Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Anonymous (1400) The Manuscript Only one Dated no later than

an 1400 Three other poems: Pearl, Purity and Patience Gawain Poet or Pearl Poet Dialect: northwest Midlands of England Alliteration Long lines consisting of 2 half-lines Connected through alliteration o "Sithen the sege and the assaut was sesed at Troye" (l 1) Long lines do not rhyme 101 Stanzas 15 to 25 lines Bob and Wheel delight Good were their words of greeting; Each joyed in others sight Great peril attends that meeting Should Mary forget her knight. (ll. 1765-69) Rhyme scheme: ababa

The Romance Genre 12th century France Conventions used in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Historical exposition setting and credentials Royal court (usually Arthurs, in the superlative ) Celebration (usually New Year chivalric society at its greatest) Lavish attention to detail (dressing, feasting etc) The desire for adventure Ending, celebrating virtues of knight (?)

Code of Chivalry (Christian Moral Code) Franchise Loyalty Fellowship Cleanness Courtesy Charity Prowess Justice 1

Defence Courage Faith Humility Largesse/Generosity Nobility

Courtly Love Knight in service of Lady Allowed to show admiration irrespective of marital status Tokens as mementos immortalising the lover Love supposed to help the Knight on his quest Platonic but complications arise / Sir Lancelot and Guenevere. The Structure 4 Fitts (or Parts) o Part 1 o Part 2 o Part 3 o Part 4

society (court) perilous nature court / nature nature / court

Cyclical and symmetrical - ends and starts with a mythological genealogy Arthurs credentials

Sir Gawain eager, optimistic, loyal undertakes challenge to protect Arthur and preserve the reputation of Camelot The epitome of chivalry "I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest; And the loss of my life would be least of any; That I have you for uncle is my only praise, My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth;" Gawains Shield Inner side - image of the Virgin - religious faith - inner protection Outer side - Pentangle the endless knot Seen as flawless - embodies Franchise, Fellowship, Cleanness, Courtesy, and Charity: "Forever faithful five-fold in five-fold fashion, Was Gawain in good works, as gold unalloyed Devoid of all villainy, with virtues adorned" (ll. 632-4). Gawains Faith Faith in God wilderness and tests Christmas Eve - prays for a church to attend Mass - Hautdesert (Bercilaks castle) appears miraculously !? 2

Christian faith and chivalric loyalty to Bercilak helps counter the sexual advances of Lady Bercilak

Gawains Disillusionment fear of death defeats his chivalric values - understandable from a human perspective Gawain dwells upon his moral failing o First blames Morgan le Fay and Lady Bercilak - misogynistic outburst (ll. 24072428), o ultimately can only blame himself for his failure (cowardice and covetousness). Gawain's faith in himself and in a society which cannot see his moral failure is shattered

The poet subtly questions the validity of societal and chivalric values, the strength of human nature The Green Knight Two guises: Green Knight / Lord Bercilak Static foil to dynamic Gawain Otherworldly, natural force intruding into Camelot Regenerative force, allied with Nature; above societal structures Mocks Arthurs Court (society)

Lady Bercilak Static character a temptation for Gawain to break his chivalric duty to Lord Bercilak and to defile his virtue She challenges Gawain's chivalric sense of courtly love: would he not be dishonouring a noble lady by rejecting her requests for passion? Morgan le Fay Arthurs half-sister and nemesis Old and ugly highlights Gawains chivalry and courteousness Behind the whole scheme She guided me in this guise to your glorious hall, To assay, if such it were, the surfeit of pride That is rumored of the retinue of the Round Table. She put this shape upon me to puzzle your wits, To afflict the fair queen, and frighten her to death (ll 2456-2460) Bedroom Scenes 3

careful diplomatic arguments around and about the topic of courtly love and chivalry society attempting to constrain natural urge, lust While Bercilak hunts in perilous outdoors, she hunts Gawain in the safe bedroom blood lust v lust

Hunting Hunting popular training in warfare for knights provided drama and excitement in peace time also reaffirmed social order a metaphor for amorous pursuit Sophisticated plot construction alternating hunt and castle scenes parallels poet communicates many emotional nuances Role reversal: man usually hunter, woman prey - in the bedroom reverse

Day One The Doe Gawain cowering in bed, hiding from hunter A captive knight - pinned down and open inferences to them being all alone and offering her body (ll. 1225...) Test of SGs honour, wit and social skills must reject advances without offending The Slaughter Technique: catalogue LB not just generous showing off his ability to kill Gift is useless reminder of upcoming death Exchange: hinds for kiss does not divulge the source (chivalrous) Day Two: The Boar boldness and ferocity in combat SG bold meeting her at once Lady more aggressive constantly provoking him Gift Boars head reminder of beheading SGs gift: two kisses Seduction continues leaving SG confused Day Three: The Fox Wily, cunning, sly and duplicitious LB uses her wiles (practically naked) to get him into bed SG cunningly avoids her trap and craftily answers so that he neither encourages nor offends her Love Tokens o Gawain rejects immortality o Ring material wealth - useless o Girdle love-lace rejects it at first 4

Accepts it protect him from death Girdle= sword Lord throws at fox to confuse it

Temptation Going back on his word to Lord hiding the girdle (cf. Thief!) Final temptation: guide run away, I wont tell! SG not a coward, bravery virtue as is keeping your word (?)

The Return Stroke SG flinches GK tries SG to see if hell flinch again SG gets angry being mocked Third stroke nicks his neck only failing, loves his life, otherwise virtuous True Confession to GK The Green Girdle Seduced by primal instinct fear of death violates the agreement with his lord Gawain guided by nature, not by societal duty complicated, artificial world of human society reduced to the basic, primeval world of nature the societal code is merely a pretence which cannot always hold up The Heros Return What has SG learnt from his ordeal? How do the other knights react to his experience? How does SGs experience and knowledge foreshadow Camelots future? Christianity and Paganism Christian belief and pagan ritual mingle in intricate ways Christmas/New Year setting Celtic lore, year important cycle in human and natural world Samhain (Nov 1) period of limbo where the worlds meet With Advent of Christianity moved to Christmas-New Year period Green Knight Celtic mythological figure o Bursts in on court during this limbo period Beheading game ritual slaying and renewal of the year Pagan significance - suggesting the regenerative quality of Nature and the turning of the year Challenge to Gawain: a year and a day Nature Nature overpowering - belittles the individual human Gawains faith in God saves him from destruction Religion can guide and rescue the human from the dangerous world around him

Faith in God enables mankind to negotiate and survive the forces of Nature, both those natural forces outside and within him.