Medieval Academy of America Structure and Symmetry in Sir Gawain Author(s): Donald R. Howard Source: Speculum, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Jul., 1964), pp. 425-433 Published by: Medieval Academy of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2852497 . Accessed: 15/08/2013 14:16 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. . Medieval Academy of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Speculum. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: Donald r howard examines the structured elements in sir gawain and the green knight the poem uses symmetry and contrasts such as arming scenes journeys locations temptations and confessions to enhance its narrative key structural points gawain s arming and the shield s description gawain s journey to the castle and the castle s description castle scenes and three temptations gawain s confession after facing temptations this structure adds to the poem s irony and humor and explores the chivalry vs christianity conflict ornamented capitals in the manuscript align with major divisions while smaller capitals emphasize specific parts in summary howard s analysis highlights the poem s clever structure enhancing its themes and tone STRUCTURE AND SYMMETRY IN SIR GAWAIN By DONALD R. HOWARD No one who reads Sir Gawain and theGreenKnightfailsto noticeits elaborate, structure.Everywherein the poem is balance,contrast,and antithsymmetrical esis. Things are arrangedin pairs - thereare two New Year's days, two "beheading" scenes,two courts,two confessions;or in threes- threetemptations, threehunts,threekisses,threestrokesof the ax. These intricaciesare unobtrusively integratedwith events and themes; and perhaps just for that reason, criticshave taken note of themonlypiecemealand in passing,oftenwithreference to the poem's mythicor symboliccontent.lIn what followsI intendto examine the narrativeunits based upon structuralparallelsin Sir Gawain,and to suggestin what way theycoincidewiththe divisionsof the poemmarkedby the ornamentedand coloredcapitals of the manuscript.To do so, however,I shall have to turnfirstto the symbolismof the poem; forwhat I wishto argueis that its most protractedstructuralparallel depends upon the juxtapositionof two symbols,theshieldand thegirdle. Adi Ishaq: In this paragraph the author speaks about the importance of symmetry and structure through out the story. The author of the story uses the number 2 and 3 quite frequently. I. EveryonefromMary McCarthy to C. S. Lewis has expressedcaveats about is an easy game withno parliterarysymbolism,and it is true,symbol-hunting In the study of mediaeval literaturethereis the ticularcriteriaof corrigibility. added problemof a vast body of symbolismbased on the four-levelmethodof to have at least one mediaeval It is reassuring,therefore, interpreting Scripture.2 workin whichthe symbolsare identified as such by the author.No one has ever questionedthe factthat the pentangleshieldand the greengirdlein Sir Gawain and theGreenKnightare symbols.They are neither"Freudian" nor "patristic." Rather,the authortellsus in 11.619-665 what the pentanglemeans,and thereis precedentin mediaevallore forthat symbolicmeaning.Likewisewiththemagic girdle,whenGawain keeps it at the end of the poem he says in so many words thatit is to be a "syngneofmysurfet"to remindhimofthe "fautand pe fayntyse of Pe fleschecrabbed."3 Yet I thinkno one has examinedtheway in whichthesetwosymbolsare juxtaposed and paired,so that theirmeaning,to use NorthropFrye's language,comes 1 Morton W. Bloomfieldin "Sir Gawain and the GreenKnight:An Appraisal," (PMLA, LXXVI [1961], 17) has pointed to the need for detailed analysis of the poem's structure.Some pertinent commentsmay be foundin Charles Moorman,"Myth and Mediaeval Literature:Sir Gawain and theGreenKnight,"Mediaeval Studies,xvIII (1956), 164-169, and in Francis Berry, "Sir Gawayne and theGreneKnight,"in TheAge ofChaucer,ed. BorisFord (PelicanBooks A290, 1954), pp. 152-155. For furtherreferencessee the footnoteswhichfollow. 