Beowulf vs Sir Gawain and the Green Knight PDF

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Summary

comparison of those two texts...

Description

Time frame

Genre

“Beowulf”

“sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

Transmitted orally around 8th-century Written about 1000 A.D. Old English - 450 A.D. - 1100 A.D. (anonymous author)

Late 14th-century Middle English - 1100 A.D. - 1500 A.D. (anonymous author)

Epic poem: ~long narrative poem, ~written in elevated style, ~centering upon the epic hero on whose actions depends the future of the nation; ~contains battles, wars, ~supernatural beings, ~heroic code, ~God’s divine/supernatural machinery (God devine about hero’s life, fate=wyrd)

Medieval chivalric romance - a genre of narrative poetry; a narrative work popular in the late middle ages which presented adventures of a single knight who goes on a quest a long journey (to test his knighthood) which includes many supernatural events and characters, a quest often undertaken in order to gain lady’s favour. These narratives also describe chivalric code and courtly culture.

Characteristics of epic poem: - a hero of noble birth or high position; - hero’s character traits reflects important ideas of his society; - the action of the hero determines the fate of the nation; - the poem treats universal themes, such as good and evil or life and death; - the setting is large. It covers many nations, or the known world.

QUEST - difficult journey to achieve a goal by knight Courtly culture - is a concept of love in medieval romances. The knight is a servant of his lady and he defends her honor.

- the action is made of deeds of great valour or requiring superhuman courage.

Is it really this genre

> third-person narration > the style is elevated. > there is a hero- Beowulf- who defends Geats from the dragon and then dies to save his people.

> third-person narration. > the style is elevated. > There is a knight - Sir Gawain who is being tested during his quest (not in the Green Chapel as he thought, but while visiting a castle -

he fails on the 3rd day) Style

Style: ~ALLITERATION - it is a repetition of stressed syllables, speech sounds in a sequence of nearby words; it is a principal organizing device of the verse used for stylistic effects ~KENNING - it is used instead of a person or object; it is a kind of periphrasis (ex. treasure-giver) ~VARIATION - poetic device; different phrases are used to describe a person or object, and each new phrase introduces a new idea, it is feature of oral poetry; they are used for emphasize a differences.

Setting (place)

Denmark and Geatland (a region in what is now southern Sweden)

Camelot (a castle and court associated with King Arthur); the wilderness; Bertilak’s castle; the Green Chapel

Themes

-The importance of establishing identity; -tensions between the heroic code and other value systems; -the difference between a good warrior and a good king

-The nature of chivalry; -the letter of the law - the importance of striving for knightly ideals while also keeping in mind that being human means being capable of failure - the difference between the chivalric code in Camelot and in the Green Chapel

Systems of values

Heroic code - a system of values followed in Germanic society, which values strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors; hospitality , generosity, and political skill in kings; ceremoniousness in women; and good reputation in all people, described in Old English Poetry. ~rules for heros, ~the system of values, ~includes features of hero. Greatest shame - leaving your lord during the battle (like 12 warriors of Beowulf while defeating the dragon).

Chivalric code - a system of values followed by knights, described in Chivalric Romances: A Knight must be (chivalric virtues): brave, courteous  , pietous  , merciful, honourous, generous, honest, loyal. Using magic (girdle) is not permitted because it would be unfair during the battle. VIRTUES: ● ● ● ● ●

~friendship, ~generosity, ~chastity, ~courtesy, ~piety.

Gawain’s adherence to these virtues is tested throughout the poem, but the poem examines more than Gawain’s personal virtue; it asks whether heavenly virtue can operate in a fallen world. Features of hero

Features of king

Hero: ~courageous   (courage), ~strong   (strength), ~respected  , ~valiant  , ~fearless   (bravery) ~true to his values, ~noble origin, ~loyal   (like Wiglaf - he fights for Bewoulf, he remains loyal even after his lord’s death), ~his actions are important to survive. ~ armor (reputation, heritage) King: ~generous (the way to buy the warriors loyalty), ~helpful, ~respected, ~wise, ~valiant ~watchful for new dangers ~aware of death (it’s inevitable)

