“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”: Themes, Aspects, and Writing Style

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Christian Ideals and Chivalry
Christian Holidays and Significant Events
Gawain’s Prayers
Attending Confession
Physical Setting
Behavior Shaped By Religion
Contrasting Men’s Laws and Christian Mercy
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is a piece in which the plot is supported by Christian morality underpinning the chivalry of the characters and their occasional failure to comply with this notion. In the story, the religious guidance provided to the knights is shown by the description of ideals, the events taking place on specific holidays, prayers, locations, and, consequently, their behavior. These elements are complemented by the contrast between men’s laws and Christian mercy which are included at the end of the poem when the knight talks to Bertilak, who forgives his lies (Gardner 192). From this perspective, religion is one of the major themes of the story, and it is transmitted through the adoption of various literary devices. Hence, the author uses a particular pattern of speech representation alongside numerous symbols, juxtaposition, irony, metaphors, and allegories to claim the importance of Christianity for the narrative as well as its outcome.

Christian Ideals and Chivalry

The principal aspect of the poem is the need to connect Christian ideals and chivalry transmitted through symbolism in people and objects. For example, the green sash given to Gawain by Bertilak’s wife demonstrates the contrast between dishonesty and a strong moral compass implied by religion and the knights’ code (Burrow 105). The gift “marked of gleaming gold” was meant for the hero to remember the woman while also referring to the weakness of his character (Gardner 166). His dishonest conduct in refusing to give the sash in exchange for “this foul-smelling fox” indicates his improper attitude toward Gawain, violating the above principles (Gardner 170). This allegory is complemented by the symbolic interpretation of the color as Bertilak is also known as the Green Knight. The man’s name is related to the power of nature over people’s imperfections. However, the moral significance of the story is not portrayed from the beginning, as the readers are not supposed to know who this character is (Pons-Sanz 211). In the continuation, the truth is revealed, and one can easily recognize the emphasis on the necessity to coordinate religious concepts and chivalry.

Christian Holidays and Significant Events

Another characteristic of the narrative allowing to highlight the importance of Christianity in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is attributing major events to Christian holidays and significant dates. For instance, in the beginning, the story starts “at Camelot over Christmas” when the knights of the Round Table celebrate “in full swing for fifteen days” with King Arthur (Gardner 95). This scene directs one’s mood for perceiving further occasions in an intended way. Hence, the foundation of chivalry is explicitly linked to religion, and this standpoint is confirmed by other situations. Over time, Gawain’s adventures are accompanied by the Yule and New Year celebrations, among others (Gardner 105; 97). This technique not only emphasizes the dubious morality of the knights but also helps the author demonstrate the need for changing the affected persons’ mindsets. Arthur and his people seem to respect Christian values only in theory, whereas in practice, interference is required. Therefore, the use of holidays and other religious dates correlates with the task of ensuring the appropriate attitudes of the characters.

Gawain’s Prayers

While following Gawain’s travels, a reader sees the importance of prayers, even though this character violates Christian beliefs. When leaving Arthur, who “commended him to Christ,” the man departs with “an image of the Virgin” on his shield (Gardner 120). On the way, he prays to Mary so that “she guide his way, reveal some home” when looking for the residence of the Green Knight (Gardner 123; Burrow 104). The religious theme intertwining with chivalry is thereby demonstrated as the main source of hope for a person. After arriving at the place, it continues to underpin all events as the people there have feasts with “Old and new caroles and Christmas carols” (Gardner 159). The fact that the author regularly reminds us about Christ and his mother, to who the characters pray, serves as evidence of his apparent desire to highlight the importance of Christianity for the knights. Also, referring to allegories, such as deer representing innocence after the first hunt, is aimed at contrasting morality with deviations from the right path (Gardner 147). Thus, Gawain’s imperfections are compared to the appropriateness of religion for eliminating them.

Attending Confession

Another circumstance explaining the link between Christianity and knighthood is the fact that Gawain attends confession. Nevertheless, his efforts to adhere to religious principles do not appear to be genuine, as he conceals the affair with Bertilak’s wife. This aspect is demonstrated by including gold and green as the primary colors attributed to the main characters. Therefore, the association of Bertilak with green in his name and the chapel where the men are supposed to eventually meet is a symbol of the wilderness and unpredictability of his nature. They indicate the need for controlling instincts and fight against “all the gold on earth” or, in other words, the people unwilling to adhere to Christian morality, such as Gawain (Gardner 179). This extended metaphor contributes to the understanding of the necessity to not only confess but express oneself directly before God. The failure to do so is associated with one’s death, and the threat posed by the Green Knight is a mechanism for regulating similar events. From this standpoint, their despair of Gawain does not appear to be valid until he learns to be honest with others.

Physical Setting

The significance of Christianity is also highlighted by the physical setting, which provides for a contrast between Arthur’s knights and Bertilak’s plans. Thus, the former’s castle was portrayed as a place “knights jarred knights, with jubilant hearts” and “came into court to dance caroles,” implying the seeming importance of visible restraints in manners (Gardner 95). However, it is complemented by the neglect of honesty in deeds and morality, even though they are referred to only indirectly when discussing “chivalric ideals and practicalities” (Pons-Sanz 229). The fact that this part does not contain any dialogues contributes to the ambiguity of the knights’ values and beliefs (Pons-Sanz 229). Thus, staying in the castle for them means having no obligation to respect Christian norms.

In turn, the latter location is a Green Chapel, and it is used for comparing Arthur’s residence with religious sites with an appropriate atmosphere. In the story, it is described as “some nearby kingdom,” meaning the sacred nature of the place rather than its importance as a building (Gardner 163). This place is free of the “most dishonourable of faults in a knight, cowardice,” and the arrival of Gawain to the chapel correlates with revealing the truth about the importance of religion for Arthur’s people (Burrow 104). In this way, when leaving it unharmed, he learns the lesson to teach the others, who willingly follow him.

Behavior Shaped By Religion

Throughout the narrative, the behavior of Gawain changes from ignoring Christian morality to respecting it as a complement to the knighthood. This shift is demonstrated by an allegory of an ax, which does not hurt the body but purifies the soul. From this point of view, the weapon “striking the stone like a walking-stave” is not related to actual punishment but shows the need to confess Gawain’s sins (Gardner 182). In this way, he has a chance to correct his conduct to become a religiously conscious person and guide others on the same path. In addition, this scene confirms that one cannot entirely rely on any societal entities while ignoring the spiritual underpinning of these organizations.

Another literary technique representing the perceptions of adequate behavior by the main characters from the Christian perspective is the use of situational irony. It is included in the scenes when Bertilak returns from the hunt and says, “I’d think it sheer joy” when Gawain kisses him (Gardner 143). At the time, he knows about the affair but pretends to be happy about it. This decision seems irrational as the sins of Gawain are the reasons why he arrived at his castle in the first place. Nevertheless, this approach allows the reader to admit that the events occur as it was planned by Bertilak and Morgan.

Contrasting Men’s Laws and Christian Mercy

The difference between men’s law and Christian mercy is portrayed in the last part of the story, and it explains the latter’s power over the former considerations. It is primarily expressed by using direct speech, which is the main method of presenting the communication between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Pons-Sanz 213). Thus, the phrases of the former man, “Upon my soul!” and “I’m certainly honored!” are intended to efficiently transmit his emotions (Gardner 143). In turn, Bertilak’s joyful exclamations show that he pretends to share these feelings. This type of narrative adds to the idea of the presence of a conflict between their viewpoints.

Moreover, its resolution is conditional upon the inclusion of juxtaposition, allowing for comparing the opposing notions. Thus, referring to the Young Queen and the Old Queen supports the impossibility of matching Christianity with knighthood at its present state. In this case, Morgan, with her secret plans to restore religious rules, is contrasted with the lord’s wife cheating on her husband. In addition, there is a link between love and the hunt as the guests who “fixed themselves up in their finest attire” are countered by “good young Gawain … in his gay bed” (Gardner 139; 141). Thus, this technique helps demonstrate the author’s efforts to highlight the significance of the former case’s appropriateness and, consequently, positive intentions.

Conclusion

To summarize, the inclusion of numerous literary devices in the story ensures the readers’ attention to the place of Christianity in the institution of the knighthood. In this respect, the most critical instrument is the use of symbolism to support Christian ideals and reproach any deviations from them. It is complemented by mentioning that events occur during religious holidays. At the time of his journey, Sir Gawain also prays to God and Mary and attends confession, which means he still has a chance for improvement. The selected physical setting contributes to the need to show the differences between adhering to morality and neglecting this aspect. As a result, people’s behavior is shaped under the influence of their values transmitted through the adoption of allegories, and Christian mercy is emphasized in the end by using juxtaposition and direct speech.

Works Cited

Burrow, John. “The Conclusion of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Three Knightly Verdicts.” Essays in Criticism, vol 67, no. 2, 2017, pp. 103-115.

Gardner, John. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The University of Chicago Press, 2011.

Pons-Sanz, Sara M. “Speech Representation as a Narrative Technique in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Review of English Studies, vol. 70, no. 294, 2019, pp. 209-230.

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