2 With respectto Sir Gawain,see Hans Schnyder,Sir Gawain and theGreenKnight:An Essay in Interpretation, Cooper Monographs,6 (Bern, 1961). While Schnydergrants(p. 74) that "the poem does not simplyconsistof a seriesof allegoricalsituationspedanticallyand painstakinglystrung together,"he treats dozens of reconditesymbols in the poem without ever acknowledgingthe humoroustone,and devotesa chapterto the temptationswithoutever mentioningthe girdle. 11. 2433-36. Referencesare to the editionof J. R. R. Tolkien and E. V. Gordon (Oxford,1930). 425 This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: The author speaks further about the story stating the symbols and speaking on them such as the pentangle 426 in Sir Gawain and Symmetry Structure about throughthecentripetalforceoftheirrelationshipwithinthe wholeliterary Gawain's journeyto theGreenChapel,we know,is made in twostages. structure.4 Hence thereare two descriptionsofthe armingofthe knight,one whenhe leaves Arthur'scourt(11.536-669), the otherwhenhe leaves Bercilak'scastle (11.2011to his 41). The earlierpassage beginswithGawain's statementofhis indifference destiny- "Quat schuldI wonde?/Ofdestinesderfand dere/ Whatmay mondo bot fonde?" (11.563-565); it ends with the descriptionof the shield. The later passage, however,ends with a descriptionnot of the shield but of the girdle, whichGawain wears "to save himself." Thus the girdle,withinthe symbolicstructureof the poem,becomesa substitute forthe shield.By shield I mean the shield itself,not its painted allegory. Criticsoftentreatthe shieldand its pentangledevice as a singleobject,whichof coursetheyare. Yet thesymbolismofshieldand girdleis symbolismofa different kindfromthatofthepentangle.The pentanglehas an assignedsymbolicvalue; it is put intothepoemin orderto standforan abstraction,likeSansfoyand Sansloy, or Sin and Death. It tells us that Gawain is the "pentagonalman," the ideal knight.5The shield and girdle,however,take theirsymbolicmeaningfromthe situation,the use theyare put to, the attitudesand emotionswhichpeople show towardsthem,and theirjuxtapositionone againstthe other.They remainjust as or much girdleand shieldas Desdemona's handkerchief remainsa handkerchief, Eve's apple an apple. While the pentangleis a painted sign-it appears on the knight'scote-armoras well as on his shield6- the shieldand girdleare real objects,and functionin the poem as living,articulatesymbols,dynamicallypaired. The pentangleshieldofcourseevokesthechivalricideal. As partoftheknight's that it has symbolicmeaning,fora knight'sgarments armor,it is not surprising and gear, like a priest'svestments,were oftengiven symbolicvalues.7Yet the descriptionof the armingof Sir Gawain gives no symbolicmeaningto anything butthe pentangle.All his articlesofclothingand armorare describedin themost and highly worldlyterms- theyare of costlysilk,of brightfur,of well-worked polishedsteeladornedwithgold.His helmet,thelast garmenthe puts on (kissing it as a priestmightkissthestole),has a silkcoverembroidered withthebest gems and encircledwithcostlydiamonds.His garmentsand armorare also useful4 See Anatomyof Criticism(Princeton,1957), pp. 82-94. That the shieldand girdlestand in relationto each otheris recognizedby RobertW. Ackerman,"Gawain's Shield: PenitentialDoctrinein Gawain and theGreenKnight,"Anglia, LXXVI (1958), 265, and by Richard H. Green, "Gawain's Shield and the Quest forPerfection,"ELH, xxix (1962), 137. 6 On the pentangle,see VincentF. Hopper, MedievalNumberSymbolism ..., Columbia University Studies in English and Comparative Literature,132 (New York, 1938), pp. 124-125, and medievale,II: L'epoque romane,Rijksuniversiteitte Gent, Edgar de Bruyne, Studes d'esthetique Werkenuitgegevendoor de Faculteit van de Wijsbegeerteen Letteren,98 (Bruges,1946), pp. 349350; also Green,pp. 129-135. On the shield,see Green,pp. 126-129 and Schnyder,pp. 53-54. 6 See line 637. 