Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
 

New Vocabulary Words

Guerdon
Aghast
Recreant
Roister
Tryst
Largesse
Covetous
Beldame
Doughty
Panoply
Behest
Respite

Today, we will start reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.  You will have to compare it to Beowulf either by character, theme, symbol, or structure.  You will do this in a short video.  As we read you will need to answer study questions.

Some themes for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: 
Paganism vs Christianity, The Idea of Honor, Good vs Evil, The idea of Faith.  
Motifs: Colors, games, religion. 

Structures: BOB and Wheel and four Fits

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Chivalry
THE THIRTEEN RULES OF CHIVALRY KNOWN AS THE QUEST
1. A TRUE KNIGHT must be a gentleman, yet not fail in duty.
2. A TRUE KNIGHT must uphold the Dignity of Men and Women,
remembering that all are born free and equal in Dignity and Rights.
3. A TRUE KNIGHT’s manner of living is an example to the young.
4. A TRUE KNIGHT shall at no time act outrageously nor do murder or be
cruel in any way to man or beast.
5. A TRUE KNIGHT respects and defends the rights of all men and women to
hold and practice religious beliefs other than his own.
6. A TRUE KNIGHT takes no part in wrongful quarrel, but at all times
supports the lawful rights of all men and women.
7. A TRUE KNIGHT’s word is his bond.
8. A TRUE KNIGHT must be honorable in all things and know good from evil.
9. A TRUE KNIGHT must be of modest demeanor and shall not seek worship
of himself.
10. A TRUE KNIGHT must seek out such Quests as lead to the protection of
the oppressed and never fail in Charity, Fidelity, and the Truth.
11. A TRUE KNIGHT speaks evil of no man. A slanderous tongue brings shame
and disgrace to an Honorable Knight.
12. A TRUE KNIGHT never betrays a trust of confidence given to him by a
brother Knight.
13. A TRUE KNIGHT must so order his life that by his contribution, the people
of the world may hope to live together in greater peace and tolerance.

Compare the above to GAWAIN:


The poem describes Gawain's armor in detail. He carries a red shield that has a pentangle painted on its front. The pentangle is a token of truth. Each of the five points are linked and locked with the next, forming what is called the endless knot. The pentangle is a symbol that Gawain is faultless in his five senses, never found to fail in his five fingers, faithful to the five wounds that Christ received on the cross, strengthened by the five joys that the Virgin Mary had in Jesus (The Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and Assumption), and possesses brotherly love, pure mind and manners, and compassion most precious. The inside of the shield is adorned with an image of the Virgin Mary to make sure that Gawain never loses heart

The Pentangle
1. "Fiue wyttez" (five senses): may indicate that Gawain did not sin through sensual indulgence, but cf. "fyue wyttez" in 2193 (st. 88), where wyttez have most to do with intelligence, ability to understand a situation, etc.
2. "Fyue fyngres" (five fingers): no special significance is apparent here; may signify manual competence or physical strength. Some critics refer to the use in some devotional manuals of the image of the five-fingered hand.
3. "Fyue woundez" (Five Wounds of Christ): a typical subject of meditation; here Gawain's fealty (Borroff) or faith (Tolkien, Vantuono) is said to depend on them. The original afyaunce vpon folde 'trust upon earth/in the world' may be understood as "trustworthiness" if we see the outward-directed virtue as reflecting something inside Gawain.
4. "Fyue joyez" (Five Joys of Mary): a variable list, but usually Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, Assumption; here Gawain's force (Borroff) or valour (Tolkien) or bravery (Vantuono) is said to derive from them (forsnes 'fortitude' in the original).
5. The "fyft fyue" are the social virtues (generosity, good fellowship, cleanness, courtesy, compassion).

Discussion Questions for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Fit I

1) When and where does the story start?  Why is the time of year important?
2) How is both the King and Queen described?
3) How does the Green Knight behave?  What is the tone of his voice?  List some things he says.
4) How is Gawain humble in this section?
5) How do the guests act after the Green Knights leaves.

Fit 2

1) Look at the progression of each stanza in this section and briefly list/discuss in order what every stanza is about.

2) Look at the motif of games and discuss how it works in this section.

3) Other than the pentangle describe a symbol in this section and relate it to a theme. Discuss how this symbol reinforces the theme.

4) How is Gawain different in this section as compared to the last?

5) Discuss the setting.

FIT 3

1) Compare each of the hunting scenes with the bedroom scenes in the castle. Explain how the hunting scenes symbolize what is going on in the bedroom and explore how the differ animals hunted relate to the different tactics used by the lady each day.

