his diatribe is the culmination of his failure to perform his own expected social identity.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English alliterative romance about the adventure of Sir Gawain, King Arthur's Knight of the Round Table. This great verse is praised not only for its complex plot and rich language, but also for its sophisticated use of symbolism. Symbolism is a technique used in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to give a significance to the plot. The Green Knight, the Green Sash, and Sir Gawain's Shield are three of the most prominent symbols given to us in this verse.

 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the most intriguing Middle English chivalric romances known today. The poem is a delicately written balancing act between two cultures, clashing in a time of unease between the religion of tradition, (paganism) and the new religion, (Christianity). The poem is also one of the best known Arthurian tales, with its plot combining two types of folklore patterns, the beheading game and the exchange of winnings. The Green Knight is interpreted by many as a representation of the Green Man of folklore and by others as an allusion to Christ. The story is told in stanzas of alliterative verse, ending in a bob and wheel. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an important poem in the Middle English romance genre, because it involves all the typical plot progression of a hero who goes on a quest to prove himself. Yet what sets Sir Gawain apart from heroes of lore is his inability to finish his quest. The aspect which makes Sir Gawain and the Green Knight different is Sir Gawain’s failure. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a perfect example of the struggle between enduring Paganism and newfound Christianity.

The tale of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” focuses primarily on beliefs of honor, bravery, and chivalry. The main character, Sir Gawain, embodies these qualities. His character is meant to be a model of chivalry. He emanates honor when he offers to fight the Green Knight for King Arthur. Medieval people would admire this courageous act. In his struggles to keep his promise Gawain demonstrates chivalry and loyalty until his honor is assessed, in the end, by the Green Knight’s schemes. This tale also includes a larger-than-life character who commands respect, the Green Knight. This superhuman being defies all laws of nature when his head is chopped off, yet he still remains alive and alert. These characters and their extraordinary actions provide perspective for the values and interests of medieval people.

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by an unknown author referred to as the “Pearl Poet,” we are introduced to Sir Gawain. Gawain is a knight of the Round Table and he is also the nephew of King Arthur. As a knight, Gawain is expected to possess and abide by many chivalrous facets. Throughout the poem he portrays many of the qualities a knight should possess, such as bravery, courtesy, and honor among others. Because of his ability to possess these virtues even when tempted to stray away from them, Sir Gawain is a true knight.

The Middle Ages, a period of turbulence, reform, and revolution yet the idea of Knighthood remained ever so stead-fast. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an acclaimed Middle English poem published by an unknown author that highlights the preponderance of the English tradition. Sir Gawain is a knight belonging to the Arthurian court whose deference to his Lord and fidelity to the chivalric code are tested through a mysterious journey. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the poet emphasizes the idea that people must adhere to a specific set of moral codes in order to preserve their integrity.

Hunting, over the years, has morphed from a means of survival to something of a sport. In medieval times hunting was used for both of these purposes, but when it came to royalty it was usually the latter. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight we see Sir Bertilak go off to hunt three very specific animals as a game with Sir Gawain. They agree that “what ever [Bertilak catches] in the wood shall become [Sir Gawain’s], and what ever mishap comes [Sir Gawain’s] way will be given to [Bertilak] in exchange.” (Sir Gawain…, ln 1105-1007). In this deal we slowly see Gawain loose his honor as paralleled with Sir Bertilak’s hunt.

In the Arthurian legend/romance known as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, readers are given insight to Gawain’s (the protagonist) struggle to choose whether his knightly virtues are more significant than his own life. Sir Gawain proves himself to be a commendable knight, for he is tested by Bertilak of Hautdesert (the green knight) and passes most temptations. Still, Gawain did not complete his “covenant” truthfully, and therefore chastises himself. In Medieval works such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, figures like Gawain are idealized and expected to embody the morals and conduct of perfection—perfection that may be unattainable by even the holiest of people. Gawain may not have abided by the courteous social conduct that a knight should obey in the instance when he took the green girdle from Bertilak’s wife, but the fact remains that he is still fit to be recognized as an honorable knight because of the way he acknowledges and repents over his mistake and because of his punishment by the blow he is given by Bertilak. However, the story demonstrates that expecting appearances of perfection and courtesy has a toll on those who seek to embody such an image, which leads to emotional suppression.

In Carleton Noyes’ “General Introduction” of Poetry, he writes, “The human heart has ever dreamed of a fairer world than the one it knows.” In medieval romances, an embellished, magical world is portray as opposed to the natural world. Medieval romances are adventure stories with knights, kings, and damsels in distress, often inspired by true events and teach a lesson or tell a story. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Marie Boroff, includes a part which tells the story of a green knight who challenges one of King Arthur’s knights to a Christmas game to evaluate the quality of Arthur’s knights. The excerpts from Thomas Malory’s Morte d’ Arthur describe the death of King Arthur after battling temptation and the trials one knight must face to try to save Arthur. These stories relate to Carleton Noyes’ quote as both excerpts describe tests of loyalty and temptation in magical universes in order to teach readers how to behave.

Sir Gawain and the green knight is a chivalric romance text, written by an unknown English author in medieval English. This text holds true to medieval times, while providing a fluid descriptions of the depicted events in the text. It also tells us about medieval life, especially how kings and Christian knights lived and cherished their virtues and rituals. The prince written by Machiavelli is a text written while on exile. The Medici family exiled Machiavelli, who was a secretary of the Florentine republic, after they regained power.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a classic Arthurian story from the late 14th century. Throughout the poem, there are many references to chivalry, the beheading games, and the exchange of winnings. Sir Gawain couldn't have been portrayed nor acted like knight without any of these references or motives, particularly chivalry. These references/motives were the type of ideal things that made up late 14th century. Early on in the poem, Sir Gawain is faced with a challenge that sets the tone right away.

Christianity and Christian ideas appear everywhere in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Arthurian chivalry is founded in Christian ideals, as it is symbolized by the pentangle painted onto Gawain’s shield, with the face of Mary in the center. The timeline of the events are close to the Christian holidays. When Gawain is on the verge of

Gawain’s character is one that is written by multiple authors over multiple texts, yet his defining characteristics remain consistent across Arthurian legend. His reputation precedes him because his “literary existence is not confined to a single work,” as author Kate McClune notes (118). His presence in various works of medieval literature creates an expectation of his character as well as his heroism. Gawain is habitually portrayed as having the essential characteristics of a chivalric hero. This is most evident in the poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” by an author known only as the Gawain Poet.

With chivalry coming from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the genre can almost be considered medieval

The poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight compares a super natural creature to nature. The mystery of the poem is ironic to the anonymous author. The story dates back into the fourteenth century, but no one knows who originally wrote the poem. This unknown author explains in the poem of Sir Gawain not knowing of the location of the Green Chapel and or who the Green Knight really is. This keeps the reader entertained with the suspicion of not knowing. The author then does not give his name or take credit for his own work.