Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Source, Structure and Themes: Source: British Library MS.

Cotton Nero A.x (unique), here it is the !ast o" "our a!!iterati#e $oems ritten in %est Mid!ands dia!ect (&ear!, &acience '(onah), C!eanesse '*a!!s o" Luci"er + Adam, *!ood, Abraham and Sarah, Lot + his "ami!y, destruction o" Sodom and -omorrah, Nebuchadne..ar/s $ro"anation o" the #esse!s + $unishment, Be!sha..ar/s "east + doom, 0anie! on Nebuchadne..ar/s con#ersion, conc!udin1 $eroration), and Sir -a ain and the -reen 2ni1ht). A!! "our $oems em$hasi.e mora! issues, ex$ressin1 s$iritua! #a!ues in court!y and chi#a!ric terms, es$ecia!!y those unique to its !oca! dia!ect. 3Sir -a ain3 a!so dra s u$on a %e!sh4Ce!tic narrati#e tradition o" romances about -a ain as the best o" Arthur/s 5ni1hts, a tradition o!der than that o" Lance!ot, ho as a *rench 3im$ort3 into the Arthurian tradition and su$$!anted -a ain as the "a#ored 5ni1ht. -a ain ta!es ty$ica!!y in#o!#e cha!!en1es to the Arthurian court by out!andish ma!es "rom the i!ds o" north est 6n1!and, or "abu!ous!y u1!y "ema!es "rom the same re1ion. 7n se#era! o" these ta!es, -a ain under1oes a 3bed test3 ith the host/s i"e and4or dau1hter, and in some he a!so must $!ay a 3beheadin1 1ame3 ith his host. The &ear!8&oet/s ada$tation o" this ta!e ty$e, !i5e Chaucer/s, has much to teach us about Medie#a! $oets/ creati#ity and ima1ination. %hereas Chaucer diminished and radica!!y resha$ed -a ain9s ro!e to ser#e the character o" the ta!e/s te!!er, the %i"e o" Bath, the &ear!8&oet thorou1h!y enhanced the de#e!o$ment o" e#ery one o" the characters and 1a#e the resu!tin1 ta!e a "orma! sha$e, both in its indi#idua! stan.as and in its o#era!! structure, that ma5es it stand on its o n as one o" the outstandin1 or5s o" Midd!e 6n1!ish !iterature. -enre and &!ot: %hi!e 1enerica!!y identi"iab!e as an Arthurian romance o" the 3-a ain3 1rou$, it shares characteristics ith the Breton !ais ("aerie #s. court con"!ict, stan.aic structure, narrator9s re"erence to audience and characters su11esti#e o" !i#e $er"ormance, em$hasis on 3mixed3 dramatic tone). 7t a!so resemb!es the dramatic structure o" a mora! "ab!e hose outcome is intended to carry a didactic !esson. The $!ot s$!its natura!!y into "our $arts, not quite coincident ith the "yts or stan.a 1rou$s into hich it is di#ided. *irst, the -reen 2ni1ht !ays do n his Ne :ear9s cha!!en1e to Arthur9s court and -a ain acce$ts it. Second, a year !ater, -a ain 1oes to see5 the -reen 2ni1ht. Third, -a ain "inds e!come re"u1e in a cast!e set in a i!derness, and acce$ts the hos$ita!ity o" his host and host9s i"e, ho test his chastity and !oya!ty. *ourth, -a ain "aces the -ree5 2ni1ht9s dead!y cha!!en1e, recei#es a sur$risin1 re#e!ation, and returns to court ith his ta!e. ;#era!! Structure: <=>? !ines arran1ed in stan.as o" #aryin1 !en1ths. 7n a!! modern editions, the stan.as are di#ided into "our $arts o" 3"yts,3 corres$ondin1 to !ines @, AB@, @@<C,

@BBD o" the manuscri$t, because those !ines be1in ith the !ar1est and most ornate ca$ita!s used in the text. (The authority o" this di#ision scheme has been attac5ed and the reader is encoura1ed to ex$eriment ith a!ternati#esE"or re"erence, other ca$ita!s occur at !ines CB@, F=>, @A<@, @DB>, and <<=B.) Accordin1 to this "our8$art di#ision, the "yts contain #aryin1 numbers o" stan.as and !ines corres$ondin1 to a rou1h risin1 and "a!!in1 dramatic structure hich $ea5s in *yt >9s $aired seduction and hunt scenes (<@4AB?, <A4C>=, >A4DF<, and <<4=>B). The !ast t o !ines o" the $oem9s basic stan.a (<=<A and <=<=) re$eat ith #ariation t o !ines "rom the "irst stan.a (@> and @), and most si1ni"icant!y, the !ast and "irst !ines are the same, as are the !ast and "irst !ines o" &ear!. Beneath !ine <=>?, a hand other than the scribe9s has added, in b!ue in5, 3G;N: S;7T HI7 MAL : &6NC6,3 the motto o" the 2ni1hts o" the -arter ("ounded by 6d ard 777, c. @>AD). 