BEOWULF + SIR GAWAIN
"The Constant Struggle Against Darkness"
Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y13cES7MMd8
* You are responsible for reading through page 1650 of the story AND for the notes compiled here.
"Beowulf" is 3,182 lines, but more precisely, over 6,000 half lines, that don't fit together too well. Teh [poem is more of a "theoretical concept" and is thus criticized; the pattern isn't regular. It was orignally sung with the LYRE accompanying it.
"OLD FORMULAIC POETRY" was delivered orally by a SCOP, or "singer of tales". This was common practice in Old English storytelling. There was an audience who heard and possibly participated in its recitation. There was no circulation of manuscripts; it always follows a pronounced rhythm and is repetitive of names, locations, actions, etc. So, how was the oral delivery learned?
- By Memory: The Scop would memorize the poem, or with verbal formulas, learn type themes, type scenes, plot line, etc. Then, the poet coult continually create the poem during its performance. Evidence for this can be observed as over 75% of the first 50.5 lines are matched elsewhere in the poem.
-The poem contains TYPE THEMES and TYPE SCENES: An example of a "type theme" would be "The Beasts of Battle Theme"; just before battle, the hero digresses adn speaks of ravens, crows, wolves, etc. In OE poems, poets insert this into the formula to take up at least 5 lines. An example of a TYPE SCENE is "The Hero on the Beach Scene"; these will have certain elements in common; for example, all beach scenes have a hero and his men on the beach, rattling swords, a reddish light (from the sun, fire, or swords), and an argument: this can be observed in the "Danish Shore Scene" in "Beowulf".
The poet probably knew shorter songs or poems on similar events and incorporated it; he also knew local history and incorporated folkloric material. He also had knowledge of a general plot line, such as "guy fights 2 trolls and a dragon", and he'd go from there.
ORAL FORMULAIC POETRY is repetitive and digressive. The problem is that literate cultures are not used to this; we demand unificaiton (Aristotle), but oral poetry does not give us that. Instead, it has a snowball effect and picks up more "junk" as it rolls off the tongue.
The concept of "Beowulf" probably stems froma n ancient folktale called the "Bear's Sun's Tale", which probably existed in the Indo-European homeland 8000 years ago. In it, the superhero is assciated with teh bear; "Beowulf" translates as "Preadator of Bees" or "Bear".
THE MANUSCRIPT: There is only 1 "Beowulf" manuscript, and it is housed at the British Museum. It is from the late 10th or early 11th century (around 1000 A.D.), This is only a few years after the Viking invastions, which fits, b/c the manuscript deals with the Scandanavians as the enemies.
We call the manuscript COTTON VITELLIUS AXV after the man who owned it (Cotton), and his filing system: it was located in a drawer of a cabinet. There were 2 rows of drawers, right (A) and left (B). On top of each row was the statue head of an Emporer (Vitellius); it was 15 rows down (XV).
In 1731, the library caught on fire, and 80% of his manuscripts were destroyed. "Beowulf" is then the only surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. Someone got upstairs and threw the flaming codex out of a window; "Beowulf" was one of four manuscripts bound in that codex; among the others was a letter from Alexander to Aristotle! It was part of the NOWELL CODEX, named after its first owner, and all of the other manuscripts in this codex contained monster stories.
-One line of thinking suggests that 2 SCRIBES were inolved in writing the manuscript; the first wrote the first 2199 lines, and teh second wrote lines 2200-3182. It was first written in the OLD ENGLISH INSULAR hand, with QUILLS; scripts like this erode over time.
-We know the COTTON manuscript was a copy of an earlier one (there were many), adn teh best consensus is that this version of the story originated in the early 8th century.
HISTORY: What was going on during this time??
5th-7th centuries: England was involved in a series of battles; in 449, Vortigern, who ruled England, was murdered at a peace conference by two Germans, Hengist and Horsa. It took England many years to recover under Vortimer, Vortigern's son. In 475, ARthur took over for the Brits after beating the Saxons at Badon Hill. He romanticized the civilization and gave England 21 years of peace after 100 years of constant war. In time, the round table would dissolve, and the Saxons would revolt again. In 625, King Edwin emerges as the first SAxon King; after the Saxons take over, the Brits become "Welshman" and "Scotsman". Teh Saxons set up 7 small English Kingdoms in the 6th century, which were later consolidated into 4.