2) What is your impression of Gawain during this section? How do you think he behaves? Does he uphold his honor while not dishonoring the lady and the lord?

3) What is the climax of the book?

4) What does the girdle symbolize?

5) There are a few allusions to Christ, Mary and faith (or failure of faith) can you pick a couple out and discuss why they are there?

Fit 4

1) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight can be viewed as a journey from life to death and back to life. Discuss how this works.
2) Sir Gawain is reborn both physically and spiritually at the end of the book how?
3) Whose Point of View are we suppose to exact at the end of the book? Why?
4) Is Gawain ruined as a knight or will we see great deeds from him again?
5) In your opinion who is really in control?
6) Is Gawain a hero?

Essay/Test questions - make sure you use adequate examples from the text:

1. Analyze and explain the symbolic significance of Sir Gawain’s shield in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (lines 619-669), and evaluate how well Gawain measures up to the expectations suggested by the symbolism of the shield.

2. How does Sir Gawain differ from Beowulf as a heroic figure? What do the two heroes have in common? How are they different? 

Wednesday

Your essays are due today. Please share them with me. 

Also, we are moving on to "Middle English" - we are going to look the final section of the introduction to this period in your textbooks and then ream "Margery Kemp". We will also be getting into "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". 

Today we are going to read the excerpt from "The Book of Margery Kemp" - it's in your textbook on page 116. 

Objective: Students will be able to determine an author's point of view or purpose in the text.

So note, at the end of these excerpt, you will need to be able to state what the author's purpose was in writing it (this question is addressed in question #8 on page 122).

Homework: Answer questions 1-6 and 8 on page 122. 

For some help go to Shmoop

Tuesday

 Remember that you have a TEST today and your essay is due tomorrow.

GOOD LUCK!

 

BEOWULF STUDY GUIDE: 

Beowulf: Final

1. Give two examples of parallelism in the story and briefly discuss what ideas the poet is backing up with this parallel.

2. Define kenning and give four examples found in the story.  Briefly list what is being described.

3. Give an example of litotes.  Why is it used?

4. List four symbols and discuss what they represent and to what theme they apply.

5. What is wergild and how does it appear in the story and why was it important in Anglo-Saxon society?

6. Briefly, but specifically, discuss the motif of kin-killing in the story?  Why does it reappear so often?

7. Discuss two of the following themes and how they work in the story by given scenes as examples and analysis the scenes in relation to the theme:  The role of women; The Role of the King; Christianity vs. Paganism; Beowulf as an Anti-War Statement; The Role of the Warrior; Man Alone in a Hostile World.

8. What is important about the descriptions of Shield Sheafson?  What was his childhood like?  What was his burial like?

9. Why is the Finn story included just before Wealtheow appears?

10. Discuss the comparison between Beowulf and Siegmund?  What purpose does it serve?

11. Is Beowulf a hero?  Why or why not?

12. Discuss the code of loyalty and how the society is structure.  Did some specific examples of loyalty.  

13. What is the meaning of Grendel?

14. For the following characters please discuss who they are and what they did during this story:

Heremod:

Brecca:

Wiglaf:

Hnaef:

Modthryth:

Ongentheow:

Freawaru:

Beowulf

 Today, we will continue working with your essays. I have looked at everyone's draft - below is the rubric you should think about. 

Also, remember the following daters: TUESDAY - TEST ON BEOWULF; WEDNESDAY - ESSAY IS DUE.

