"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses two main themes of this Arthurian romance literary piece. It discusses the symbol of the axe which is present from the opening scene and represents impending death. The paper also highlights the theme of temptation portrayed by the color red. The author of the paper offers quotes from the text to qualify points made.

From the Paper:

"Sir Gawain gains confidence from the gift and heads gloriously to meet the Knight of the Green Chapel. The author reinforces the color imagery of Sir Gawain's attire, "That girdle of green so goodly to see, /That against the gay red showed gorgeous bright. /Yet he wore not for its wealth that wondrous girdle,/Nor pride in its pendants, though polished they were,/Though glittering gold gleamed at the tips,/But to keep himself safe when consent he must/To endure a deadly dint, and all defense denied" (lines 2035-41). The contrast between red and green shows the moral dilemma the audience knows Sir Gawain faces. He has accepted the gift of a lady who was not his wife, and he is basically attempting to cheat death and the fate he deserves upon meeting the Green Knight. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hoffman, Elizabeth A. "A Re-hearing of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Washington University: Essays in Medieval Studies. Accessed 4/5/06 from www.luc.edu/publications/medieval/vol2/2ch5.html
• Lawall, Sarah. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1999. Pages 1458-1512.
• Walls, Kathryn. "The Axe in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." ANQ, Winter 2003, Issue 1. Accessed 4/9/06 from www.highbeam.com

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