7 On the symbolismof the knight'sgarments,see Edgar Prestage,"The Chivalryof Portugal," in Chivalry:A Series of Studiesto IllustrateIts HistoricalSignificanceand CivilizingInfluence,ed. Edgar Prestage (New York, 1928), p. 145; A. T. Byles, "Medieval CourtesyBooks and the Prose Romances of Chivalry,"ibid., p. 192; Sidney Painter, FrenchChivalry:ChivalricIdeas and Practicesin MediaevalFrance (Baltimore,1940), pp. 83-84. This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: The two stages to the green chapel Adi Ishaq: dont understand Adi Ishaq: Girdle is supposed to protect same with the pentangle shield. They are swapped out, represent the same things Adi Ishaq: The shield evokes chivarly and stands for certain aspects of knighthood. Structureand Symmetryin Sir Gawain 427 theyare "alle pe godlychgerepat hymgaynschulde" (1. 584). The poet has concentratedall his powerson the lushdescriptionand saved thesymbolismofmoral values until the end, whereit is more pointed and dramatic.By arranginghis materialin thisway,he has underscoredan essentialfact:thata knight'svaloris dependenton worldlymeans. The practiceof chivalrypresentsthe knightwith the problemof usingthe world'sgoods forworldlyends and yet adoptingthose virtueswhichwillkeep himfromlovingthe worlditself. AfterhearingMass, Gawain puts on his helmetand takes up the shield (the manuscriptat this point makes a subdivisionwith a colored capital).8 On its insideis the image of the Blessed Virgin,whichwill remindGawain of her five joys and so renewhis courage.On its outsideis the pentangleor "endlessknot," Gawain's perfection in his fivesensesand his fivefingers, his faithin representing thefivewoundsof Christand thefivejoys oftheVirgin,and his possessionofthe fiveknightlyvirtues- franchise,fellowship, purity,courtesy,and pity.9(These virtues,as ProfessorEngelhardthas shown,10 correspondin a generalway to the chivalricvirtuesofpiety,valor,and courtesy,and so representhis religious,military,and courtlyobligations.)Hence the shield,withits images on eitherside, functionsin two ways - to the knightas a devotionalreminder,to the worldas an emblemof his innermoralperfection. It is at base a worldlyobject,a part of his warlikegear,designedat once to protecthis body and remindhim ofhis immortalsoul, so that it suggestsat once his knightlyvalor and his spiritualindifferenceto destiny.To the world,the shield shows what spiritualstrengthlies beneath Gawain's rich trappings;to Gawain, it shows what ultimatespiritual meaninglies beneaththeworld'sbrightlures.Yet it is to have thisdevotionaland spiritualmeaningpreciselyin thosemomentswhenhe is mosttheknight,whenhe is mostgivento worldlydeeds and mostreliantupon theshieldas a made object. It thuspointsto theproperattitudefora knight:to be indifferent to one's lifein theworldand yetpreserveit,to use theworldwelland yetlove it little.11 * * Adi Ishaq: Talks about the importance of 5 in the story with multiple examples. * Afterthe temptations,whenGawain is readyto leave the castleforthe Green Chapel,thepoet again describesthearmingoftheknight.This time,however,he says nothingabout the shield;instead,he ends by explainingwhyGawain wears the girdle: Bot werednotLisilkwy3eforweleLisgordel, Forprydeof]e pendaunte3, ]a3 polystPaywere, Andba3]e glyterande goldeglentvponende3, 8 See Tolkien and Gordon,p. viii. 9 Ackerman(Anglia, LXXVI,254-265) suggeststhat the referenceto the five wits would have called up fourteenth-century writingson auricularconfession,so that the passage is consistentwith the later themeof penitence. 10GeorgeJ. Engelhardt,"The Predicamentof Gawain," ModernLanguageQuarterly, xvi (1955), 218-225. n On the Christianand "otherworldly"aspects of the chivalriccode, see Painter,Chap. 3, and F. WarreCornish,Chivalry(London, 1908), pp. 218-219. See also HenryOsbornTaylor, The MediaevalMind: A HistoryoftheDevelopment of Thoughtand Emotionin theMiddleAges,2 vols. (London, 1930), I, 545-551. This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: The switch from the pentangle to the girdle. 