Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Literary Analysis

Account of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’s Literary Qualities

The narrative of Gawain has a dark tone that is only briefly referenced. The story is centred upon the trials of Gawain but the entire plot is drawn out from this tone: Morgana’s hatred of Camelot. She takes on the role of puppet master, though her presence in Bertilack’s castle as the old crone is only revealed along with the explanation of the games and the unravelling of the plot. I felt that her role presented an opportunity to develop not only an understanding of her motivations, but more importantly to mirror the Gawain text’s allusions to the fall of man by presenting Morgana as a medieval terrorist and bitter temptress: Morgana believed that because of their games, their
Perhaps the girdle is laced with medicating balm! I referenced the three animals (deer, boar, and fox) as a means of representing the reversals in my plot: the child is fearless (unnatural); the Green Knight transforms back into Bertilack; revealing Morgana’s true nature. Like the game set between Bertilack and Gawain to share the day’s spoils, my response is a game, but one built upon Morgana’s lies and deceit (ironically proving the Gawain text’s allusions that women are the cause for the fall of man). Finally I felt it important to provide an explanation as to the origin of the girdle and at the same time to give a reason as to why, in one year’s time, Bertilack’s wife may be toying with Gawain. Morgana’s instruction that Bertilack shares only two kisses with his wife sets up a deeper thread in the bedroom / courtship scenes of Gawain – the wife is no longer playing, but desperate for companionship, lustful even; an allusion again to the temptress-nature of women that is brought full circle by Morgana forcing Bertilack to eat the apple from the tree. The romance of Gawain exists as a quest, but through my response I am subverting the genre. Bertilack is a Lord and therefore superior to other men, but as Morgana proves, he isn’t superior to his environment. Therefore my response falls in the mode of high mimetic. Northrop Frye states that “romance divides into two main forms: a secular form dealing with chivalry and knighterrantry, and a religious form devoted to legends of saints.4” I see the Gawain romance as treading both paths. Its focus is on knight-errantry but at its heart is a call of faith. While my response covers similar ground, much of the conflict regards the faith argument and I use it not only to highlight Morgana’s standpoint