Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Brief Background
The author of Sir Gawain and the
Green knight poem is unknown but referred to as the ‘Gawain poet’. The poem
survives in a single manuscript, the Cotton Nero A.x., which also
includes three religious narrative
poems: Pearl, Purity and Patience. The poem is considered
very famous in the Middle English literature.
Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight belongs to a literary genre known as romance. Most people will
assume that the word “romance” refer to a love story and implies an expression
of one's strong romantic love, or one's deep and strong emotional desires to
connect with another person intimately or romantically between woman
and man. Originally, the term “romance” the term was developed in 12th
century France and known as medieval romance. Basically it’s about implanted in
literature and life, of adventurous and honourable deeds and deeds of war and
the defending of ladies.
In this case the story of Sir Gawain
and the Green Knight is a tale of adventure involving knights on a quest. In my
opinion the romance of sir Gawain is where we can see that he devoted his
loyalty to his king and go for his quest to honour his words to prove that he
is one the great knights of King Arthur.
Summary
The story begins when a mysterious
Green night suddenly entered the castle during a glorious feast on New Year's
Day where King Arthur and his court gathered at Camelot among the Knights of
the Round Table. The Green Knight wanted to challenge the knights in the castle
to his game because he heard that King Arthur had the best and bravest knights
in the world. Here where sir Gawain interfere which sets off a chain of events
in which Gawain faces trials and temptations after he accepted the Green
Knights challenge.
When Sir Gawain lost the challenge
and have to receive the outcome that he need to fulfil his promise to the green
knight. After a year, sir Gawain went for his quest to meet the Green Knight
and along the way he found a castle master Lord Bertilak and his Lady. Gawain
and Bartilak set a bargain in letting Gawain staying in his castle. Gawain
agree and give his words to the host that he shall give everything that he
received in the castle in return and the king also will give him everything
that he earned at the end of the day. This where the temptation, loyal and his
honour were tested.
Personal reflections
The interesting about this poem for
me is that we manage to figure out the types of person who wrote the poem by
the style of writing, the language or dialect that been use and the reference
chosen in the poem that shows the person that wrote it is not just ordinary or
common people but very educated and know what he or she try to convey in the
poem.
According to my understanding by
reading through the poem is actually about honour. I believe that the reason
that Gawain accepted the Green Knight challenge instead of king Arthur who
first wanted to take the challenge because he did not want the king to involve
in whatever the Green knight try to trick and he want to show that he is the
great knight of the king Arthur’s and prove that he willing to receive any
consequence if he loose the challenge. At the same time at that scene it shows
that how arrogant and confident Sir Gawain was thinking that he would be ahead
of the green knight game, refer to the line when he said “Let this little
fight be mine” and also” Leave this foolish affair to me.” At the
end of the story Gawain failed to prove that he is the Great knight of King Arthur
that people fuss about.
Sir Gawain was conflicted with
dilemma between the Lord Bartilak and to respect the wife to give his words not
to tell the husband about the green girdle which will save his life when he
meet the green knight. This refers when the Lady said "Wearing this
about your waist, you are protected and invulnerable. By might or cunning you
cannot be slain". So he broke his promise to the host and accepted the
gift from the wife. So I think that was very selfish sir Gawain was as he actually
afraid to face the green knight and needed that green girdle to save his life
instead gave it to Lord Bartilak for an exchange. "Though the hour of
his meeting with the Green Knight Loomed, he had made his peace and strangely,
felt at ease." This shows that after he receive the green
girdle he doesn’t feel bad about his action but actually relief and feel at
peace that he might actually be safe meeting with the Green Knight.
Moral of the story that the green
knight is just testing sir Gawain honour and want Gawain to prove and stay his
oath to be a great knight to Arthur and unfortunately he failed. Gawain do feel
bad about his action and ask for green knight to punish him but the Green
Knight let him off. By saying "Oh, despair not Gawain! No harm done.
You've confessed and paid your dues!" The green knight never had the
intention to hurt sir Gawain all he did just to test him all along. Now sir
Gawain realize his own faults and has to live with the fact that he will never
live up to his own high standards. "I kept the girdle out of cowardice
when I should have faces you free of fear". He actually brought back
the green girdle as a symbol of the shame that he has brought to himself.
by Nik Dian Amir (193039)
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