A Close Reading Of The Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

A close reading of the Sir Gawain and the Green Knight reveals a very antifeminist view. The poem, told in four parts, tells of common medieval folklore. The stories seem to be of different plotlines, but start to intersect in interesting ways – that is, the character of Morgan Le Fay begins to frame the stories together. The half-sister of King Arthur, she holds intense hatred for her half-brother and his court. It is her thirst for the downfall of Camelot that makes this character infamous, and, surprisingly, her success and the strength of her ability that give a bad name to women. Through the examination of Morgan Le Fay’s character, it is clear that a successful woman is always an illusion. The text blames women for the downfall of men, of society, of common order. It paints the picture that women are manipulative and that this is how they succeed. This idea first begins with Morgan Le Fay’s appearance early on, where she is not named. Instead, she is described as an ugly old woman and cast aside until her true power is spoken of almost two thousand lines later. The effect of this mysterious but harmless introduction, as well as her absence throughout most of the story, leads to her impression as a manipulative character. It says that the most dangerous women are those who one would least expect, and that they are always there, always watching, lying undetected and creating mischief. Later in the story, right before Morgan Le Fay is introduced by name, is a shortShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain and the Green Knight, and One Thousand and One Nights1097 Words   |  4 Pageswork. â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† and â€Å"One Thousand and One Night† both are marvelous works. The similarities between these Arabian tales and Sir Gawain and the Green night are very striking. The scholar Edward L. Risden in his analysis of â€Å"One Thousand and One Nights,† mentioned â€Å"Sir Gawain and Green Knight† and some of the main subjects of both of these tales. After reading Norton’s â€Å"Sir Gawain and Green Knight† and Geraldine Mccaughrean’s â€Å"Arabian Nights,† I intend to show that â€Å"Sir GawainRead More Gawains Encounter with the Green Knight in the Green Chapel1577 Words   |  7 PagesGawains Encounter with the Green Knight in the Green Chapel Even though little is known about the author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it is considered to be one of the greatest romances of all time. The poem tells the story of one of Arthurs noblest and most courageous knights, Sir Gawain, who is in search of the Green Chapel: Sir Gawain ingeniously combines two plots, common in folklore and romance, although not found together elsewhere: the beheading contest, in which two partiesRead More Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay1991 Words   |  8 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight - Character Analysis of Sir Gawain The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell is a medieval romance poem written by an anonymous author. Sir Gawain is one of the major characters in the poem. He is a very likable personality. Sir Gawain represents an ideal knight of the fourteenth century. Throughout the story, we see Sir Gawain portrayed as a very courteous and noble knight, always trying to help King Arthur. The characteristics of Sir Gawain like kindness, generosityRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1898 Words   |  8 PagesAfter reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain’s identity is left undecided. At the conclusion of the narrative, the Green Knight restores Gawain’s knightly virtues of the pentangle and continues to praise Gawain for his virtue. But Gawain returns home unsatisfied with his restoration only to find his court full of admiration for his return home and victory, even though he now wears the green lace (4.2489-505). The physical journey Gawain to the Green Knight demonstrates his outward courageRead MoreLiterature Reflecting Religious and Political Ideals3433 Words   |  14 PagesChristian knight and holy warrior by the time the story was written down in the 9th Century. His mission is also Christ-like in that he sacrifices his life to defend the people against Grendel and his mother the Dragon or Devil. The Green Knight is a story from the High Middle Ages (1000-1300 AD), which is commonly thought of as an age of chivalry and knights in shining armor. In popular culture, this remains the most popular and persistent image of medieval culture and society. Sir Gawain was theRead MoreFemale Characters Of The Middle Ages3293 Words   |  14 Pagesliterature and poetry depict women as powerful figures, ultimately powering over men in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and killing the enemy in the Book of Judith. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Morgan le Fay and Lady Bertilak are the most important female characters. King Art hur s sister, Morgan le Fay, played an important role in arranging the entire game between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Sir Gawain is mesmerized with Morgan le Fay s beauty- the fair hues of her flesh, her face andRead MoreBook Report/Character Analysis on the Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck5483 Words   |  22 Pages------------------------------------------------- The Acts of King Arthur and His ------------------------------------------------- Noble Knights ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- By John Steinbeck ------------------------------------------------- Part One: Plot The first section of the book is entitled Merlin. The story begins by telling how Arthur came to be born and then flows intoRead MoreFamous Author in Britain, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was Actually Born in South Africa1900 Words   |  8 Pagesnot only inspired all of England, but he also inspired much of the world by the way that he wrote his stories. J.R.R. Tolkien was a great writer throughout his lifetime because he had many influences when he was growing up and in his youth, from reading different books by different authors, and after writing his stories, influenced many younger authors and other people by the way he wrote. Growing up, J.R.R. Tolkien had lived a rough life and had some influences, which helped him become the writerRead MoreThe Metrics Of English Literature4721 Words   |  19 Pageshere to talk about history I would still be at home reading my textbooks. You see, though the English language is a daily functional tool, a form of communication, a medium between people. We as writers and readers can appreciate the world of English and the vividness that it provides through our aesthetic interpretation of the text. Fred: Though I am not much of a writer or a linguist, a quote from David Crystal presents a logical argument. â€Å"Reading a text is meeting of minds, and where minds areRead More C.S. Lewis on Misunderstanding Fantasy Essay4960 Words   |  20 PagesCriticism 53). These people are readers of the lowest class, continued Lewis. However, by this he does not mean socioeconomic class, but rather a literary class based on how much the reader gains and how much he or she contributes to his or her reading. Reading takes the least out of this lowest class because it conforms to what they desire, despite it often being full of impossibilities. â€Å"They have no objection to monstrous psychology and preposterous coincidence. But they demand rigorously an observance