Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Pentangle

Symbolism is the act of using an object to represent an idea. A single object can have multiple meanings that can differ by the way that the reader understands the story. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, there are multiple ways that symbolism is used, but one way that was particularly important was the symbolism of the pentangle. The pentangle, in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, represents the chivalric code and Sir Gawain’s upholding of it.

The poem, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, is a chivalric romance of the late Middle- ages. The poem is set in Britain’s midlands and begins with a story about Christmas in Camelot. A brief summary of “Sir Gawain and the Green knight” begins with King Arthur and his court that had been celebrating for fifteen days when suddenly

Sir Gawain encounters many hardships on his journey. He is put in many situations that tempt him to break the chivalric code and he tries his best not to break it. His chivalry is truly tested. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, the pentangle has a big impact on the story, but it is only mentioned specifically one time. The pentangle has many symbolic meanings, but one meaning is the representation of the chivalric code that Sir Gawain follows. The chivalric code is everything that Sir Gawain stands for and he wears the pentangle on his shield as a representation of what he strives for. Since Gawain is striving for perfection, and he believes that by wearing the pentangle on his shield, he will be able to obtain it. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, the poet explains what each point of the pentangle means. Each of these points are a representation of the chivalric code. He states, “For Gawain was as good as the purest gold—devoid of vices but virtuous, loyal, and kind, so bore that badge on both his shawl and shield alike. A prince who talked the truth: known as the noblest knight” (Poet 740). The poet is explaining that Sir Gawain