428 and Symmetry Structure in Sir Gawain Bot forto sauenhymself, whensuffer hymbyhoued, To bydebale withoute dabateofbrondehymto were (11.2037-2042) oberknyffe. As the shieldis emblematicofGawain's knightlyvirtue,the girdleis emblematic ofhis fault.The wholemovementofthestoryhangsuponhisyieldingto temptation,acceptingthe girdle,and havinghis failingrevealedto him. In the end, Gawain himselfmakes the girdlea symbolofhis "surfet"and of the weaknessof theflesh.Now a girdlewas an ordinaryarticleofclothing,a belt or cincturefrom whichone hung objects like keys or a purse. Because of its function,it was a convenientsymbolforworldliness- the OxfordEnglish Dictionaryin fact reportssuch a metaphoricalusage in the fifteenth century.This girdle,however, has the added lureofbeingrichand finelywroughtin its own right:it is made of green silk, embroideredabout the edges, and hung with pendants of highly polishedgold.l2More than that,it has powersof its own - not merelyan emblematicmeaning,likethatoftheshield'sdevice,but remarkable"costespat knit ar perinne"(1. 1849),magicalpropertiesto save the wearerfrombeingslain. The authorcarefullyremindsus that Gawain acceptsthe girdleforthesepowers,not for its richness.He goes so far as to tell us what the knightthoughtbefore acceptingit: andhitcometo hishert, penkestbe kny3t, Hit werea juel forbe jopardebat hymiuggedwere, Whenhe acheuedto be chapelhischekforto fech; be sle3twere My3the hafslyppedto be vnslayn, noble. (11.1855-58) Adi Ishaq: Shield = Virtue, Girdle = Weakness. Story: Gawain yields to temptation with the girdle, exposing his frailty. He later sees it as a symbol of excess. The girdle is rich and magical; he accepts it for protection. And Gawain, when he proposesto wear it as a mementoof his failing,himself deniesany interestin eitherits worthor its beauty: 'Bot yourgordel'quo] Gawayn'God yowfor3elde! pat wylI weldewythgoodwylle,notforbe wynne golde, Ne be saynt,ne be sylk,ne be sydependaundes, Forwelene forworchyp, ne forbe wlonkwerkke3, Bot in syngne ofmysurfet I schalse hitofte, WhenI ridein renoun, remorde to myseluen ofbe flesche crabbed, pe fautand be fayntyse How tenderhitis to entysetechesoffyl]e... (11.2429-36) Gawain has taken the girdle,then,not to own it forits value or wear it forits beauty,but simplyto save his life.l3It is as worldlyan object, and used foras worldlyan end as the shield;but unlikethe shield,it is magical,it is used solely fora selfishreason,and its acceptancerequiresthathe act dishonorablyeitherto the lady or herhusbandifhe is to keep it. He is guiltynot because he desires"to sauen hymself,"but because in orderto do so he uses worldlymeans in thewrong way. 12See 11.1830-33, 2037-39, 2430-32. "The Two ConfessionScenes in Sir Gawain and the GreenKnight" (Modern Philology,LVII [1959],73-79) has pointedout that Gawain twiceconfessesto covetousness(11.237486, 2507-08) but his extravaganceis correctedand the sin specificallydenied (1. 2366-68, 2429-32). 13 JohnBurrow in This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: The girdle is used for a selfish reason, and requires that he act dishonorably. Structure and Symmetry in Sir Gawain 429 Even afterhe has taken the girdle,however,the knightcontinuesto profess submissionto God's will.Whentemptedby his guideto fleehe declares,"Ful wel con dry3tynschape / His seruaunte3forto saue" (11.2138-39), and again, "I wyl nau]er gretene grone;/ To Godde3 wylleI am fulbayn,/ And to hymI hafme tone" (11.2157-59). So, when he sees the Green Chapel, he says, "Let God worche!.. . My lifPa3 I forgoo,/ Drede dot3me no lote" (11. 208-11). In these utteranceswe mustnot thinkhimhypocritical.Whilehe has takenthe girdleand he has notdeserted,but compromised, presumablyheldsomehope forits efficacy, thechivalricideal and its religiousrequirements. He is, in fact,neverwhollysure of the girdle'spowers.At the firststrokeof the ax he flinches;and on the third stroke,whenhis neckis nicked,he boundsup and throwsintoplace - his shield. Gawain's indifference to "destinesderfand dere" is, we need to remember, the not of the cloisteredmonkbut of the active knight."What may self-abnegation mon do bot fonde?" (1. 