8th Century: The Scandinavians get inot boats called "Viking Long Ships" and explore; they sailed up the Thames and attacked successfully. At first, the attacks were by small unorganized groups of tribes or pirates. Then, the sons of "Hairy Pants" appeared with an army led by "Ivor the Boneless" and the raids got larger; they continued for 30 years.
9th Century: Saxons are ruled under King Alfred, who bead them back.
10th Century: Territories are lost to the Vikings by the Saxons, but they are living fairly peaceably under a centralized Saxon rule. But, late in the century, another Viking set of invastions led by the Viking King whose name translates as "Bad Advice" ends when English King Svanson ruled Norway, Denmark, and England all at the same time. He died in 1035 and was replaced by Edward the Confessor, who was replaced by Harold Godwinson in 1066. Under him, they saw the 3rd Viking invasion, which finally ended at the "Battle of Stanford Bridge". However, only 1 month later, Godwinson got word that William the Conqueror (or the Bastard) was on his way to attack England. They met on September 15, 1066 at the "Battle of Hastings"; England lost and was then ruled by the French.
SHAME AND GUILT CULTURES: It is a mistake to read Old/Middle English works as if they were written yesterday; context has changed. Human nature may not have changed, but the way the world is viewed certainly has. Behavior can be oriented socially either OUTWARDLY (toward others) or INWARDLY (toward the self). OUtward-- these are called "shame" cultures b/c people are concerned with how others see things; Inward-- these are called "guilt" cultures b/c people are internally focused; they are less concerned with a reputation or social consequences and are more concerned with inward consequences.
EXAMPLE: "Beowulf" does lots of bad things, but he doesn't rob banks. Why? He is big and strong enough. It isn't b/c he fears he will be caught or b/c he will feel badly-- NO. Internal reasons are irrelevant to Beowulf. They may be our reasons for action or nonaction, but they are not his. He doesn't do this b/c he knows that society would perceive taht action as a weakness on his part; if he can't make enough money in his life, then that shows weakness, and if he shows weakness, then his enemies will attack: he must avoid SHAME.
When we attempt to relate to him, it is too easy to see him as a horrible person; he's a bragger and a boaster, and these are not attractive attributes to us. But, this is an ancient "shame culture" oral epic, so we can't measure it by our standards. He has to brag and act as though everyone were watching; he can't be too introspective or rational-- he has to be spontaneous and reactionary. He can never admit to fear; others look to him and emulate him. He's a good king and must protect his people; he must never show weakness.
The poem starts with a king showing strength and ends that way. Every heroic deed gives honor and deeds=wealth. There were very few laws and not police. Justice and protection were up to each indivdual, and perception goes a long way.
BLOOD FEUD: In early Germanic societies, there were no centralized authorities to perserve order. It was then important to have a reputation for ferocity in order to avoid being attacked; one needs honor for this, and this means scaring enemies off! This gave rise to their fatal flaw, THE BLOOD FEUD. Example: An altercationj occurs; someone from family A kills someone from family B (homicide). Family B can't ignore it b/c tghey will then be vulnerable for more attack-- B has to demonstrate strength. So, they kill someone of equal hierarchical structure; this does not necessarily have to be teh murderer (this was not their idea of justice). To them, strength was what was important. As you can see, this becomes a vicious cycle.
They lived under the WERGILD system-- or "Price of a Man": This was a system designed to stop the cyclical violence. After an altercation, they would have an alternative. The family could demand Wergild from the murderer; the price was usually about 6 cows or the equivalent of about 50 pieces of gold or silver. The feud could then stop. Grendel is in a feud with teh Danes b/c he did not pay his Wergild.
