William Shakespeare s Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

There are many elements that are used to classify medieval literature. Beside the obvious association to the medieval time period, the writings contain unique aspects that create the iconic medieval tale. Characters within medieval romances are larger-than-life, courageous, and noble. The people of the Middle Ages openly received each of these traits, because of the importance they put on acts of nobility and chivalry. The themes of medieval stories were based on beliefs or ideas, expressed by the people of the time. Themes often involved the code of chivalry, which emphasized the importance of honor to the medieval people. The tale of â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† focuses primarily on beliefs of honor, bravery, and chivalry. The main character, Sir Gawain, embodies these qualities. His character is meant to be a model of chivalry. He emanates honor when he offers to fight the Green Knight for King Arthur. Medieval people would admire this courageous act. In his struggles to keep his promise Gawain demonstrates chivalry and loyalty until his honor is assessed, in the end, by the Green Knight’s schemes. This tale also includes a larger-than-life character who commands respect, the Green Knight. This superhuman being defies all laws of nature when his head is chopped off, yet he still remains alive and alert. These characters and their extraordinary actions provide perspective for the values and interests of medieval people. The institution of the feudal system hadShow MoreRelatedBritish Literature Essay: Macbeth vs. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight653 Words   |  3 Pagessurrounding history. Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in 1604; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in the 1300’s by an unknown author. The following essay is going to compare and contrast the two stories mentioned above based on historical setting, cultural context, literary styles, and the aesthetic principles of the period in which they were written. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight were written in the late 14th century (1300’s) in Northwestern England. During this time, KingRead MoreThe Changing Face of Love in English Literature1528 Words   |  7 Pagesmedieval works to compare the theme of love within these works and the overwhelming consensus of the two works was that love is a danger and a distraction. I first examined â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†. The lady who seduces Sir Gawain and gives him the green corset is only present to weaken and betray the knight. Sir Gawain expounds at the end of the tale that much like Adam, Samson and David, he too was misled by a woman. The poem â€Å"Lord Randall† held much the same view of love. The Lord is deceivedRead MoreInfluence Of Medieval Literature On Modern Films1169 Words   |  5 PagesDoes medieval romantic literature influence how modern films are made? Romantic literature started during the mid-12th Century (â€Å"Romance,† par.1). Mediev al romances are stories and plays in which kings, knights, and damsels in distress go on some sort of adventure (from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from Morte d’ Arthur). In addition, medieval romances consist of heroic figures showing acts of chivalry. As the years have passed, medieval romance has been portrayed in numerous screenings and productionsRead MoreThe History And Culture Of English Literature1979 Words   |  8 PagesCatholic belief during the Middle English Period which is evident in the literary works of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. A historically non-Christian era is the backdrop Pg 1 in Beowulf but is overshadowed by the poet’s Catholic faith. In Beowulf, the poets writing based on stories of supernatural characters are demystify in Biblical passages. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Grendel, and the many monsters are given a Biblical origin, the poet through the use of mysticismRead MoreThe Metrics Of English Literature4721 Words   |  19 Pagesthe societies that embody it. Fred: Both sides of the argument present unique perspectives that sometimes conflicting with other s ideas. Joseph, your favour for linguistics is indeed interesting and without a doubt analyses the English Language and its development. Moreover, Sylvia, your favour for the art of writing is refreshing. However, who is correct? Let s look back to the longest surviving poem in Old English, ‘Beowulf’. We know the minor details of context, no evidence of author, originsRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pagesnovel is sometimes used interchangeably with Bildungsroman, but its use is usually wider and less technical. The birth of the Bildungsroman is normally dated to the publication of Wilhelm Meister s Apprenticeship by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in 1795–96,[8] or, sometimes, to Christoph Martin Wieland s Geschichte des Agathon of 1767.[9] Although the Bildungsroman arose in Germany, it has had extensive influence first in Europe and later throughout the world. Thomas Carlyle translated Goethe’s novelRead MoreLiterary Group in British Poetry5631 Words   |  23 Pages1362 it replaced French and Latin in Parliament and courts of law. It was with the 14th century that major works of English literature began once again to appear; these include the so-called Pearl Poets Pearl, Patience, Cleanness, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Langlands political and religious allegory Piers Plowman; Gowers Confessio Amantis; and, of course, the works of Chaucer, the most highly regarded English poet of the Middle Ages, who was seen by his contemporaries as a successor to