Throughout literature, the number three is everywhere. From the Bible to fairy tales, the number three is a common theme universally. The number three can represent color, time and even magic. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Burton Raffel, the number three is used many times in the book amid Sir Gawain’s journey to find the Green Knight. The author uses the number three in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to help Gawain learn to resist temptation through animals, Lady Bertilak, and punishment. Bertilak uses animals to help Gawain learn to resist temptation. After days of looking for the Green Knight, Gawain eventually reached a castle and inside was Bertilak and his lady. Bertilak offered Gawain to stay three days in the
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At the end of the three days, Sir Gawain left the castle to continue his journey to find the Green Knight. Finally, he found a mound with tall grass fringe and realizes that is the Green Chapel. Gawain found the Green Knight and the knight tells him, “…A year ago I gave you your chance; Today the turn is mine” (Raffel 117). The Green Knight finishes sharping his axe and starts his revenge on Gawain; however, Gawain flinches the first time. “The Green Knight mocks Gawain’s reputation and Gawain promises to he will not flinch. The Green Knight swings one more time, congratulates him on his bravery, and tell him this time the axe will strike him. The third time the axe swings, Gawain only gets a slight cut on his neck. Gawain then tells the Green Knight that he wants to fight, but the Green Knight refuses. He explains to Gawain that the first two swings were for his honesty to their contract and the third swing represents his dishonesty about the green belt. The Green Knight’s speech explains to Gawain that he is Lord Bertilak” (Raffel). The author used the three axe swings to show the three days of temptation Gawain went through at the castle. Each swing represented a different day and the honesty of that day. Bertilak uses a shape shifting potion to become the Green Knight to test Gawain’s honesty as a knight of King Arthur. Another story that uses punishment in the threes is The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone. In The Three Little Pigs, each of the pigs build a house. “The first little pig built a house of straw, the second little pig built a house of wood, and the third little pig built a house of brick” (Galdone). The wolf is easily able to blow down the first two houses because they poorly built. The three little pigs represent the growth of a man. With each different house, the pig is growing more knowledge. Just like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the three forms of
At the end of the three days, Sir Gawain left the castle to continue his journey to find the Green Knight. Finally, he found a mound with tall grass fringe and realizes that is the Green Chapel. Gawain found the Green Knight and the knight tells him, “…A year ago I gave you your chance; Today the turn is mine” (Raffel 117). The Green Knight finishes sharping his axe and starts his revenge on Gawain; however, Gawain flinches the first time. “The Green Knight mocks Gawain’s reputation and Gawain promises to he will not flinch. The Green Knight swings one more time, congratulates him on his bravery, and tell him this time the axe will strike him. The third time the axe swings, Gawain only gets a slight cut on his neck. Gawain then tells the Green Knight that he wants to fight, but the Green Knight refuses. He explains to Gawain that the first two swings were for his honesty to their contract and the third swing represents his dishonesty about the green belt. The Green Knight’s speech explains to Gawain that he is Lord Bertilak” (Raffel). The author used the three axe swings to show the three days of temptation Gawain went through at the castle. Each swing represented a different day and the honesty of that day. Bertilak uses a shape shifting potion to become the Green Knight to test Gawain’s honesty as a knight of King Arthur. Another story that uses punishment in the threes is The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone. In The Three Little Pigs, each of the pigs build a house. “The first little pig built a house of straw, the second little pig built a house of wood, and the third little pig built a house of brick” (Galdone). The wolf is easily able to blow down the first two houses because they poorly built. The three little pigs represent the growth of a man. With each different house, the pig is growing more knowledge. Just like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the three forms of