Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Literary Analysis

Is it conceivable that nature is the ultimate component that dominates all other forces or principles in the world? From the starting point of the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Green Knight had expressed all essential features of nature. Nature and civilization are the two central ideas that kept being brought to the table. These two elements were in a constant battle to see which one compels a person to make crucial decisions that one might encounter on their journey in life. As Gawain is confronted with the imposing demands of nature, both internal and external by the structure of the Green Knight along with the moral rights of civilization by Bertilak; it becomes clear that nature dominates the morality of civilization …show more content…
The stormy day of New Year’s Eve emphasized Gawain’s fearful anticipation to see the Green Knight. “But the storms crackled through the world, clouds tumbled their bitter cold on the earth, northwinds freezing the poor; snow shivered in the air, and the animals shook” (Raffel 119). The natural world echoed his emotions and most likely altered them as well. The weather also represented the superior force of nature in which mankind cannot possibly contend with, which metaphorically alluded to the Green Knight. The gloomy day on the way to the chapel foreshadowed Gawain’s doom. Even at the beginning of the poem, the Green Knight was intensely illustrated with the all green attire that is closely related with the facets of nature. The Green Knight revealed that he came in peace as he held the holly branch, but also adhered to a threatening axe, which represented nature but external and internal. Both of these components could ultimately bring both peace and destruction much like the views that nature could exhibit. As the story progressed and Gawain had to allow the Green Knight to return the blow a year later, Gawain was confronted with the challenges of nature and