565) he had asked - what can one do but try.He is admirablysuitedto put his destinyto the test: he is devotedto the articlesoffaith and has the virtuesappropriateto the ideal Christianknight.The problemis to maintainthefinebalance betweenthisreligiousethosand theunavoidablenecessityofusingworldlymeansto preservelifeand accomplishknightlydeeds.Hence he accepts the girdlenot forany active pridewhichrevoltsagainstGod, nor for avarice,norcovetousness,norforvainglory,but forinstinctiveself-preservation, thecentral,involuntaryworldlinessoffallenman, throughwhicheven the best is understandableweakness,however,leads himinto easilytempted.This perfectly - the breakingof his oath to the lord,the falseconfession, othertransgressions the last failureof courtesyto the GreenKnight. Once he has upset that finely to the world,those of the chivalricvirtueswhichgovern balanced indifference action in part unattainable.The poem suggestsin thisway how become worldly aims of the Christianlifeare the worldlyaims of chivalryand the other-worldly for fallen but, man, potentiallyincompatible. ideallyinterrelated, Adi Ishaq: In the narrative, Gawain clings steadfastly to his faith, yet succumbs to the allure of the girdle as a means of self-preservation, unwittingly paving the way for moral transgressions. This tale artfully navigates the delicate interplay between chivalrous virtues and the lofty ideals of Christianity. II. The poet suggestedthese distinctionsby treatingas symbolsarticleswhich werenaturallypart ofhis story.The girdleand shieldare juxtaposedas twokinds of worldliness:the girdlean illicitand self-centered means of holdingon to life; the shieldan allowable,self-abnegating use of the world'sgoods in the serviceof the highestChristianideals. These two symbols,paired so that theyreflectthe moralchoicewhichconfronts thehero,initiatetwosequenceswhichforma major structuralparallel in the poem. The main action, beginningwith Gawain's departurein the seconddivision,fallsintotwo stages- the eventsat the castle, and those at the Green Chapel.14The one comprisesSections II and III; the 14 Dale B. J. Randall in "A Note on Structurein Sir Gawain and the GreenKnight" (Modern LanguageNotes,LXXII [1957],161-163) pointsout also that the GreenKnight is the fiendishchallengerat the beginningand end, but the genial host in the middle.The threeparts correspondto thoseI have outlined- the "prologue,"and the two parts of the major action. Such a triplestructure was pointed out by Sylvan Barnet ("A Note on the Structureof Sir Gawain and theGreen Knight,"MLN, LXXI [1956],319), who remarkson its consistencywiththe patternhunt-temptationhunt,withthe threetemptations,threehunts,threestrokesof the ax, and so on. This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: Symbols (girdle vs. shield) contrast selfishness/selflessness. Story: castle events (II & III) and Green Chapel (IV). Parallels show Gawain's journey from temptation to redemption. 430 and Symmetry in Sir Gawain Structure other,Section IV. No one, I think,has noticed that these two sequences are matchedby an elaborateparallelism.The same kinds bf events,in exactlythe same order,occurin eitherpart,and theycenterupon the'threetemptationsin the firstsequenceand the threestrokesofthe ax in the second,witha confession followingin each. These parallel contrastsare used artisticallyto distinguish Gawain's temptationand fallfromhis punishmentand pardon.We shall see this bestifwe representthecontrastsin diagram: SectionsII-III SectionIV (1) Armingof the knight,and descrip- Armingof the knight,and description tion of the shield (11.536-669) of the girdle(11.1998-2041) (2) Journeyto the castle (11.670-762) Journeyto the GreenChapel (11.20692159) (3) Descriptionof the castle (11.763- Description of the Green Chapel (11. 