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.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (post 3)

The first half of the third section of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight begins with Gawain still staying with the mysterious lord who has granted him shelter. The lord and Gawain have made a pact where they give each other whatever they have gained at the end of the day. The lord continues to go hunting, and every day he brings back massive piles of game for Gawain. In fact, the poet goes to extra pains to emphasize the effort the lord (who is never mentioned by name) goes to hunt. The poet writes, "So as the morning was lifting its lamp to the land/ his lordship and his huntsmen were high on horseback" (1137-1138). This use of personification shows how early the lord is going out to hunt. Even though deer are more active during the dawn hours than they are in the hot afternoon, the lord would have to get up especially early to go to mass, eat and prepare to ride out. The lord also seems suspicious because while he does this, Gawain essentially spends his days sleeping and eating at the castle.

While he is at the castle, and the lord is out hunting, the mistress of the castle, who is in true knights-in-shining armor spirit astoundingly beautiful, spends her time trying to tempt Gawain into having an affair with her. However Gawain is keeping aloofly noble, wittingly refusing her advances. However, one is struck by the number of times Gawain swears featly to people: King Arthur, the knight of the Green Chapel, the lord of the castle and his wife (who is not mentioned by name either). This makes it seem like Gawain will be tied in knots when the interests of those parties conflict. Gawain tells the lady, "But I'm proud of the price you would pay from your purse,/ and will swear to serve you as my sovereign forever./ Let Christ now know Gawain is your knight" (1277-1279). The consonance in this quote foreshadows what may be a major theme in the poem: money. Since it seems like the main conflict is humans fighting against nature, the "p"s in "price,""pay" and "purse" all have to do with money, and show how human greed for money causes them to disregard the enviornment.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (post 2)

The second section of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight begins as Gawain sets off from Camelot to seek the Knight of the Green Chapel. Before he leaves, he is presented with many gifts by the court of King Arthur. He is also given an "inspection" by the knights of Camelot, to see if he was fit enough to go on his quest. The poet writes:

First he was deemed flawless in his five senses;

and secondly his five fingers were never at fault;

and thirdly his faith was founded in the five wounds

...the fortitude he found in the five joys

...the fifth set of five which I have heard the knight followed" (640-643, 646, 651)

The repetition of the word "five," which is repeated several other times in this passage, ensures that the reader will notice the importance of the number five. It seems like the number will become important later in the book. The knight faces many perils on his journey to find the green knight, and he spends a while wandering around. On his way, people pity him, lamenting, "A pity, by Christ,/ if a lord so noble should lose his life./ To find his equal would be far from easy./ Cleverer to have acted with caution and care" (674-677). The consonance in this quote shows how well respected Gawain is by giving it a choppy, disjoined tone. This suggests that people are crying to see him ride to what they believe is certain death.

Gawain continues riding, and he eventually finds the castle of a lord who welcomes him and gives him a home for the Christmas celebrations. However, this knight seems rather fishy. His castle is so exquisite that the poet expends extra effort to gush over the luciousness of the castle. The poet writes, "They take him between them and talk as they walk/ to a hearth full of heat, and hurriedly ask/ for specially spiced cakes, which are speedily fetched" (977-979). The assonance gives this passage a very smooth flavor, like decadent chocolate and warm caramel. It gives the reader a very warm feeling, and makes it seem like Gawain is relaxing a bit too much for someone who is on a quest for his death. The main reason this lord seems fishy, though, is that he makes Gawain promise to give him anything he gains from fighting the Green Knight, and in return Gawain will get anything the lord hunts and kills. Gawain, of course, agrees, and it makes his innocence and willingness to trust even more obvious when compared with this shady character.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (post 1)

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an epic poem. It was originally written sometime around 1400, and nothing is known about the author. Simon Armitage has translated it from its ancient form to more modern language. The first section (chapter?) of the poem introduces both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It is Christmastime at Camelot and all the knights, including Arthur's nephew Sir Gawain, are entertaining themselves with feasting and dancing. During one feast, a gigantic man, who is entirely green except for his red eyes, rides into Camelot and announces that he has a challenge. He offers his battle axe to anyone who will be willing to take one swing at him with it. In exchange, the man (who introduces himself the knight of the Green Chapel) will hunt down the challenger will take the same free swing in a year and a day. Sir Gawain takes up this challenge and beheads the giant. Of course, the giant doesn't go that easily. He promplty gets up, picks up his own severed head and rides off. Naturally, all the lords and ladies in the hall are absolutely dumbstruck.

Poetically, Armitage's translation is very fun to read. I caught myself reading it to the tune of "They're Coming to Take Me Away," sung by Napoleon XIV. There is also a lot of alliteration and consonance. The poet introduces the story, "I'll tell it as it's told in the town where it trips from the tongue" (31-32). It makes for quite and interesting read. Besides making it interesting, the alliteration helps to emphasize the parts that the poet wanted to emphasize, such as the knight of the Green Chapel's excessive greenness. The knight is described as being "entirely emerald green" (150). This emphasize's the knight's strangeness. It also helps to highlight what seems to be an already obvious theme in the poem: the struggle between humans and nature. This theme

is particularly resonant at the point in history we are now, when we will face in the near future and are facing many difficult choices between human developement and preserving the environment. Alliteration is also used to explain some of Gawain's qualities. The poet writes, "For I find it unfitting, as my fellow knights would,/ when a deed of such daring is dangled before us/...I am weakest of your warriors and feeblest of wit;/ loss of my life would be grieved the least" (348-349, 354-355). This shows how much Gawain considers others: he knows that if no one takes the challenge, the reputation of the Round Table would be damaged, and he offers his life as a replacement for the life of Arthur.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Simon Armitage. New York: Norton, 2008.

Elizabeth II (post 6)

The final 50 pages of Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II are disappointingly uninteresting. For the most part the focus extensively on common knowledge. Lacey spends about 40 pages detailing the preparations for Diana's funeral. These 35 pages pretty boring... if you wanted to learn about the Queen's reaction to Diana's death, watching The Queen is a much more entertaining and equally informative way to learn about it. I was actually pretty surprised at how accurate the movie was. Unfortunately, Lacey only spends about ten pages detailing the Queen's life from the aftermath of Diana's death to the end of 2001 (the book was published in 2002). These 10 pages can be summed up in a single sentence: the Queen became increasingly comfortable showing emotion and more ready to take risks. Of the Queen's reaction to the ceremony honoring the victims of September 11, Lacey writes, "She bit hard on her lower lip, and as she came out of the cathedral, there were tears in her eyes... tears for America..." (403). This is a stark contrast to even the church service the day after Diana's death, when the entire royal family was reported to have "concealed their feelings with such grim success that all of them-- from the normally outgoing queen mother down to the two princes, William and Harry

-- might have been been taken for wooden and uncaring" (361). Clearly, the Queen's attitude had shifted. In some ways, it is a good thing, because it reflects what the country wants. In other ways, it also symbolizes a tearing apart of ancient traditions, when the monarch was aloof and separated from their people. Overall, this was an excellent book about the modern royal family but a half-hearted book about Elizabeth II.