'A"ter the 5in19s mistress !ost her 1arter on the dance "!oor, the 5in1 is said to ha#e de"use the $otentia!!y embarrassin1 situation ith the 1a!!ant and interestin1 assertion 3Shame be to him ho e#i! thin5s.3) Scho!ars doubt the $oet intended the association, but it may re$resent a reader9s inter$reti#e res$onse to the $oem (i.e., this is a situation in hich there is no inherent!y shame"u! thin1, but inter$retations o" it may brin1 shame to the inter$reters). 3Bob8and8%hee!3 Stan.aic Structure: the base stan.a contains a #aryin1 number o" unrhymed, "our8stress a!!iterati#e !ines !in5ed by a one8 or t o8stress 3bob3 to a rhymin1 three8stress "our8!ine 3 hee!.3 The bob8and8 hee! rhyme scheme is a-ba-b-a. ;"ten, the bob8and8 hee! turns to comment u$on the action o" the base stan.a, and at times the bob contains 5ey thematic #a!ue ords. MaJor Thematic 7ssues: -i"t -i#in1 and C!osure 88 medie#a! cu!ture is !ar1e!y $re8monetary, in that it o$erates by exchan1es o" !abor, ser#ices, a1ricu!tura! $roducts, and !uxury 1i"ts more than by exchan1es o" money. Cash is "or e#enin1 out the di""erence in the exchan1es o" traders, and on!y 1radua!!y does cash, itse!", become a $rimary e!ement in the dai!y !i"e o" a#era1e $eo$!e (and main!y a"ter the Ne %or!d/s Amerindian em$ires are $!undered "or their 1o!d and si!#er). The ru!es "or 1i"t8 1i#in1 ha#e been ana!y.ed by anthro$o!o1ists, and 1i"t81i#in1 1ames such as those $!ayed in this $oem im$ose #ery interestin1 constraints on the beha#ior o" com$etitors. The $oem obser#es the $!ay and 3scores3 it as a means o" creatin1 and reso!#in1 $!ot tensions. -reen #s. -o!dEthe natura! or!d, re$resented by the 3a1h!ich mayster3 ho is 3ouera! en5er 1rene,3 cha!!en1es Arthur9s 1o!den court in se#era! ays: $o er, court!y so$histication, isdom, coura1e, and. abo#e a!!, inte1rity. Since he can a$$ear either as a mar#e!ous #e1etati#e symbo! or the mar#e!ous!y ener1etic and 1enerous host, Berti!a5, he sets u$ t o 5inds o" test "or -a ain as Arthur9s re$resentati#e. Can he act as he is said to be ab!e to actK Can he be 1enerous, bra#e, sensiti#e to court $rotoco!, attenti#e to "aith"u! to their re!i1ion, ith its su$ernatura! c!aimsK

Codes o" Chi#a!ric, Christian, and Court!y La!ues 88 in romance, the code o" 5ni1ht!y beha#ior tends to be the most $ri#i!e1ed set o" ru!es, sometimes risin1 abo#e erotic 3court!y3 !o#e, and e#en abo#e Christian conduct, in its im$ortance as a 1uide o" beha#ior and a measure o" character. -a ain/s identity incor$orates a!! three #a!ue systems as he is "irst 1uided by chi#a!ric standards in ans erin1 the -reen 2ni1ht/s cha!!en1e, then dressed in Christian #a!ues, most notab!y in his shie!d, and "ina!!y cast as the ex$ert in !o#e by the Gost/s Lady. Abidin1 by the court/s standards o" chi#a!ry (see abo#e, the 31o!d3 or!d/s test) can sha5e any character/s inte1rity, but $uttin1 on that shie!d adds an enormous burden to the $rota1onist/s duties as a Christian 5ni1ht. *or a c!assica! com$arison, consider the 7!iad/s Achi!!es, hose shie!d bears u$on it the entire or!d and a!! the si1ni"icant com$onents o" human socia! !i"e in a ne#er8endin1 circu!ar $attern. Cha!!en1in1 Ma!e4*ema!e and Anima!4Guman Binary ;$$ositions E hen the host9s i"e 3ca$tures3 -a ain three mornin1s in a ro , she re#erses the 1ender dynamics scri$ted "or both o" them in Arthurian romance. %hen -a ain $uts on her 31irde!3 (@D<B), he is cross8dressin1, a!beit secret!y (a not uncommon $ractice amon1 trans#estites in cu!tures hich re$ress the $ractice). The 5isses he trades ith the host are inter$retab!e as the norma! 