STRUCTURE: The poem doesnt' seem to have a structure; there are no Aristotilian wrap-ups, and the poet changes teh story a lot. However, there have been many attemps to consider a structure of the poem: The LEDER THEORY saw it was a collection of pre-existing songs. JRR Tolkein posited a 2-part structure, saying taht pt 1 was lines 1-2199, 2 was 2200-end, each part written by a different scribe; the problem is that there are 2 monsters in pt. 1, 1 in pt. 2, and pt. 1 is twice as long as part 2. Other views suggest that it is tripartite in structure-- it has 3 parts, 3 monsters. In teh 1970's and 80's, critics looked at an "interlaced" thematic design:
1. Grendel's Trepidations- Danes are UNHAPPY
2. Beowulf arrives- Danes are HAPPY
3. Grendel arrives- Danes are UNHAPPY
4. Beowulf beats Grendel- Danes are HAPPY
5. Grendel's mom gets mad and attackes- Danes are UNHAPPY
6. Beowulf kills Grendel's mom- Danes are HAPPY
7. Pt. 2-- there's a shift: The Dragon makes the Geats UNHAPPY
8. Beowulf beats the dragon but dies in the process; the attack of the N. Swedes and teh destruction of the Geats leads to UNHAPPINESS.
JOY AND WOE: One always follows the other until the end; the happiness never lasts too long. THEME OF MUTABILITY: Nothing human lasts forever; we can't keep darkness otu too long.
The 2 Funerals: The poem begins with the description of Sheafing and his funeral. The poem opens and closes with a funerl; both funerals are of good kings. Schyld Shaefing's funeral is a typical Viking funeral; he's put in a hsip and shoved out to sea. The poet says, "no one knows who will receive this cargo"; this is an agnostic view-- we don't know-- it is a cold and dark world. Beowulf also has a typical Viking funeral; he's creamated, and the poeple surround the funeral pyre chanting. This is a practical and faster way for the spirit to get wherever it goes. Supposedly, Beowulf's spirit risses and joins the other Anglo Saxon heroes, but it si still a bleak ending. This pagan view lacks Christian optimism. There is a darkness before and a darkness after, and in the middle there is some joy; this is the overall structure of the poem.
Notes-- an Overview: -It was once an oral poem. - It tooks its final shape in the 8th century. - It is anonymous. - It is an Old Formulaic, Epic poem. It is written in Old English, but none of the characters are English; it si a story of Scandanavian tribes, so it was probably composed when the Scandanavian invasions were at their height. - Beowulf is not an historic character, but as in most lore, there is some history. -It reminds us of Shakespeare's "Histories" in taht "in a struggle for power, the seeds are sown for teh character's downfall". The ends are always dark. Teh heroic ideal is that even if doomed, one still must accept the struggle in order to be enobled.
Brief Summary: Grendel has spent 12 years eating people in King Hrothgar's hall called "Heorot" in Denmark. The great, strong hero Beowulf and his men sail from Sweden to help Hrothgar, who had once helped Beowulf's father Ecgtheow. In a fierce one on one fight, Beowulf uses his strength to tear off Grendel's arm, so he runs away to his mother's underwater cave to die. The next night, Grendel's mothere comes to Heorot seeking revenge and takes one of the men back to her cave, so the king asks B to go after her. He pursues her, fights, and kills her with his sword. He then wanders and finds Grendel lying dead and uses the mom's sword to cut off his head. He returns and becomes king of his country. 50 years later, a dragon who is mad that oen of the men has stolen a chalice from his guarded treasure, goes on a fire-breathing rampage. B confronts him and with the hlep of his protege Wiglaf, kills the dragon, but he is bitten in the neck. Beowulf dies from poison from the dragon bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX--9m-OvoI "Beowulf" in 6 minutes :)
"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
"SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT": Symbolism, Motif, Theme...
-The story is written in a difficult dialect that contains many archaic English words and Old Norse words.
