1. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

2. Not the latest blockbuster  Combines the elements of traditional Middle English literature with colorful, descriptive language, a compelling plot, and violence enough to please even a modern audience of teens reared on Avatar and The Avengers.

3. Themes  Pride  Bravery  Honor  Humility

4. Focus on archetypes  What is an archetype?  The hero  The trickster  The temptress  The journey or quest  The temptation or test.

5. List of characters  King Arthur: young and beardless; knows nothing of fear; stresses entertainment before food; holds an opulent court in which excess seems to be common and the knights have no need to fight for territory or defense

6. Characters…cont.  Sir Gawain: humble, thoughtful, and courageous; gallantly volunteers to take the challenge of the Green Knight in Arthur’s place

7. Characters…cont.  Green Knight: huge, square, thick, and, at the same time, graceful; a big, green mystical knight on a big, green mystical horse; revealed to be Bercilak in disguise (Gawain’s host) doing Morgana Le Fay’s bidding

8. Characters…cont.  Bercilak (the Lord of the House): Gawain’s accommodating and cheerful host at the castle before he meets the Green Knight at the Chapel; tall and strong with a beard the color of a beaver and a fiery red face

9. Characters…cont.  Bercilak’s Wife (the Lady of the House): stunningly beautiful, smart, and demure; tempts Gawain three times to kiss her and to seduce her while her husband is otherwise occupied; presents Gawain with the green silk girdle he believes will save his life

10. Characters…cont.  Morgana Le Fay: Arthur’s half sister and Gawain’s aunt; concocts the challenge in hopes of scaring Queen Guinevere to death and bringing shame on Camelot; may be the old woman who accompanies Bercilak’s wife

11. The Author  The author of the poem is known only as “The Pearl Poet.”  Written in northwestern England around 1370  The language and topics indicate that the author was most likely familiar with French, Latin, the aristocracy, and the medieval romance genre.

12. Medieval Romance Characteristics  embody the ideals of chivalry  set in a remote time or place  emphasize rank and social distinctions  convey sense of supernatural  hero engaged in pure adventure  include love-courtly love  feature spontaneous fighting

13. Stages of a Medieval Romance 1.Undertaking of a dangerous quest 2.Facing a test of honor or courage 3.A return to the point from which the quest began

14. Poetic Devices  Heavy a-llllllllllll-iteration  Bob and Wheel verse: each section ends with a short line called a bob, followed by the wheel, which are longer lines that rhyme.

15. Theme Topics  Tests of character  The power of nature to revive or destroy man  Games to prove worthiness  Male/female opposition

16. Sir Gawain  Sir Gawain is a Knight of the Round Table in the legends of King Arthur.  He is depicted as both a ruthless warrior and a noble and courageous man.  As a knight, Sir Gawain would have had to uphold the code of chivalry.

17. Code for Knights  Sir Gawain would have been expected to adhere to physical and nonphysical ideals.  Physical ideals for knights: - strength - skill at arms - horsemanship  Nonphysical ideals for knights: - courage - humility - courtesy - loyalty

18. Theories on the Meaning of the Color Green  fertility and rebirth  love  the devil or evil (from early English folklore)  death All are seen in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which could suggest a focus on the cycle of life or the transitions from good to evil. Why not money??

19. The Quest  Caerleon (Geoffrey of Monmouth thought this to be the basis for Camelot)  Anglesey Islands (mentioned in line 698) Holywell (line 700)  Wirral (lines 700-701)  Other locations: the River Dee, River Mersey, Peak District, Roaches, and Lud’s Church in Staffordshire (thought to be the location of the Green Knight’s Chapel)

20. Pride vs. Humility  Proverbs 16:18 from the Bible: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”  What does this mean?  http://www. aesopfables.com/cgi/ aesop1.cgi?2&TheFi ght ingCocksandtheEagl e.

21. Discussion  What is pride?  What is the difference between pride and humility?  When is pride an appropriate human feeling and when is it excessive or misguided?  When people fall from excessive pride, how might they redeem themselves or regain what they have lost?