Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Flashcards
What type of verse and style is the poem part of what?
Verse form
A metrical romance (french influence)
Part of alliterative revival
Who is the author describe what we know about him
Unknown
Assume he was a cleric wrote other religious poems
What does the poem show in regards to it being part of alliterative revival
Shows a renewed interest in alliterative verse of the old english period
How is this poem written
Unique stanza called bob and wheel
What is the bob and wheel stanza
Combines alliteration and rhyme Verse paragraph of long alliterative lines Concluded by a two syllable line Followed by a quatrain Last five lines rhyme ababa
How many traditional plots are intertwined
3
The beheading contest
Temptation
Exchange game
What are the be heading and temptation found in
What is the purpose of all three
Beheading and temptation are ancient Celtic themes
Overall purpose is to test the worth of the Christian knight
Give an overview on poem
Viewpoint
Comical and satirical
Christian viewpoint
It is the product of how many institutions
Feudalism
Courtly love
The medieval church
Golden age of chivalry
exemplifies physical and nonphysical ideas of knighthood
Feudalism
Name the physical ideals of knighthood
Strength
Skill at arms
Horsemanship
What are the non physical ideals of knighthood
Courage
Humility
Courtesy
Loyalty
What does Gawain represent
The human possible
Cult of Mary, which elevated women
Love was to be worshipped from afar as an ideal
Courtly love
Behavior of court and temptation scenes reflect
Courtly love tradition
Only religious figure
Chaplain
What does the story undermine and offset
Undermines the system of courtly love
Offset the immortality of the courtly love tradition
Green chapel
Where knight lives
Evidence of catholic/ Christianity
Catholic holidays
Lent St. John's Day Prays to Mary Mass Pentangle- rosary
Exchange game
Between lord and Gawain
Two women
Beautiful vs ugly
Supernatural
Green knight head cut off still lives and puts back on
Gawain prays and castle appears
Motifs and symbols
Christmas/ new year
Testing
Mary
Pen tangle
Rebirth new beginning
Ties with concept of a year and a day
Christmas/ New Year
King Arthur’s court tested by other world
Beheading test
Hunting test
Temptation test
Testing
Religious figure
Christian symbol of chastity and honor
Mary
Endless knot
Sign of Solomon
Five sorrows of cross/ wound of Christ
Pentangle
Five joys of Mary, five knightly virtues
Benefice Brotherly love Pure mind Pure manners Compassion
Animals hunted and what symbolize
Deer Boar Fox Symbolize lady's approaches to Gawain First meek, then bearish, then sly
What number is significant give examples
3 3 temptations 3 animals hunted 3 kisses 3 signs of cross
Gawains secret and lie he denied ring offered previously
Girdle
Catholic influence
Each day began with mass
Green knight swings his axe how many times at Gawain
Three
Third time Knicks him
What does the green knight do
After he swings three times
Absolves him and says
I hold you polished as a pearl
Why does Gawain keep the girdle
To lower his pride and remind himself of sin
Who is
The green knight
Bertilak de hautdesert
Who is Morgan le faye
King Arthur’s half sister and merlins mistress
Old withered crone at castle
What was the purpose of the whole sha bam
To test the pride of Arthur’s Knights of the round table
Example of honor
Sir Gawain keeps his word and goes on quest to find green knight
Example of bravery
Sir Gawain accepts the challenge of the green knight and is alone in the woods in the winter
Example of courtesy
King Arthur will not eat until all his guests are served
Example of humility
Gawain says he is loneliest of all Knights
Example of loyalty
Gawain is loyal to his king and keeps his word
Loyal to Mary and God by keeping from sinning
