Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the first literary work that was mentioned. This was written in the Middle Ages yet the stages that Erik Erikson came up with are very present through this writing. The main character identified in this poem is Sir Gawain. He is the nephew of King Arthur. He is also a knight. Sir Gawain identifies himself in a negative light at the beginning of the story when the Green Knight first makes his appearance. In his speech to King Arthur, Sir Gawain describes himself by saying, “..[….]…I am weakest of your warriors and feeblest of wit; loss of my life would be least lamented. Were I not your nephew my life would mean nothing; to be born of your blood is my body’s only claim. Such a foolish affair is unfitting for a king, so; being…
Gawain and the Green Knight The significance of Gawain and the Green Knight was that it was a story of the superior and powerful Round Table.…
Sir Gawain is faced by the challenge of the Green Knight. The Green Knight appears in King Arthur's court and gives an open invitation to anyone there "to strike one stroke for another" (Weston, 4) with his well made axe, a challenge Gawain takes to save Arthur, but the Green Knight is not the biggest enemy that the "hero" must overcome. The hero is generally portrayed as a noble, gallant, and nearly undefeatable man in most stories, and is placed on a pedestal. Throughout many cultures, a hero is often seen as being generally respected and admired for his heroism. Throughout the course of his quest, Gawain must face temptation and his less desirable qualities, not all of which he can overcome.…
The treatment that a stereotypical woman in the Dark Ages received was controversial because they were treated with deification and adulation, but were not respected as capable members of the human race. Much of the chivalric code that knights prided themselves on was based on the assumption that women could not achieve much for themselves, and therefore, men had to accomplish it for them. However, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight demonstrates that women possessed the ability to achieve their demands and utilizing their influences however they desired. Morgan le Faye and Lady Bercilak were women who did not play by the rules of their society, while Queen Guenevere was considered the stereotypical women in medieval times.…
When we hear the word knight, we imagine Arthurian-tales of glorious battles between men and dragons, fierce jousting competitions, rivalries between kingdoms, and knightly chivalry. Several of these tales center on the bravery of knights against mighty foes or on their ability to resist earthly temptations. Sir Gawain is the nephew of King Arthur and is a knight of the round table. He appears in more Arthurian-tales than any other knight and is known as the ideal that all knights should strive for. (Joe) In the Arthurian-Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain faces many challenges and his decisions based on those challenges shape him into the Knight that many know now.…
Pearl Poet wrote Sir Gawain and The Green Knight as a kind of warning to those who are on the path of discovery. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl Poet means to say that connection with nature, along with an understanding and respect for modern advances, is key in the effort to achieve ideal character. Pearl Poet constructs The Green Knight as an example of pure balance of nature and civilization by adorning him in gold and green, giving him an intimidating physical stature, and allowing him to control nature by herding animals in hunts and having complete control over his horse. While in Arthur’s realm, Sir Gawain has become soft due to lack of adversity. Pearl Poet puts Gawain in situations such as having nightmares in the wilderness and almost freezing to death to expose the fact that Sir Gawain and the other knights have lost their connection with nature—an essential trait of beings of exceptional character—in their efforts to modernize their daily lives. By losing touch with nature, the knights also lose some of their masculinity. By not having to make dire decisions in the untamed wilderness, the knights lose their preparedness for situations that might cost them their lives. Pearl Poet views masculinity as the way one responds in trying situations, and what factors influence the split-second decisions made in these situations. Ideally, one who is a perfect example of masculinity reacts on instinct while utilizing knowledge gained from lessons learned in the modern world. Overall, Pearl Poet conveys the warning not to lose touch with nature in the pursuit of new frontiers to influence readers to reflect on past experiences and natural instincts before making the decisions that will shape modern…
Every group has its idols, those people who serve as the epitome of the group’s values. Cowboys look up to Lane Frost, basketball players look up to Michael Jordan, and Arthurian knights look up to King Arthur. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one of the greatest Arthurian romances written in England, Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, takes on a challenge to exchange “one strike for another” with the Green Knight (line 287). Despite all of the bad experiences and temptations he fights along the way, after the battle with the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is definitely still admirable as the epitome of the Arthurian Knight as he wears a green girdle in remembrance of his mistakes(Sir Gawain).…
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales were both remarkable pieces of literature that are key to the development of society. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale that represents the chivalric code, order, Christian virtues and respect. The Canterbury Tales, however, somewhat poke fun at the church and mock its workers, and is filled with lust and cockiness. Both of the works were written in the same time period. While they were written in the same time period, the two stories are remarkably different from one another, for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is much more respectful and chivalric, while The Canterbury Tales is dirty, humorous, and satirical.…
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is without doubt one of the best known works of medieval English literature. Medieval England poetry was best known for its medieval romance, religious views, alliterative form and its chivalry nature. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the best works of medieval poetry because it criticizes the fact that chivalric courtesy often displaces true Christian ethics. Sir Gawain a character in the poem was known for his chivalry, honor, and Christian faith. Medieval romance tales deal with the quests and challenges of Arthur and his knights. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain as one of King Arthur’s knight’s gets sent on a quest to meet the Green Knight. Another characteristic…
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a story about King Arthur’s nephew, Gawain. The story is about a mighty green knight who comes to the round table wanting to play a game. A brave knight will strike the green knight with an axe once after a year the green knight gets to return the strike to whomever strike him. However the Knight must find him and as we learn in the story his boast about how easy it will be to find him is a lie. After searching and combating deadly foes,…
The story “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” has many different settings and locations that are intertwined in the confusing, but humorous story. It starts out at King Arthur’s kingdom, Camelot. There is a knight that rides in on a horse asking to seek the leader. “Where is he, he said, The Captain of the crowd” (Pearl-Poet 167.225). The knight then proceeds to talk about how he has a game and ask one of King Arthur’s knights to cut his head off in exchange in a year he gets to return the favor. There is no taker so Arthur is willing to do it himself before his nephew, Gawain, steps up and offers to take the challenge instead, “…I would come to your counsel before your noble court”(Pearl-Poet 169.347). This is where the different sets of location…
Of course, the king was surprised at the rules demanded by a man who he was not aware of but the Green Knight took his silence as a joke. By mocking King Arthur, he steps forward to take the challenge but everything changes once Sir Gawain stops his King and ask to take on the challenge instead. In one deadly blow, the axe cut off the knight’s head which concludes the game officially started. As the headless Green Knight picked up his head he reminds the young brave Gawain to find him within a year and a day at the Green Chapel. Although, Sir Gawain proved his loyalty towards his king, he felt uneasy…
Arthurian legends are medieval romances that tell wondrous tales of fantasy and chivalry. The chivalric code of knights was highly revered as a way of life. This code of bravery honor and loyalty was followed by every knight and royal in the medieval ages. Sir Gawain and the Green knight is a medieval romance that demonstrates Sir Gawain’s demonstrations and lack there of chivalry through his bravery, loyalty and honor. However he follows the code of chivalry more so than breaking it.…
During the early portion of the piece, when the Green Knight interrupts the merry celebrations of King Arthur’s court, is when it first becomes apparent that Sir Gawain was the knight…
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an example of a Medieval Romance. The story, throughout, also has the characters following the Code of Chivalry which was enforced during this time, and it was considered a great disgrace if a knight did not live by this…