2160-2211) 810) (4) Threetemptations(11.1126-1869) Three strokesof the ax (11.2212-2330) (5) Confessionto priest(11.1876-1884) Confessionto Green Knight (11.23782438) This structuraldesigncoincideswiththe fourmanuscriptdivisionsmarkedby ornamentedcapitals,the four"sections"of the poem observedin editions.Now the last threeof theseare subdividedby small ornamentedcapitals,so that the wholefallsinto nineunits.15 These nineunitsseem to be based on a principleof The fourmajor divisions,on the suspense;theymark offblocksof information. otherhand,markthe major episodesof the story- the openingscene,withthe beheadingepisodeand challenge;the passingof a year,and Gawain's journeyto the castle; the temptations;and the second "beheading"scene,followedby the explanationand Gawain's returnto court.The openingscene is kept as a single unitwithno internaldivision- a kindofprologueto themissionwhichGawain must undertake.The workbeginsand ends witha referenceto the fall of Troy and the foundingof Britain,so that the eventsat Arthur'scourtare seen in the perspectiveof historyas a point out of the past to whichthe readerdraws up closeand thenaway.16This senseofthesweepoftimeis matchedwithinthepoem by the lines on the passingof the year, at the beginningof the second division (11.491-535), which divide the prologuefromthe main action- the firstNew Year's feast with its beheadingepisode fromthe journeywhich Gawain must make a year later. The seconddivisionof the poem is therefore a kindof intermezzobetweenthe and Gawain's It the challenge journey. comprises descriptionof the year's passGawain's ing, preparationsto leave, thedescriptionofhis armorwiththepassage 16See Laurita LyttletonHill, "Madden's Divisions of Sir Gawainand the 'Large Initial Capitals' XXI (1946), 67-71. Mrs Hill arguesthat the size of the capitals is of CottonNero A.x.," SPECULUM, withoutsignificance. 16 Randall, pp. 161-163,pointsout that the frameat the beginning and end reversesthe orderof the threeelements- "pe sege," Brutus,and Arthur'scourt. This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: The poem has four divisions, creating suspense. Inside the castle, there are contrasts and an agreement to exchange gains. Structureand Symmetryin Sir Gawain 431 and his arrivalat thecastle. on thepentangle,his voyagethroughthewilderness, The smallercapitals of the manuscriptmake two divisionswithinit, one beginningwiththe descriptionof the shield (1. 619), the otherwithhis arrivalat the castle (1.763). In thecastle,a greatdinneris set withmanydishesand finesauces, whichGawain calls a feast; it is a fishdinner,though,since ChristmasEve is a fastday, and he is drollyremindedthattheseculinarysplendorsare a penance"pis penauncenow 3e take,/ Andefthitschal amende" (11.897-98). Afterdinner the companyhearsevensong,and in the chapel Gawain sees forthefirsttimethe On thenextday thereis a beautifulyounglady withherugly,aged companion.17 trueChristmasfeast;afterit Gawain learnsthattheGreenChapel is nearby,and agreesthat whilewaitingto leave he willexchangewhat he winsin the castle for what thelordwinshunting.Throughout,thereis a finebalance ofcontraries:the revolutionof the seasons, the warlikeshield and its religiousemblem,the unpleasantjourneyand the agreeablelifeof the castle,fastingand feasting,youth and age, beauty and ugliness,and at last the agreementto give what each has gained. This tendencyto matchand contrastthingsis a dominantfeatureofthepoem's style.It is, withrespectto the purelyverbal element,a featureencouragedby alliterativeverse; a dozen examplescome to mind- "bliss and blunder,""brittenedand brent,""stad and stoken."And as we have seen,it sustainsthe structuralunitynotonlyin thetwobeheadingscenesjuxtaposedat beginningand end, but in the parallels,diagrammedabove, betweenthe eventsat the castle (SectionsII-III) and those at the chapel (SectionIV). These parallelscontributeto the almostritualsymmetryof the whole,and theygive to the later sequence a Each of themcontrastsin its own way, and each dream-likeaura of familiarity. contrastcontributesto themysteryand wonderofthefinalscene: (1) In bothparts,the armingofthe knightbeforethe journeyis describedin detail. In the earlierpassage, the descriptionends withthe lines on the pentangle shield.But whenGawain leaves the castleforthe GreenChapel, theshieldis not mentioned;instead the passage ends with a descriptionof the girdle and a reminderthat he is wearingit not foravarice or vainglory,but onlyto save his life. (2) In both parts he must undertakea journey.In the earlierjourneythereis positivedangerfrombeasts and giants;thereis cold,and hardship.In theshorter journeyto theGreenChapel thereare no