搜索
TheNormanPeriod(1066-1350)SirGawainandtheGreenKnight•WhatarethefeaturesofChinesecultureatthattime?HistoricalBackground•1066:KingHarold---DukeWilliamofNormandy.HistoricalBackground•Thedevelopmentoffeudalism•Knight:itoriginallymeantnomorethanahouseholdservant,livinginthelord’shallandtoservehiminwar,andwhennecessary,tofightfortheking.Later,thegreatbaronsgavelandtoknightsonconditionthattheyshouldbereadytofightwhencalledupon.HistoricalBackground•Churches:politicalpower&religiousauthority•Conflicts:serfsandthepeasantsagainstfeudallords•Languages:Latin,FrenchandEnglishReligiousLiterature•Emphasis:themoralandspiritualresponsibilitiesoftheindividual•Themes:homileticparaphrasesoftheGospels;re-iterationoftheChristiandoctrineoftheterrorsoftheLastJudgement;lyricsfortheChristortheVirginMary.Romance•Definition:Ataleinverse,embodyingthelifeandadventuresofknights,reflectingthespiritofchivalry,i.e,thequalityandidealofknightconduct.•Contents:lovechivalryreligionReview:CharacteristicsoftheEpicPoem1.Anepicpoemisalong,highly-stylizednarrativepoem…2.thatrecountstheexploitsofitsmaincharacter–theepichero.3.Becausemostepicpoetryoriginatedassungorspokenverse,itisrigidlymeteredandrhymed.•Categories:ThematterofFrance:CharlemagnetheGreatandRoland,ChansondeRoland.ThematterofRome:AlexandertheGreatandthesiegeofTroy.ThematterofBritain:Arthurianlegends,SirGawain,Launcelot,Merlin,thequestfortheHolyGrail,thedeathofKingArthur.SirGawainandtheGreenKnightTasksforstudents•TellthestoryofSirGawainandtheGreenKnightinyourownwords.•Hints…•authorisanonymous•writtenc.1400inMiddleEnglish•Writteninlongalliterativelineswiththerhymeschemeofababa,in101stanzas•importantinliteraturebecauseitrepresentsallofthefollowingsignificantpoeticgenres:–Arthurianromancepoetry/courtlylovepoetry–medievalalliterativepoetry–epicpoetryMajorCharactersSirGawainThestory’sprotagonist.AloyalknighttoKingArthur,aswellashisnephew.GawaingoesonhisquesttomeettheGreenKnightinordertoupholdhisknightlyvalues.TheGreenKnightSirGawain’smainoppositioninthestory.Heisarichlydecoratedknight,whohasgreenskinandhair.KingArthurThekingofCamelot.UncleofSirGawain.ItisathiscelebrationfeastthattheGreenKnightchallengesthecourttoagame.BertilakdeHautdesertTheLordofthecastleatwhichGawainspendshistimebeforemeetingtheGreenKnight.Welearnhistrueidentityattheendofthestory.MinorCharacters•Bertilak’swife-DuringthecompetitionbetweenGawainandherhusband,shetestsGawain’sintegrityandhonestySettingsCamelotTheHolidaycelebrationstakeplaceatKingArthur’scastleinCamelot.ItisherethattheGreenKnightchallengesGawaintoexchangeblowswithhim.Bertilak’sHomeOnhisquesttomeettheGreenKnight,Gawainstayshereforashortperiodoftime.TheGreenChapelThesupposedhomeoftheGreenKnight.GawainissentheretokeephisendofthebargainwhichhemadewiththeGreenKnightatArthur’sholidaycelebrationayearprior.MajorConflict•Gawain’sstruggletodecidebetweenhisdutiesasaknightandtheworthofhisownlife.RisingAction•GawainacceptstheGreenKnight’schallengeandcutsoffhishead.TheGreenKnightsurvivestheblowandGawainisthenrequiredtomaintainhishalfofthechallenge.Climax•GawainmeetstheGreenKnightattheGreenChapel.Afterfakinghisfirsttwoswings,theGreenKnightnicksGawainonhisthirdswing,onlyslightlycuttinghisneck.FallingAction•TheGreenKnightexplainsthemysteriesofthestory,whichwewilllearnafterreading.Themes•Temptationandtesting•Huntingandseduction•Natureandchivalry•Games:beheadinggame•TimesandseasonsJourney=Quest•Inmedievalpoetry,theepichero’sjourneytobattle(likeAchilles’voyagetoTroyorBeowulf’stoDane-land)becomesaquest.•Aquestis“anadventurousexpeditioninsearchofsomethingspirituallyfulfillingorself-enhancing.”CharacteristicsofCourtlyBehavior--chivalry•“Chivalry”comesfromtheFrenchcheval,orhorse(n.b.Normaninfluenceinlanguage).•Onlythewealthiestpeopleinmedievalsocietycouldkeephorsesandaffordtousethemincombat.“Chivalry”becameassociated,therefore,withthequalitiesof“horsemen”,orknights.•relatedwords:cavalier(Fr.,L.),cavalry(fromL.caval),caballero(Sp.)•FaithinGod/Piety•LoyaltytotheKing•Bravery•Respectforwomen•Chastity(see“piety”and“respectforwomen”)SirGawainandtheGreenKnightasepicpoetryReview:CharacteristicsoftheEpicHero1.Heisamodeloffaith,loyalty,orbravery…2.whomakesalong,difficultjourney…3.todobattleonbehalfofanother…4.perhapsusinghisownsupernaturaltalents…5.againstanenemywhomayhimselfhaveorbeguardedbysupernaturalpowers.Symbolisms•Colorgreen:nature,fertility,rebirthInmedievalsymbology,redsignifieshumilityasthebloodofChrist•Girdle:sexualtrophy•ToLadyBertilak:atooltoprotectGawain.•ToGawain:atokenofshame•Pentangle:Gawainperfectionandpoweroverevil.•Thepoemdescribesthepentangleasasymboloffaithfulnessandanendlessknot.•Gawainwassaidtopossessfivequalities–oneforeachofthepentangle’spoints–whereinhefarexcelledallotherknights.•Thefirstofthese“FiveFifths”washisfaultlessnessinhisfivesenses.1Thenext(second)ofthese“FiveFifths”washisfaultlessnessinhisfivefingers.2•Thenext(third)ofthese“FiveFifths”wasthestrengthGawaindrewfromhisdevotiontothe“fivewoundsofChrist.”•Thewoundsinthehands.•Thewoundsinthefeet.•ThewoundinthesideofCh