Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight - 1547 Words

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, there are many symbols throughout the poem. The hunting scenes are told in great detail throughout the poem. The unknown author writes these scenes to add meaning to the poem. The scenes depicts the hunting of the three different prey Lord Bertilak is after. Each scene contains symbolism and importance and helps to develop and improve the plot. One may wonder why the author might include the hunting scenes at all. According to critic, Donald Howard, the hunted animals convey connotations of evil. (85). This viewpoint could be a due to his religious beliefs. In the poem, the animals are not described as evil. The fox is described as cunning, â€Å"Carefully he creeps by the edge of a copse, / convinced that his cunning has conned those canines† (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 1710-11). The fox is not seen as evil as Howard thinks that it is. Howard believes that the animals are wicked but the in the poem there is no implication that they are evil in any way. Each animal has their own skill levels of escaping the hunt, the fox being the best. In medieval times animals were given human qualities and emotions. The three animals in the poem are described as having human qualities. First, Henry Savage states, â€Å"Certain facts about the animals which formed the quarry of the medieval huntsman, to be found in the hunting treatises of the time, and certain popular beliefs about their habits and tempers that were promulgated by the practices andShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay2387 Words   |  10 Pagesthe fourteenth century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The poem opens with allusions to Greek and Roman history and eventually sets the story on Christmas in Camelot with King Arthur and his knights of the round table. Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew and a knight in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, faces trials and temptations that one would typically expect from a knight of the round table. Through careful and juxtaposed analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and articles by reputable authorsRead MoreEssay Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight1050 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, after Gawain ventures â€Å"into a forest fastness, fearsome and wild† (Norton, 311), he prays that he will be able to find â€Å"harborage† on Christmas Eve (Norton, 312). It is the middle of winter, and Gawain has been traveling in search of the Green Knight whose head he has cut off. After he prays and signs himself three times, Gawain finds a magical castle in the midst of a winter forest. 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In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the idea that in the world, there are man-made and natural rules that one must follow but in times, the two rules come in conflict with each other. By analyzing the two games played by Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, theRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1199 Words   |  5 Pagesfrequently depicted as a knight in shining armor, an image that originates from age-old literature such as the fourteenth-century Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In such literary works, the heroic knight has several virtuosic character traits: friendship, chastity, generosity, courtesy, and piety; however, he must also endure a quest in which his virtues are tested. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, three obstacles challenge the hero Gawain’s morals, including the Green Knight, the seductress, andRead MoreAnalysis of Sir Gawain and the Green K night866 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† is the classic tale of a knight of the round table who takes up the challenge of the mysterious Green Knight. The poem begins with the Green Knight’s sudden arrival and his declaration of his proposition: a knight may strike him, and then a year and one day from then he will return the blow. This tale is most well-known for dealing with the themes of a knight’s code of chivalry, loyalty, resisting temptation, and keeping one’s word. While the whole poem is full ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1374 Words   |  6 PagesThe language of symbols plays a major role in medieval poetry â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† is no exception. The use of symbolism gives a writer the ability to draw important connections between items in their story and the audience. The poet behind â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† gives the reader a detailed description of the pentagram, his most important symbol, in order to form the key understanding of this poem. The narrator compares knightly ideals such as integrity, focus, and strength