physicaldangers,but thereis a spiritual one: his guidetemptshimto flee.The descriptionofthemistwhichhoversabout theplace and ofthestreamsflowingthroughit createsan atmosphereofeerieunfromthe explicitperilsof the earlierpassage: here,the certainty,verydifferent ofthejourney. to at the are come end perils In both the buildingis describedas the knightcomes upon it. The parts, (3) castle is on a knoll,surroundedby a park,and is builtin the veryneweststyleof It is so new,and so idealized,that it seems architecture.18 late fourteenth-century 17 For the principleof descriptionby contrastin this passage, see Derek A. Pearsall, "Rhetorical 'Descriptio' in Sir Gawain and theGreenKnight,"ModernLanguageReview,L (1955), 129-134. 18 See Tolkien and Gordon, pp. 94-95. This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: The poem's alliteration unifies it. Castle and chapel parallels add mystery, emphasizing the girdle's role in self-preservation. 432 in Sir Gawain and Symmetry Structure almost illusory;its pinnacles,the authortells us, seemed as if cut out of paper (1. 802).19The GreenChapel, on the otherhand, is ancientand gnarled,in part subterranean- such a place as the devil at midnightwouldsay his matinsin withgrass.It is at theforkofa likea cave or thecreviceofan old crag,overgrown roaringstream,and the air is split with the ominous,and comic,whirringof a grindstone. (4) The threetemptationsare ofcourseparalleledby the threestrokesofthe ax. The temptationsare carriedout with an exuberanthumorin which the daily huntingand the exchangeof winningsserve as humorousparallels.The hunts and the themselvescontrastwiththetemptationsin intensityand aggressiveness, animalshuntedsuggestthosequalitieswhichGawain mustconquer- timidity, and cunning.20 The relationbetweenGawain and the lady reversesthe ferocity, in fact,in in which the God ofLove was said to be irresistible; love code, courtly to be theknight'sservant(1. 1240).21The enviablebut Sir Gawain,thelady offers ridiculouspositionof the herowas a familiarone, to be sure,but it is heightened by the ritual exchanges.The kisses increasein numberdaily. The whole is recountedin a toneofsuppressedmirth;whilethereis greatsuspenseoverthe outcome of the temptations,the readeris encouragedto feel that he reallyknows what is goingon. The lord'sreplieson receivingthe kissesare richlyambiguous, forit is neverwhollyclearwhetheror not he knowswhathis wifehas beenup to. And the rompingstyleof the passage makes the readerfeelthat he knowssomethingofthekindofoutcome,thoughhe knowsno details. But at the GreenChapel,the threestrokesofthe ax are shortand suspenseful. We know somethingis going to happen; we hear a noise, as if someonewere grindinga scythe!But whenGawain getsunderthe ax, we are completelyin the dark.Even whenhis neck is nickedon the thirdstrokeand he boundsup in selfdefense,we are puzzled. Whenhe acceptedthe girdle,we knewexactlywhathad happened; here,we are more confusedthan ever. We know the facts,but they make no sense. (5) The explanationof coursefollowsat once. As soon as Gawain's fault is rethe girdleat him.Then he convealed to himhe flaresup at the knight,flinging fesseshis fault.This confession,as JohnBurrowhas shown,parallelshis confession to the priestafterGawain has taken the girdle.That earlierconfessionwas reallyinvalid;but in thesecondconfession(thoughmade to theGreenKnight)he is genuinelycontrite,he makes an honestconfession(11.2379-86), he promisesto do better (11.2387-88), and of course he does public penance by wearingthe 19See Robert W. Ackerman,"'Pared out of Paper': Gawain 802 and Purity1408," Journal of Englishand GermanicPhilology,LVI (1957), 410-17. Ackermanshowsthat the line refersto a custom ofservingfoodon festiveoccasionscoveredor crownedwithpaper decorationsin such shapes as that of a castle. Cf. Chaucer, Parson's Tale, X. 444. 20 For the latterpoint,see JohnSpeirs,MedievalEnglishPoetry: The Non-ChaucerianTradition (London, 1957), pp. 236-237. On the huntingscenes, see Henry L. Savage, The "Gawain"-Poet: Studiesin His Personalityand Background(Chapel Hill, 1956), pp. 31-48. 