An Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Fitt III

Overview

The Significance of the Hunts and the Bedroom Scene: Parallelism

• Predator vs. Prey game

Lord Bertilak hunting wild game

Yeah, I'm pro.

Lady Bertilak hunting Sir Gawain

Self-explanatory.

"You're free to have my all, do with me what you will" (1137-1138).

Real subtle...

The lady:

Hell yeah, let's do it tonight

Sir Gawain:

Nope, ain't interested!

• Symbolism: the Deer, Boar and Fox

Deer: scared, easy prey. Easily herded, easily killed, and in such great number.

Boar: ain't this one man. It's THAT one.

Boar: fierceness in battle. A more intimidating animal to hunt than deer, a noble animal to hunt. Had satanic associations.

The hunting of boars in medieval Europe was mostly done by nobles, as a practice of martial skill. It was traditional to dismount the horse when the boar was cornered, and take it on one-on-one with a dagger or sword.

Fox: well-known for being sly, cunning, clever. A trickster.

Considered a rodent, not much worth catching. The fact that he has the huntsmen chasing after him for most of the day prompts them to call him a thief - he steals their pride, their energy, their time.

Why is the fox called Reynard?

In French, Dutch, English and German fables, Reynard pops up from time to time as a red fox of a trickster personality. The name appears to be derived from German origin:

•  From Reginhard: "rain-hard" - remaining steady under a rain of blows in battle. Also used to refer to someone wise, resourceful, and with his wits about him.

• Mirrors: the Animal's behavior and Sir Gawain's

 

The Symbolism of the Girdle

• Symbol of temptation

But not in the way that one might think. Although the lady attempts to make him succumb to the sin of lust, she fails to. When she recognizes this, she plays on his desire to survive.

You're mine now! MUAHAHA

His giving in to temptation is marked actually by his omission of truth to the lord, not by his acceptance of the girdle.

• In a Christian context

If you read this story as a Christian text, with the Green Knight being God and Gawain being your everyday Christian, this represents the all-knowing power of God, that he watches all and knows all. The girdle represents temptation that man should avoid so that he does not commit sins.

• Transformation into a symbol of failure

"He had bound the belt like a baldric - slantwise, as a sash... as a sign that his honour was stained by sin." (2485-2488)

Darn it, why'd I do that?!?!

When Sir Gawain takes his weakness of strength and honour quite harshly

Questions

• Do you still consider Sir Gawain honourable despite breaking the pact he made with Lord Bertilak?
• Do you think that Sir Gawain succumbed to temptation by allowing the lady to kiss him?