-It was found in COTTON NERO AX, along with 3 other poems; it is possible that the same author wrote all 3, but we aren't sure. The motif of "NUMBERS" is carried out in all 3 poems as a recurring theme. The story lay dormant for 500 years-- nobody read it. It came to light when it was finally published in 1832. It was produced during the ALLITERATIVE REVIVAL PERIOD during which all poems were written in alliterative meter (similar to "Beowulf"). Why did this revival happen? Partly b/c of the general resurgence of poetics after the French left and partly due to the prvincial resurgence, where provinces took precedence over nobles.
-Sir Gawain's poet is unknown, but it has lots of sources. It has 2 MAIN sources and can be divided into 2 main parts: The Beheading Game (I & IV) & The Temptation in the Castle (II & III). This is the only poem that combines these two parts, and the parts are sometimes called "FITTS". The beheading part comes from Old Irish Sagas, most famously "Bricrius' Feast", in which there is a contest between the hero and the antagonist (who is named Terror, the son of Fear); they exchange blows with an ax, and Terror's head is cut off and carried away under his slayer's arm. The Temptation comes from an Old French Romance in which a peasant meets a king in the forest who tells him he'll make him a knight if he can resist the advances of a lady (his wife). He falls asleep in a castle, and she awakens him; he succeeds in resisting her by kicking her in the stomach. The king compliments the peasant and then beats his wife.
-Other literary traditions are also present, such as the LITERARY GREEN MAN: the origins of this are old; this appears in many cutures' popular works and sculptures as a vegetative or fertility god and is part of a solstice ritual of sacrificial death and rebirth. Another is the WILD MAN tradition. This is a stock ritual, often found with the green man, that originated in Celtic Mythology; it is sometimes a human with an animal head. It later appears with a human head that has shaggy hair and carries a club or an ax, is bearded, and lives in a forest. This is a grotesque figure that is often an enemy of knights. He is portrayed as a hunter who is large and violent and often has fiery red eyes. Images of him can be found in Gothic art as a symbol of unruly passion and chaos.
THE POEM: The first stanza describes Rome as "rising from the ashes of Troy" and gives facts of Troy and Rome. There is a motif of rebirth right from the start. It also presents an image of the attempt to order teh chaos of civilization (like King Arthur did with Camelot)-- this is called "Concordia Discors", or harmony in the middle of discord or chaos. Arthur is p
Arthur is presented as the most gracious and civilized of all English Kings; he was in control. The court is idealized as youthful, beautiful, and ceremonial. Ceremony is a way of ordering the human experience; it is a way for society to acknowledge human behaviors and to civilize natural impulses. The court at Christmas shows a mastery of the ceremony, but this is all superficial. Arthur is most civilized on the outside, but he is boyish and wild underneath; he hasn't mastered all of his impulses. He won't eat until he "hears or sees something really weird".
- The Green Knight is described both as a monster AND with a positive connotation; he's a living and breathing KNIGHT. Like the Wild Man, he's big, brash, wih bushy hair, a beard, an ax, red eyes, and is a threat. He's part of the natural world-- he's green and vegetative. Consider this a dichotomy, as these images are paired with those of Camelot. At Camelot, people master their impulses and are in control; this is the epitome of civilized behavior. VS. the Green Knight, who is "nature"; he is those impulses, and he interrupts Camelot. They are reminded that they need to be careful b/c they too are part of nature. The world is chaos, and Camelot is "concordia discors"; the Green Knight comes from the outside (nature) to the inside (civilization). He's there to TEST Camelot. We are told that he was made intot he Green Knight to "save Gunievere", but it is probably deeper than that.
-Description of the Green Knight: Green is almost the only color associated with the Knight except for the mention of "raude" in 3 lines; this sounds like "red" but actually translates to "gold". This is a color that was associated with nobility. He carries an ax in one hand (to represent war) and a holly bob in the other (to represent peace). The ax has green stones, a bound handle, a green tassel, and is described like it is a work of art or an artifact. His name, the "green knight" is oxymoronic b/c it mixes green (natural world) with knight (controlled, civilization).
-PLOT: PT 1: 1. "One of you can chop off my head with this ax if in 1 year and 1 day, I can do the same back".