Analytical Essay Rubric

	4	3	2	1
Thesis, opening paragraph.   W1a W2a	Student takes a clear position on the prompt.  Thesis Statement is defensible.  Hook and thesis statement link.  Order of development is present and sets up how the thesis will be investigated.  Thesis connects prompt to the text as a whole.	Student has a clear and defensible thesis statement. Thesis connects prompt to the text as a whole.	Thesis statement is attempted, But – maybe not be defendable.  May not be clear.  May be wordy. May not connect to the text as a whole.	There is no recognizable thesis statement. Or there may be multiple thesis statements.
Use of Evidence   W1b W2b	Evidence is introduced and relevant to the thesis and analysis is thorough makes clear how the evidence connects to and defends the thesis.  Evidence is properly cited.	Evidence is introduced and relevant to the thesis.  The analysis makes connection between evidence and thesis, but the quality and/or quantity is inconsistent.  Evidence is cited.	Evidence is relevant to the thesis and there is some analysis attempted, but the analysis may be taken out of context, misinterpreted, or oversimplified.	Evidence is attempted, but may not defend thesis or there is no connection made between evidence and the thesis.
Sophistication of Writing   W1c-d W2c-d	Use of prose style that is especially vivid.  Student uses rhetorical strategies such as parallel structure.  Varied syntax.  High level vocabulary.   Language consistent for an academic essay.  Student’s insight into the text is persuasive.	Student uses varied syntax.  Some high level vocabulary present.  Prose style is engaging.  Language consistent for an academic essay.  Student’s insight into the text is reasonable.	Student attempts varied syntax.  Vocabulary might be simplistic or repetitious.  Prose style is sometimes engaging but might be repetitious of ideas.  Language may not be consistent for an academic essay.  Student’s insight into the text is plausible.	Wordy, repetitious.  Vocabulary might be repetitious or the use of “to be” verbs may be overused.  Not engaging.  Student’s insight in the text is unclear.
Grammar   L1, L2	1-2 errors that do not distract from reading.	2-5 errors that do not distract from reading.	More than 5 errors, or the errors present distract from reading.	Many errors.  Errors seriously distract from the reading of the text.
Length	More than 3 pages	2-3 pages	Less than 2 pages	Less than 1 page

 

Conclusion: W1E, W2F

 

 

 

BEOWULF

 Today we need to do a couple of things 1) Discussion when the test on Beowulf should happen, and 2) set a due date for your Beowulf essay. Note, I will be reviewing and commenting on your essays today, but you have the class to write them. Please share your essays with me if you have not done so.

Beowulf

 Today we need to look at presentations by Austin, Conner and Benjamin.

We then need to discuss your essays, and upcoming test on BEOWULF.

Unit Goal:

Students will be able to write a series of short analysis papers looking at BEOWULF in five different ways.  Each short essay will connect commentary both to DIRECT TEXT EXAMPLES (cited with the correct page number!) as well as to the BOOK or TEXT AS A WHOLE.  Students will choose five from the following:

 

1. THE AUTHOR AND HER/HIS TIMES: Biographical and historical information pertinent to the novel.  What important family, community, national, and world events helped inform this material? Do not provide an exhaustive biography; merely provide those details that can be directly linked to the novel in a manner that is convincing. This is one of the few sections that will require some outside research, so please remember to cite your source(s).

 

2. FORM/STRUCTURE, PLOT: How is the novel organized and what techniques are used?  Discuss techniques such as sequencing, multiple, complex, or simple plot, foreshadowing, chapter choices.  Then, provide a BRIEF outline of the events of the plot (no more than 200 words). For some modern novels, the plot may be difficult to describe succinctly – but try to do it anyway. When you discuss structure, remember that you need to discuss the effect of the intentional internal arrangement of parts.

 

3. POINT OF VIEW/ PERSPECTIVE: From what vantage point does the reader receive the information?  Is the perspective reliable, or is it highly subjective?  How are important ideas received?  Is there an agenda that the narrator seems to have, either consciously or subconsciously? Does the perspective shift, and if so, to what end? Are characters explicit in their dialog, or does on omniscient narrator fill the reader in concerning the larger issues?  Why is the perspective used particularly effective for this novel?

 

4. CHARACTER: Are each of the characters highly developed, or is most of the writing devoted to one character? Do you learn about them through what is not included in the text?  How is character revealed for the most part? Is through what they say? What they do? What they wear? What they think? The people with whom they associate? What the narrator says about them? How complex are the people that you meet?  Describe the central characters including what you find out about their names, ages, physical descriptions, personalities, functions in the novel – in other words, the responses to the questions asked in the preceding sentence. Also include one short quotation that reveals their character, and explain why the quote reveals character.

 

5. SETTING:  Where and when does the novel occur?  How many locations are described? Are there connections between the setting(s) and character(s)? How is the atmosphere described?  Are there any important settings that contrast or parallel each other?  Why is this setting so effective in supporting the ideas in the novel as a whole? Conversely, if the setting is ambiguous, what details seem most important and what is the effect of the ambiguity? Why is this story best told in this setting? When discussing setting, remember that it does not only mean the geographical location (topography, scenery) but also the cultural backdrop, social context, and the artificial environment (rooms, buildings, cities, towns) as well.

