Symbols In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

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The Different Representations in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a storytelling that belongs to the Middle Ages and the Arthurian tradition. “the romance, like its literary descendant, was often used by writers from the twelfth century on to state in various ways some of the issues that then seemed currently important” (Silverstein 260). This type of literature introduces the romance through the courtly love and the chivalry. The story is based on motifs from Celtic tradition, folklore and popular mythology and lastly its antecedent of chivalresque French literature. Recent studies have indicated the need for analyzing Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to elaborate its own symbolism. However, a major problem
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We can infer its same type of interpretation about the lady’s green girdle, is an image that reflects symbol in the meaning of the poem. The Green Knight integrates a notion of the physical nature and at the same time an ornament of the ideals of the courtly life. William Goldhurst states that “the green of the girdle is the primal call; its gold is the effort of man to be a social, rather than a natural being” (64). As a consequence, the green of the girdle is the primary principle and its gold is the sacrifice of man to become a social being. Another representation related to the girdle is its symbol of feminity that attributes to the lady. Donald Howard points out that “the image of the blessed virgin” (427) or the same conception Geraldine Heng (506) highlights “a charge erotic”. The term of the girdle is complex and its meaning doesn’t make easier the comprehension in the poem. Not only can this be complexity it is noticeable the perfect connection that alludes to the meet desire. To understand better this point, Geraldine Heng proposes that “the girdle is then the join at which two registers of desire meet, the junction of a triumphal capture” (506). Related to this, we can see the acceptance of her girdle for its creative magic by means of Gawain's desire that believes to be his own and becomes annexed to the lady as can it be observed in the other's desire. This apparent …show more content…
This study has shown the distinct elements are relevant to understand the heroic narrative. The present research makes some contributions to the different representations shown in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This essay has portrayed the importance of the symbolism of the girdle, the shield and the chapel. The considerations discussed above lead me to argue that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is basically a study that compares different elements within symbolism and imaginary. A future study should be investigated to examine the conflict of symbols due to the connection between Christianity and chivalry. Gawain and the Green Knight is the study of two aspects that recreates human experience by means of two conflicting tendencies regarding the dominance of men's soul. Therefore, the girdle, the shield and the chapel are important to remark its own symbolization. As a consequence, the poem evokes that there is a truce between natural impulses and loyalties to the virtues which involved human

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