2. Arthur, the leader, is embarrassed when no one in the court will do it, so he decides to do it himself-- he is impulsive. The Green Knight just stands and strokes his beard.
3. Sir Gawain asks permission to take the challenge himself; he takes charge b/c his life is "least loss to Camelot"; this suggests that Gawain is really the most civilized of them all. He grabs the ax, chops the head (in a graphic killing that is a stark contrast to anything civilized), and the GK leaves holding his head; he says he'll see Gawain again in 1 year and 1 day at the green chapel--then he leaves.
4. Life returns to normal; Arthur can eat and hang the bloody ax on his wall, but he is warned to keep his pact.
PT 2: We see the passing of time (a human construction) through seasons (the natural world). OCIPASSEO is a device used to indicate the passage of time without stating all of the events that have happened. The cycle starts and ends in winter and is not associated with rebirth. Then we get a civilized scene showing Gawain's arming; this shows that we are part of both worlds. Gawain departs undisturbed and heroically. The scene of Gawain's arming is important; it is a description of our protagonist and shows him leaving a civilized castle for an uncivilized world; this parallels the last part of his journey when he leaves for the green chapel.
His armor is detailed and great; he has closely trimmed fur, gold embroidery, silk, jewels mounted ornately on his armor... these are all man-made artifacts and represent cultures-- societies of people. Nothing in that scene indicates the natural world; these are constructed artifacts. There is no physical description of him, just is armor... he is more of an IDEAL than an actual PERSON. This is contrasted with the Green Knight who is particularized; he's very green, red eyes, beard, etc. He, though, is still described with a bit of gold. The color associated with Gawain is GOLD-- in fact, it is mentioned 9 times.
(Mrs. Bercilak's sash is green with gold threads in it-- a mixture of the colors. The Green Knight is not all a vegetation spirit; he does have limited civilized behavior. When Gawain is given the green sash, Camelot has learned that everyone carries a bit of green with them).
-Gawain's shield contains a PENTANGLE-- there's a stanza devoted to it, so it probably signifies something deeper. We have the 5 Fingers (Virtues), 5 Senses, 5 Wounds, 5 Joys, and the 5 Liberality; this is the "Knight of Trouthe"- the highest representation of the highest society. The pentangle represents that level of perfection. We get 5, 5's, or 25 things in support of cardinal virtue. Virtue is keeping and honoring words and contracts; it is "trouthe" or "truth". The story presents a life or death TEST OF TROUTHE.
-The poet is obsessed with numbers; there are 101 stanzas in the poem. The # 100 was symbolic of perfection, as were multiples of it. It is as perfect as humans can get, until the end. He leaves us imperfection b/c he learns that humans are NOT perfect: 101, almost 100, but not quite!
-Gawain does not know where he is going, only that death is certain. This is an absurdity. As he goes further from Camelot toward teh forest (WIRRAL), he is going away from order toward chaos; his impulses take over as he fights bears, monsters, trolls, etc. This is a test for the hero... and so is the weather. He encounters completely opposite conditions at Camelot.
-Bercilak's castle appears after Gawain prays for a place to give a mass of thanks that he is alive. The castle is large with towers and other things coming out of it (think of a pin cushion); people inside welcome him. As he is welcomed into the warm castle, there is a constant juxtaposition in the poem between outside and inside, civilization and nature. It is Christmas, so you get reflections of Camelot in the feasting, mass, games, etc.
Bercilak is more knight than green. Mrs. Bercilak is beautiful and seductive and is accompanied by an old, ugly woman, the sorceress Morgan Le Fay. This is a representation of both a sacred and secular society. Teh seating arrangements are also described. He asks where is the green chapel? He is worried that he won't get there in time; they laught a thim b/c he is too serious. Then there's the RASH PROMISE: a deal is made between Bercilak and Gawain: Gawain agrees just to be curteous-- before he even knows the terms, which are then laid out for him: Bercilak says that while he hunts, he'll bring Gawain back everything he gets if Gawain gives him everything he gets during the day (what would Gawain get sitting in a castle all day?).
PT. 3: The Hunting (outside and inside).
We see a man running after a wild animal, then there's a shift to Gawain's bedroom. Mrs. Bercilak goes into his room and he sees her half naked; his first response is to pretend that he is still sleeping in order to avoid the situation. After a while, he stops pretendingt and says, "it's a marvelous experience", the same words he uses when the king seees Green Knight come into Camelot. This is the 1st of 3 days of testing: she ties him up, uses the "hunt and capture" metaphor, and offers him her body. PROBLEMS: 1. If he says no, then he's being discurteous. 2. If he says yes, then he's committing adultery (we know he is religious, remember his shield? It also contains a picture of Mary). 3. If he says yes, what does he do about that pact? How does he "give" that to Bercilak? He'd look foolish! 4. This is his word, his truth, being tested, and that means a lot to him.
The lady sets him up; he says that he is a "most courteous Knight"; she says that if he were, then, "a truly courteous Knight kisses ladies"; he is scared to make a mistake, so he must kiss her.
There are 3 tests over 3 days, represented by the 3 hunts: Deer, Boar, Fox.
Lines 1325-60 describe skinning of a deer, of prey. It is detailed and is juxtaposed with teh manner and civility in the castle; it is savagery. Then there is the result of the pact: Bercilak hands Gawain the deer, and he exchanges this for the kiss.
All 3 days follow the same narrative sequence: 1. Hunt outside; 2. Hunt inside; 3. Gawain goes to mass and disports with the ladies; 4. Return to hunt and skin; 5. Exchange of wins: notice the #'s-- 5-- Pentangle Knight!
There are 3 days of temptation; on the first day, the horn blows 3 times; 2nd, cock crows 3 times; 3rd, during the fox hunt, 3 hounds are caught. Also, the number of kisses matches the day... NUMBERS! There are 9 major subdivisions, or 3 groups of 3. There are also 3 strokes of the ax, 3 appearances by BBercilak to the GK, etc. The number 10 is considered perfection, and 9 is "one less".
2nd day: Boar (pig) hunt: he gets 2 kisses. It differs from the deer hunt b/c a deer is chased and caught (it is prey), but a boar doesn't run. They are hunted with dogs, cornered and fought; boars are bolder. On the 2nd day, Gawain acts nobly again; he tells Mrs. B that he would not take her by force b/c "force is discourteous" adn that he is unworthy to talk about love. He can't be faulted; he even responds positively to the attacks. He is very bold, but he still allows the lady to kiss him; like Gawain, the deer are boar are noble game, but the FOX isn't... they are 'deceitful'.
This is symbolic as on the 3rd day, Gawain acts "fox like" in his deception of Bercilak. The lady gives him a green sash, but he doesn't give it to Bercilak (only the 3 kisses. He breaks the agreement by withholding part of the truth. All of us are both hunters and the hunted, and there is some green in all of us!
Gawain knows he is being tested b/c Bercilak tells him so. The boar skin scene takes us back to the beginning of the poem when the Green Knight holds his head in his hand; the animal is beheaded, and Bercilak carries its head in his hands. In the fox hunt scene, Gawain dreams of losing his head; when he's awakened by a kiss from a lady who is laughing, she asks him for a gift; he says he has nothing of worth to offer her, so she gives him a ring of "red gold". He rejects it b/c of its worth, so she offers him her green sash (with some gold). Gawain wants none of these magical powers that can save him. He doesn't give the sash to Bercilak b/c he promised the lady, who wished to keep it a secret. Gawain feels genuinely sorry and goes to confession to be absolved. But, he also confesses later to teh Green Knight and to Camelot. He is committing 3 sins: Accepting the Girdle (sash), Not returning it, and Confessing falsely to a priest.
-We know that Gawain does not really believe in the powers of the sash b/c he flinches when the Green Knight goes to chop off his head. But the motivation behind all of his sins is SURVIVAL; this is the power of the green (the laws of nature) outweighing the gold (laws of honor). The section of the fox skinning is shorter than the other 2.