21On the treatmentof the situationhere as a reversalof courtlylove, see J. F. Kiteley,"The De ArteHonesteAmandi of Andreas Capellanus and the Concept of Courtesyin Sir Gawain and the GreenKnight,"Anglia,LXXIX(1961), 7-16. This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: Gawain confronts challenges in both journeys: physical dangers in the earlier one and spiritual temptation in the shorter Green Chapel trip. The castle is new and idealized, while the Green Chapel is ancient and eerie. Adi Ishaq: Three temptations, three ax strokes. Humorous hunts, lady challenges courtly love. Increasing kisses, suspense, ambiguous lord's responses, uncertain outcome. and Symmetry in Sir Gawain Structure 433 girdle.The court'sjudgmentofhis sin,however,is farless severethanhis own he twiceconfessescovetousness,althoughthisis specifically deniedin the poem. He wearsthe girdleas a signoftheweaknessoftheflesh,and therestofthecourt join himin wearinga greenband acrosstheirchests.Agreeingto do so, the king comfortshim and the restlaugh. This analysis of the narrativestructureindicatesthat the significant manuscriptdivisionsare the ornamentedcapitalswhichmarkthefourmajor divisions. The fivesmallcapitalswhichmarksubdivisionsdo not systematically correspond to narrativeunits.They seemto serveforemphasis,and wereprobablyplaced in accord with the author's- or scribe's- sense of dramaticrhythm.One precedes thedescriptionofthe shield(1.619); anothermarksGawain's arrivalat the castle (1.763). In thethirdsection,one marksthebeginningofthesecondtemptation (1. 1421), and anotherfollowsGawain's confession(1.1893). In thefourthsection,thereis a small capital at the beginningof the "beheading"scene (1. 2259). If we dividedthe poem intoninesections(withoutregardto the size of the capiwouldbe obscured.All ofthislendssignificance tals), its structureand symmetry to a factwhichhas generallybeen ignored:at each ofthe threeinternaldivisions markedby the largercapitals, the scribehas leftone ruled space, and through each of these spaces the illuminatorhas extendedthe red ornamentationacross the page in an identical design.There is no similarspacing or ornamentation elsewherewithinthe text of Sir Gawain or of the otherthreepoems preserved in the same manuscript. This elaborateparallelism,withitsmultiplecontrasts,helpsproducethe gamelike,ironictone of Sir Gawain.Its effectis comic.The ritualbalance of incidents does, in the end,what comedyalways does - it purgesextremesof conductand back to a norm;it restoresthe statusquo. Gawain bringsthe readercomfortably returnsto the starting-place, and, howeverchastened,is greetedwith laughter whichdispelshis sobriety.The symbolismof shieldand girdlesuggestsan essential and inescapableconflictbetweenchivalryand Christianity;but thisconflict is treatedthroughoutin a spiritof amused and ironicdetachment,as ifthe poet ofmediaeval thought,beingirreconcilmeant to suggestthat thesecontrarieties world. able, shouldbe takenin good humoras a conditionof lifein an imperfect The mysteriousand marvellous,whichin tragedyremainultimatelyincomprehensible,are hereexplainedrationallyaway; we are asked not so muchtofeelthe worldof hero's experienceas to thinkabout it, to understand.The symmetrical the poem is at once unrealand substantial- farin the past and idealized,and and self-deception. It yetplainlytheworldofreal humanconduct,ofuncertainty is too neatlybalancedto be likethefluxofhistoryitself,yetit is an unpredictable worldfullofsurprises;and, fromthe longview,it is orderedand right. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE This content downloaded from 206.212.0.156 on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:16:33 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Adi Ishaq: Green Chapel: Suspenseful ax strokes. Gawain's fault revealed, genuine confession, girdle penance. Court's milder judgment with green bands. Adi Ishaq: Ornamented capitals for major divisions. Smaller capitals for rhythm. Unique red ornamentation in ruled spaces at three internal divisions, exclusive to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
