Students, read the following:
•
Because of the snow days, the
study guide questions for Parts
One, Two, Three, and Four will be
optional. I will consider the
completion of the study guide
questions to be the equivalent of
a Double Entry Journal and it will
count as 10 bonus points on your
test.
•
Parent Teacher Conferences are
scheduled to be held on
Thursday, February 12th which is
the same day as our test.
Therefore, the test will be
Wednesday, February 11th and
you will be given 2 additional
days to outline your next critical
essay.
Parts One and
Two Notes
Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight
Part One Notes

The Code of Chivalry
 Physical ideals of knighthood:
 Strength
 skills at arms
 horsemanship
 Mental ideals of knighthood:
 Prowess- a combination of courage, strength, and skill that
commands respect.
 Honor- having a strong sense of morality, integrity, and deference
before those in the offices of authority.
 Courtesy- respectful behavior not only towards one’s betters, but
also towards those who are “below” one’s cast as well.
 Loyalty- meaning the pledged word. This emphasis given to it
derived from the time when a pledge between lord and vassal
was the only form of government.
 Courtly Love- designed to make the knight more polite and to lift
the tone of society, courtly love required its disciple to be in a
chronically amorous condition.
 Developed out of the cultish worship of Mary, elevating
woman’s status and making them into an object to be
worshiped.
Part One
Part One Notes


Genre: Medieval Romance
 Romances typically recounted the
adventures of a chivalrous, heroic knight,
often of super-human ability, who abides by
Chivalry’s strict codes of honor and
demeanor, embarks on a quest to defeat
monsters and win the favor of a lady.
 The focus is adventure (whereas The
Odyssey focused on glory and Beowulf
focused on honor).
King Arthur
 Characterized as being slightly boyish, too
restless to stay seated for very long.
 Arthur vows not to sit or eat until he has
heard a story of courage and bravery.
Part One Notes

The Green Knight
 Huge giant, clearly a powerful
fighter but not dressed for a fight
because he carries no shield and is
not wearing battle armor. Instead
he carries an axe for his game and
a branch of holly as a symbol of
peace.
 He wants to challenge the
reputation of Arthur’s famous
knights of the round table and
suggests a game.



Any knight may use his axe and take a
swing at his neck if he may take a
swing in return one year later.
No one accepts the game which
causes Arthur to wince from
embarrassment
Finally, Gawain, who calls himself a
lesser knight, asks Arthur permission
to accept the challenge.
Part Two Notes

The Importance of the number five
 Gawain’s shield has a 5-pointed star on it
which is referred to as the “pentangle” or
“endless knot”
 Each point of the star represents Gawain’s
five virtues:






Gawain is faultless in his 5 senses
His 5 fingers have never failed him
Gawain is devoted to the 5 wounds of Christ
Gawain has control over his 5 virtues- generosity,
good fellowship, purity, courtesy, and charity.
Gawain is supported by the 5 joys of Mary
** This makes Gawain’s shield one of the two
chief symbols in the poem**
 The outside of the shield is a symbol of
Gawain’s virtues and talents with which
Gawain defends and upholds the Code of
Chivalry.
 The inside is a reminder of the supernatural aid
that preserves him; it’s a reminder for him to
remain humble.
Part Two Notes
 FOIL
 The
beautiful lady vs. the ugly old
woman
 Each heightens the effect of the otherbeauty is intensified by ugliness &
ugliness is intensified by beauty.
 Chivalric Test
 Gawain’s host, Bertilak, suggests a
game that will call Gawain’s virtue to
question
 Terms of the game: Each mangives to
the other their “winnings” of the day
 What part of the code of chivalry does
this game test?
February Revised Schedule
1
2
3
Study Guide!
(Part 2)
4
Study Guide!
(Part 2)
“Chivalry and
Courtly Love”
Article
HW: Study
Guide
8
9
Understanding
Medieval
Romances
10
Study Guide
Review &
Review of
Essential
Themes
5
Study Guide
(Part 3 & 4)
6
7
Notes on Part
One & Part Two
Notes on Part
Three & Part
Four
HW: Study
Guide
HW: Study
Guide
HW: Essential
Themes
11
12
13
Outlining and
Planning of
Critical Essay
#2
Outlining and
Planning of
Critical Essay
#2
Test
14
I will offer 5 bonus points to any student whose parents attend
parent-teacher conferences!!!!!!!!
Part Three Notes

The hunt



Day 1- the host hunts a deer, calling it the best hunt he’s
seen “in the wintertime for seven years.” Gawain, in a
similar fashion, awakes to find the lady stealthily entering
his room. He pretends to wake up and acts surprised to
see her there. It’s clear what she wants, but Gawain
fends her off politely and she leaves with only a kiss as
her reward.
Day 2- the host hunts a boar; the lay again visits Gawain,
claiming that he has no manners because he has not
kissed her again. This time, she is more forceful than the
previous day, suggesting that he should force a kiss from
her and boast of his heroic deeds. After dodging her
attempts to seduce him, Gawain gives her two kisses.
Day 3- the host hunts a fox. The fox does all he can to
trick the host, but Bertilak does not give up. Similarly, the
lady attempts to trick Gawain into sleeping with her and
demands to know if Gawain is promised to another
woman, but Gawain explains that sleeping with her is
against his code of honor. She leaves with three kisses.
Part Three Notes
 Explanation

of the hunt
There is a subtle relationship between the
two hunts:
 While
the host hunts deer, Gawain acts like a
deer who is being hunted by the lady. First, he
is lying still in hopes of evading the huntress,
then numbly evading her pursuit through
alertness.
 While the host hunts a boar, Gawain is direct
in his reaction to the lady who has come
upon him with more aggression.
 While the host hunts a fox, Gawain responds
to her seduction with cunning and hopes to
outwit the Green Knight with his secret gift.
Part Three Notes
 The


Lady’s gift
Because Gawain will not sleep with her, the
lady demands that Gawain take a gift from
her- a gold ring. He refuses.
Then, she offers him a green girdle/sash
which Gawain declines at first, but then
accepts when the lady explains its magical
powers.
Part FourNotes
 The


Gawain’s shield- a symbol of Gawain’s pure
outer and inner nature.
The Sash- symbol of Gawain’s fall; it
represents secrecy and worldliness.
 The


two symbols:
guide
Begs Gawain not to see the Green Knight
and return home; he promises not to tell
anyone so that Gawain may keep his glory.
Line 2125 pg. 114
Part Four Notes

The Green Knight







Gawain bends over for the stroke and flinches
at the last second; he is mocked.
Line 2270
Gawain only receives a nick on his neck;
Gawain jumps back prepared for battle.
Line 2330
The Green Knight is Lord Bertilak & he planned
the test with Morgal Le Fay
The purpose of the test: To test the pride of King
Arthur’s Round Tabel & determine the truth of
the Knight’s fame.
The belt becomes a symbol of Gawain’s
cowardice, but Arthur turns it into a reminder
that Knights are human and must fight their
weak natures.