-Pt. 4: Consider this aspect of the structure of the poem: It begins in Camelot (civilization), goes to the forest (nature), then to Bercilak's castle (civilization), then to Wirral (nature), then to the Green Chapel (more nature). Gawain is assigned a guide to go to the Green Chapel; he's not through with temptation. He's told by the guide, "you don't have to go, I wouldn't because the Green Knight is scary". The guide isn't concerned with truth; he wants him to get away and will lie for Gawain, he says he wouldn't go for "all the gold on Earth". The guide is completely green, but Gawain meets the test and goes anyway.
-The green chapel is a symbol of all that is represented by the Green Knight. It is a chapel of nature... it is home to the GK, teh epitome of the natural world. It is a grass mound with 3 holes in it, once a source of life where spring is found.
-The story began with the green at the home of the gold, and the end is gold at the home of the green. Both have touches of each other in them; GK is critical of the court, and Gawain is critical of the Green Chapel; each thinks the other is lacking enough of his color.
-Gawain hears the sound of an ax being sharpened; he tells the GK he's there, and he comes otu fo the hold with a Danish Battle Ax; his first words to Gawain are: "It appears that you are true to your word; are you ready?" But as the ax is lifted up, Gawain flinches and ducks (but he doesn't run), but it still makes the GK angry; he says, "you are not the great Gawain, he wouldn't duck for fear". With the 2nd stroke, Gawain says he'll never again shrug and is embarrassed. GK stops the ax and says, "just checking you out". With the 3rd blow, he brings the ax down and wounds him; there's blood, but he's not decapitated. While he acts deer-like on the 1st stroke, boar-like on the 2nd, he doesn't act fox-like on the 3rd. He holds truth here; he is the gold pentangle night, so he must. Plus, he's wearing the green sash in which he has "little faith that it will protect him": It was just enough, because it did end up protecting him.
-The word "marveled" is mentioned 3 times: 1. When the Green Knight appears; 2. When the lady appears in Gawain's room; and 3. During the miracle of Gawain's survival.
-In the 4th scene, the pentangle isn't mentioned. It is replaced by the sash; he still carries his gold shield, but the emphasis has changed. Gawain sees himself as a coward for flinching and for being self-concerned; under the ideal of pure gold, "pentangle" expectations, he has faulted and is guilty. He has a "fit of remorse"; he rips off the sash and throws it to Bercilak and tells him "from now on, I shall be more careful". He has a "sin no more" attitude. Gawain needs to learn that he is human; he then makes another confession; this time it is a true confession b/c he makes restitution and actually gives teh sash back. While Gawain in serious, the GK's response is to laugh.
-In the 101 stanzas, gold triumphs 100 times, and green triumphs 1 time.
-To Bercilak, the sash that Gawain gives back is a sign of Gawain's perfection. Gawain compares himself to 3 Bible figures: Adam, Solomon, and David. He says that much greater men have been tricked by women, so he can excuse himself. But, she doesn't really trick him. he accepts the green sash back as a sign of his fault, of his humanity.
Bercilak says that Morgan Le Fay, Arthur's sister, put him up to this to 1. test the courage of Camelot and 2. Frighten Guinevere to death. Problems: 1. The major test is one of truth, not courage. 2. Guinevere is only mentioned once, and she is not frightened. 3. In line 2360, Bercilak admits responsibility saying, "I arranged it myself". So, why is she even introduced as a character? Maybe to explain the majic and probably just to put the story in the perspective of the Arthurian tradition.
-Gawain's trip back to Camelot is not as difficult, but he still fights monster, etc. He has heavy remorse and says that his sash is a token of untruth, yet Bercilak gave it to him to reperesent his ability for truth; he is very hard on himself. Camelot's response is ceremonial; each person wears a little piece of the green sash, and the GK's ax is put on the wall.
-There are no pure characters at the end of the poem; they are all a mixture of gold and green. When we judge Gawain by the highest standards, that of the Pentangle, then he is a failed hero. But if these standards are impossible to attain, then why have them?
Even the goldest of us can be put in a situation that brings out some green. We are left with both-- a dialectical vision. These motifs are all intertwined throughout the story.