Knight: ~ generosity ~ bravery, ~ honour, ~ courtesy, ~ friendship ~ chastity ~ piety (religiousness)

~ armor (knightly chivalry)

Warlord - a warrior and a king Motifs

Supernatural beings/characters Grendel and his Mother, a dragon. >Monster - referred to birth defects, sign from God (bad things to come) >Symbolic or allegorical meaning: ~Grendel - the biblical figure, Cain (who slew his own brother) ~dragon - an external malice that must be conquered to prove a hero’s goodness; death

Supernatural characters - The Green Knight Supernatural aspects: ~a Girdle which protects it's owner from every lethal blow, ~The immortality of the Green Knight and his changeable form. Courtly love - concept of love in medieval chivalric romances; ~it includes a relationship between a knight and a noble lady who aseems the role of sovereign while the knight is her loyal servant who defends her honour; ~ideally this relationship is chaste (pure) Folk motifs - beheading game, exchange of winnings

Cultural aspects

TREASURE-GIVING - one of the two ceremonies that take place in the hall, the treasure-giver rewarded his thanes/retainers for good service; gifts symbolise further obligations to the lord (decorated weapons).

THE SEASON - the poet describes the changing of the seasons, the changing seasons correspond to Gawain’s changing psychological state, from cheerfulness (pleasant weather) to bleakness (the winter). But the five changing seasons also correspond to the five ages of man (birth/infancy, youth, adulthood, middle age, and old age/death).

CUP-BEARING - ceremony which took place in the hall, demonstrate the social hierarchy; a woman (mead-bearer, cup-bearer queen) passes mead cups first to the most noble warrior and then to the other members of the comitatus; drinking mead/beer/ale is a ritual that confirms sworn obligations uniting the comitatus.

GAMES: ~the Green Knight’s challenge (strike him with his own axe) - t rial on courage – failed or not, well, Sir Gawain acts like a normal human, flinches when the Green Knight is about to stroke him, ~the host’s later challenge (Exchange what they won between Bertilak and Sir Gawain (trial on generosity, failed – Sir Gawain hid the green girdle which Lady Bertilak gave him as a symbol of keeping

PEACE-WEAVER - royal daughter given in marriage in different nation to end the war (peace by giving birth).

him away from physical harm) ~the wordplay that takes place between Gawain and the lady are all presented as games; exchanging kisses (trial on courtesy and chastity – first ok, the second failed) >games = forms of social behavior, >tests = provide a measure of an individual’s worth.

Cultural Halls – were windowless, made of aspects wood – a formal place in which (buildings) people assembled before the king, a place of entertainment(feasts).

Courts - placed in castles made of stone. More civilised set of manners in case of behavior during feasts but also in the interpersonal relations.

Symbols

THE PENTANGLE - five-pointed star, symbol of truth; the star has five points that link and lock with each other, forming what is called the endless knot; The pentangle symbolizes the virtues to which Gawain aspires: ~to be faultless in his five senses; ~never to fail in his five fingers; ~to be faithful to the five wounds that Christ received on the cross; ~to be strengthened by the five joys that the Virgin Mary had in Jesus (the Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and Assumption); ~and to possess brotherly love, courtesy, piety, and chastity.

The name Beowulf consists of two words: ~beo ~ (bear - is known as a great protector in Norse mythology) ~ wulf ~ (wolf - is a good protector too but also is a symbol of speed and cunning). Heorot ("Hall of the Hart") ~ functions as a symbol of the achievements of the Scyldings, specifically Hrothgar, and their level of civilization

>The side of the shield facing Gawain contains an image of the Virgin Mary to make sure that Gawain never  loses heart. THE GREEN GIRDLE - symbol of imperfection; sign of sin and failure ~made out of green silk and embroidered with gold thread, ~the meaning of the host’s wife’s girdle changes over the course of the narrative, ~ host’s wife claims it possesses the

power to keep its wearer from harm (but in fact-it doesn’t) , ~Gawain curses the girdle as representing cowardice and an excessive love of mortal life (wears as a badge of his sinfulness,...