 

6. THEME: Identify one major theme (a central or controlling idea) and explicate the theme using specific moments from the text, either paraphrased or directly quoted.  What is the abstract concept being addressed and what is the evaluation of that concept through the text? Are there any “universal” truths are revealed, supported, or challenged by this theme?  Be aware that a theme cannot be expressed in a single word, and with complex works of literary merit the elucidation of a theme requires a full paragraph or more. Also note that the theme is rarely stated explicitly, but rather is implicit. Remember that a theme has TWO (2) PARTS: An abstract concept AND the author’s commentary on  or evaluation of that concept through the text.

 

7. CRITICAL REVIEW: Find one critical review (not a Cliffs Notes or similar source) of you novel and offer your opinion of the critic’s analysis in two or three paragraphs. Attach a copy of the critical review to your paper, and cite it directly. When expressing your response to the review, be specific in your discussion. If you agree, then explain why and carry the argument beyond what the critic pointed out. If you disagree, provide support for your position from the text.

 

8. DICTION:  Analyze the novelist’s word choice.  Is the language high or formal, neutral, informal?  Does the novelist employ slang(faddish words)? Colloquialisms (nonstandard regional ways of using language(like someone from Boston asking where you “paah-ked yeh caaah”)? Jargon (language associated with a particular trade)? Dialect (think Tom Sawyer)? Is the language plain?  Flowery?  Concise?  Vulgar?  Dense?  Elevated?  Select a passage that illustrates your observations and discuss this passage directly.

 

9. SYNTAX (Sentence structure):  Analyze the sentence and phrase patterns.  Are the sentences predominantly simple, compound, or complex?  Are the sentences intentionally long and complex or are they precise and simple?  How is punctuation used?  Select a passage that illustrates your observations concerning syntax, complete the attached Style and Syntax Analysis Chart, and discuss your example specifically.

 

10. TONE:  What is the author’s attitude towards the subject of the novel?  Discuss how the author creates the tone you identified through a variety of vehicles including plot, characterization, setting, and anything else that contributes to tone. Use specific text examples to support your findings.

 

11. TITLE:  Why is this title so appropriate for the novel?  Does it have literal or symbolic significance?  Does it actually appear in the novel, and if so, what is the situation? Is the title an allusion, and if so, why would the title include this allusion? Does the title implicitly connect to the theme of the work?

 

12. MEMORABLE QUOTE:  Choose and type out one quotation that you 

believe to be significant or noteworthy.  Please explain your choice. Is it an especially moving moment? Is it especially well-written? Why does this quote stand out for you?

 

13. Symbol or literary device: Choose a symbol or literary device that you believe to be significant to this book.  Discuss how it is used, what ideas it backs up (what it means), and perhaps why the author used it.  Make sure you use examples for the text and you connect the symbol or device to the text as a whole.

 

Scale/Rubric relating to learning goal:

4 – The student can write on five different views of the book relating them to each other to form one main argument or idea.

3 – The student can write adequate on at least five selections looking at the epic poem in five different ways.

2 – With help from the instructor the student is able to write adequate on at least five selections – from the least above – looking at the epic poem in five different ways.

1 – Even with help from the instructor the student is unable to write on five selections (they maybe able to write on 1-4) looking at the epic poem in different ways. 

Beowulf: Final

1. Give two examples of parallelism in the story and briefly discuss what ideas the poet is

    backing up with this parallel.

2. Define kenning and give four examples found in the story.  Briefly list what is being described.

3. Give an example of litotes.  Why is it used?

4. List four symbols and discuss what they represent and to what theme they apply.

5. What is wergild and how does it appear in the story and why was it important in Anglo-Saxon 

   society?

6. Briefly, but specifically, discuss the motif of kin-killing in the story?  Why does it reappear so often?

7. Discuss two of the following themes and how they work in the story by given scenes as examples

    and analysis the scenes in relation to the theme:  The role of women; The Role of the King; 

   Christianity vs. Paganism; Beowulf as an Anti-War Statement; The Role of the Warrior; 

   Man Alone in a Hostile World.

8. What is important about the descriptions of Shield Sheafson?  What was his childhood like?  

   What was his burial like?

9. Why is the Finn story included just before Wealtheow appears?

10. Discuss the comparison between Beowulf and Siegmund?  What purpose does it serve?

11. Is Beowulf a hero?  Why or why not?

12. Discuss the code of loyalty and how the society is structure.  Did some specific examples of 

    loyalty.  

13. What is the meaning of Grendel?

14. For the following characters please discuss who they are and what they did during this story:

Heremod:

Brecca:

Wiglaf:

Hnaef:

Modthryth:

Ongentheow:

Freawaru: