The Audience, the Pentagle and the Green Sash in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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The Audience, the Pentagle and the Green Sash in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Works Cited Missing Although some early manuscripts of the poem 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' still exist, nothing, beyond speculation, is known about the poet, which is a pity when considering its rich language and imagery. Believed to have been written between 1375 and 1400, and some 2500 lines long, the unknown poet blent a unique mixture of chivalry, the Beheading Game and the temptation of a knight called Sir Gawain into probably the best example of an Arthurian romance. In this essay, the alliterative language and style of this poem will be seen to reflect the period and place that it was written as well as the audience for whom it was intended. With reference to the 'Sir Gawain' text, the use of the pentangle and the green sash, representing truth and untruth will be studied. Together, they will be shown to fit within the major theme of the whole poem. Particular attention will be paid to how these emblems might have been interpreted by the court audience of that period. 'Sir Gawain' was written in local dialect and its language …'contains many harsh-sounding words of Norse origin…' (Stone, 1974 p 10). Partly because of the characteristics of the dialectic text, it has been placed as having been written in the north-west midlands, probably Shropshire. The poet also shows knowledge of a particular region around North Wales (Lines 697 - 701).'Sir Gawain' also belongs to the genre of alliterative verse, which was enjoying a revival in the north of England, albeit in a more relaxed form of the Old English style. The Gawain poet not only ... ... middle of paper ... ...in which he misplaces his faith. The audience saw in this poem, a brave knight, greatly loved by his friends and king set out on a near impossible and lonely journey where he will surely meet his end during a Beheading Game. The audience would have appreciated the honourable character of Sir Gawain as he resists the charms of Bertilak's wife in an almost superhuman way. Most importantly, the audience would have identified with Sir Gawain's natural desire to preserve his own life even at the cost of sacrificing his trawþe to his king, country and God. The figure of Sir Gawain leaves Camelot with his faith as shiny and pure as the pentangle on his shield. He returns home with a humble badge of false faith, which serving as a more realistic emblem of human imperfection is shared by Camelot and the court audience alike.

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