Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (post 6)

The entire climax and resolution is packed into the last fifteen pages of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Susipcious characters are explained, and Gawain's virtues and faults are brought fully into the light. The Green Knight has already attempted to chop Gawain's head off once, but as Gawain flinched both agree that it is only fair that he has another chance. This time, the Knight hesitates before Gawain's neck. After Gawain asks him why he does not strike, and calls him a coward for not being able to take another man's life, the green knight replies, "... since you speak so grandly/ there'll be no more shilly-shallying, I shall shatter you/ right now" (2302-2304). The sh sounds in "shilly-shallying" and "shall shatter" so the anger of the Green Knight. However, it also seems like he is less sure of his resolve to chop off Gawain's head, because sh is not a particularly hard or angry sound. This sound makes it seem like he's being a bit tricky and is not really angry at all.

Sure enough, The Green knight changes his mind. On his final stroke, his axe barely grazes the side of Gawain's neck. Then he explains to Gawain what has happened. He and the lord who hosted Gawain are one and the same (he learned magic from a powerful sorceress). He explains that the "magical belt" Gawain is wearing was made by his wife, and was not magical at all. He instructed his wife to woo Gawain to test his virtues, and to give him the belt as a message to him not to kill Gawain if Gawain proved good enough. As it is, the Green Knight can only find one imperfection in Gawain. The Knight (who reveals his name to be Morgan le Fay) tells Gawain, "But a little thing more--it was loyalty that you lacked:/ not because you're wicked, or a womanizer, or worse,/ but you loved your own life; so I blame you less" (2366-2368). This quote is very true: no matter how virtuous, kind-hearted and compassionate humans may be, we are all basically self-centered creatures whose primal instinct is survival. If we take the Green Knight to symbolize nature, this quote helps support the theme that humans will fight against nature unless nature cooperates. This is a sad thing, because nature hardly ever cooperates exactly with human plans and this causes us to destroy the enviornmnet. In the end, Gawain rides off to Camelot and arrives safely back to the court of Arthur (though without a woman, becuase he is now convinced that women bring about the downfall of men).

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (post 5)

In the first half of the last section of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain sets off to look for the green chapel in order to find the Green Knight and fulfill his vow. Sir Gawain is resolute in his promise to fulfill his vow, despite several people begging him to save himself. He rides into a valley, and comes across a strange-looking knoll that he suspects might be the Green Chapel. Gawain scoffs, "'Green Church?' chunters the knight./ 'More like the devil's lair'" (2185-2186). Gawain is scoffing at this green hill where the knight supposedly prays. This shows how Gawain is ignorant of the danger that he could be facing. He also doesn't understand this knight at all, so he cannot begin to understand the knight's reasoning. This is one example of one of the reasons cultures class: both sides do not make an effort to understand the other's reasoning.

Gawain finds the Green Knight, and listens to the Green Knight sharpening his new axe. He and the Green Knight talk, and then Gawain bends over to let the Green Knight take a swing at his neck. However, just before the blow falls he flinches. The poet writes, "...and sensing its sharpness, Gawain shrank at the shoulders" (2267). Despite seeming to be so chivalrous, Gawain still fliches away from death. This shows how, despite being "the perfect knight," he still has his faults. This is true of everyone. It also reinforces the old adage that "no one is perfect." Gawain then promises the knight that he will not flinch again, and the end half section ends with the Green Knight raising his axe once again.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (post 4)

In the second half of the third section of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain continues to be boringly angelic. It essentially continues in the same manner as the first part of the section: the lord continues to bring Gawain his spoils after each day of hunting, and Gawain sleeps, entertains the ladies of the court and resists the lord's wife's advances. The lord's hunting of a wild boar, with the difficulty of killing the boar emphasized and the lord's triumph explained in detail. The lady of the castle continues her affections, and Gawain keeps telling himself that he shouldn't fall for her. However, he does have one small moment when his goody-two-shoes facade slips. The poet writes, "In a worthy style he welcomes the woman/ and seeing her so lovely and alluringly dressed,/ every feature so faultless, her complextion so fine,/ a passionate heat takes hold of his heart" (1759-1762). However much he tells himself that he should not be involved with her, he still finds her attractive. This one tiny slip-up brings up a point the poet trys to make throughout the story: no matter how perfect or sinless someone may seem, they always have enought animal instinct left that they can never be completely free from sin. In this section, it is also suggested that Gawain is more gullible than he appears. The mistress of the castle gives him what she claims is a magical sash that will prevent the wearer from dying. However, considering her past attempts to win Gawain's love, whether this claim is true or not comes under suspicion. The lady speaks, "For the body which is bound within this green belt,/ as long as it is buckled robustly about him,/ will be safe against those who seek to strike him,/ and all the slyness on earth wouldn't see him slain" (1851-1854). On one hand, as this is a story set in the time of King Arthur, a magic belt seems like it could completely real; on the other the lady's history of embellishing the truth to get Gawain on her side could have progressed into her lying outright. It also seems likely that she could be in league with someone, possibly the Green Knight. If that is so, she might want to give him false confidence so he will do something stupid. This brings up another theme of the peom: the difference between truth and lies. Is the Green Knight real? Does the lord of the castle sincerely want to help Gawain? The rest of the poem will tell.