3sa!ute3 1i#en by hosts and 1uests in most courts o" medie#a! 6uro$e, but since these are 5isses -a ain has 3 on3 "rom the host9s i"e, and they are 5isses he 1i#es the host in !ieu o" ex$!ainin1 "rom hom he had them, -a ain9s 1ender8ro!e becomes quite com$!ex. Note the -reen 2ni1ht9s ex$!anation that 3that ta$$e3 o" the ax on -a ain9s nec5 as his $ayment "or -a ain9s "ai!ure to re#ea! the 1ird!eEso the nec5 ound re ards the secret ado$tion o" a "ema!e si1ni"ier. %hy does the $oet construct the -reen 2ni1ht as such an outra1eous!y testosterone8rich "i1ure, es$ecia!!y in his ro!e as the hostK %hy is the !ady so a11ressi#e, and hy is -a ain so $assi#eK 0oes this ex$!ain -a ain9s sudden burst o" miso1yny u$on bein1 in"ormed o" the omen9s ro!e in his dece$tion (<A@@8<A<D)K -a ain9s host hunts three anima!s hose deaths and butchery are described in intimate detai!. A"ter the hunt, hich e "o!!o "rom the deer9s $ers$ecti#e, the deer9s body becomes reduced to ritua!!y named $arts in a ce!ebration o" morta!ity hich "eeds a!! manner o" s$ecies unti! the best cuts are $resented to -a ain as his 3$rys3 (@>FB). The $oet simi!ar!y 1i#es "u!! attention to the deaths o" the boar and "ox, and to their trans"ormation into inanimate but #a!uab!e body $arts, a!! o" hich "ind their ay to -a ain. %hat is the $oet9s attitude to ard these ceremonia! 5i!!in1sK Go does the re$eated butchery o" the anima!s re!ate to the scenes o" re"ined bedroom ord8$!ay ith hich they a!ternateK %hat 5ind o" anima! is a 3-a ain,3 and hat does the $oet ex$ect us to "ee! because o" thatK Seasona! Chan1e and Seasona! Mene a!: -a ain as 3sacri"ice3Eboth Christian and $a1an ca!endars are 1o#erned by a cyc!e o" abundance and dearth, ritua! sacri"ice and rene a!. -a ain, !i5e the -reen 2ni1ht, ta5es $art in a b!ood8!ettin1 ceremony hich occurs at the turnin1

$oint o" the ne year. 7" e 5ee$ in mind that the Christian ca!endar traced the be1innin1 o" the year to the Mesurrection on 6aster Sunday, this ta!e9s Christian 3exterior3 (bui!t o" the symbo!s on -a ain9s shie!d and the routine obser#ance o" ritua!) may actua!!y contain a more $ro"ound Christian 3interior3 in hich -a ain becomes a 5ind o" Christ. 7" so, ho does this square ith the moti#atin1 $resence o" 3Mor1ne the 1oddes3 (<A=<)K %hy ou!d the court o" 2in1 Arthur need a Christ8"i1ureK %ou!d the $oet ex$ect his audience to reach this conc!usion easi!y, or is it somethin1 hidden "rom a!! but the ex$ert readerK %ou!d this ha#e anythin1 to do ith the ay e shou!d read &ear!, assumin1 as most scho!ars do that both $oems are by the same authorK (-a ain is the second 5ni1ht in Arthurian romance ho sees 3the b!ode b!en5 on the sna e3 '<>@=), the "irst, &erci#a!, sees it "a!! "rom the ho!y !ance in the -rai!9s $rocession and sudden!y rea!i.es the si1ni"icance o" the #esse!, his Lord9s sacri"ice, and his o n nai#ety.) Court Lau1hter and the 3-arter3 E hat are e to ma5e o" the court9s Jo#ia! res$onse to -a ain9s an1uished and an1ry con"ession o" his "au!tK 7s shame a!! a matter o" inter$retin1 the "acts ( hat one may 3$ence3) or are there some "acts hich, in and o" themse!#es, are shame"u!, requirin1 con"ession, contrition, $enance and "or1i#eness. 7" this or5s "or shame, can sin be hand!ed the same ay as shameK Go does the court9s !au1hter re!ate to the !au1hter o" the -reen 2ni1htK Many $eo$!e can !au1h at the same e#ent "or di""erin1 reasons E "or hat ran1e o" res$onse does the $oet $re$are you by the end o" the $oemK