Introduction to Sir Gawain and the

Green KnightBritish LiteratureOctober 14, 2014

Please take out your journal or a place to

take notes.

Announcements• You need to bring a vocabulary word for Thesaurus Thursday. It

must be a word you want to start regularly using. No random or “weird” words that are jargon-specific and therefore useless. (Regardless of how “cool” the word is.)

• Make-up Socratic Seminar for Beowulf is TODAY during advisory. If you missed the original, you MUST attend. If you do not like your grade, you may attend for a better grade.

• My advisory students will be going to Mrs. Mamayan’s room for advisory in Room 248.

• Honors Extended Dialectical Journals must be turned in before Fall break or they will not be accepted.

• TURN IN ANY MISSING WORK INTO THE LATE BIN WITH # OF DAYS LATE, ABSENCES, ETC.

Objectives

• Students will build context and anticipation to read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

HOW?

• Background Information (Lecture)

• Sir Gawain SNL

• BBC Documentary

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• Author is anonymous; though often called the “Pearl Poet”

• A medieval poem written c. 1400 in Middle English

• Important because it represents all of the following significant poetic genres:

•Arthurian romance poetry/courtly love poetry•medieval alliterative poetry• epic poetry

Wel gay watz þis gome gered in grene,And þe here of his hed of his hors swete.Fayre fannand fax vmbefoldes his schulderes;A much berd as a busk ouer his brest henges,Þat wyth his hi3lich here þat of his hed rechesWatz euesed al vmbetorne abof his elbowes,Þat half his armes þer-vnder were halched in þe wyseOf a kyngez capados þat closes his swyre;Þe mane of þat mayn hors much to hit lyke,Wel cresped and cemmed, wyth knottes ful monyFolden in wyth fildore aboute þe fayre grene,Ay a herle of þe here, an oþer of golde;Þe tayl and his toppyng twynnen of a sute,And bounden boþe wyth a bande of a bry3t grene,Dubbed wyth ful dere stonez, as þe dok lasted,Syþen þrawen wyth a þwong a þwarle knot alofte,Þer mony bellez ful bry3t of brende golde rungen.Such a fole vpon folde, ne freke þat hym rydes,Watz neuer sene in þat sale wyth sy3t er þat tyme,with y3e.

Sir Gawain and the

Green Knight

in Middle English

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian romance/courtly love

poetry

• There is no solid evidence for/against the reign of a historic “King Arthur.”

• Some historians suggest Arthur was a Roman military leader who held power anywhere from 3rd to 7th century A.D. (Artorius = “plowman”)

• Arthur is more important for the legends that developed around him and his “Knights of the Round Table” over his true historical significance.

A statue of King Arthur from around 1400 ADimage from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Arthur3487.jpg

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian Romance/Courtly Love

Poetry• Arthur traditionally credited with uniting all England (i.e.

uniting the pagan tribes) and therefore creating the potential for the development of a unique British character after the Norman invasion of England.

• Even more importantly, it is around the legendary King Arthur that the chivalric tradition of the middle ages developed.

• Chivalry – from the French word cheval or “horse” – refers to the code of behavior that was expected of knights (all noblemen). This tradition was also called courtesie (also French), meaning “the behavior of the court.”

CHIVALRY

• “Chivalry” comes from the French cheval, or horse (n.b. Norman influence in language).

• Only the wealthiest people in medieval society could keep horses and afford to use them in combat.

• “Chivalry” became associated, therefore, with the qualities of “horsemen”, or knights.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian romance/courtly love

poetry

• In Arthurian tradition, the “Knights of the Round Table” (Lancelot, Galahad, Bedivere, Agravain, Perceval, Tristan, Gawain, etc.) embodied – both individually and en masse, the characteristics of courtesie or “courtly love.”

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Arthurian romance/courtly love

poetry

• Respect the king. Do nothing to bring him dishonor.

• Respect women. Do nothing to bring dishonor to any woman.

• Protect the poor and the weak.

• Honor God as a faithful Christian.

Characteristics of Courtly Behavior

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Medieval Alliterative

Verse

• Like all other examples of literature we’ve read thus far, Sir Gawain almost certainly began as an oral history carried from village-to-village by a bard – or singing storyteller.

• Like the Iliad and Beowulf, therefore, Sir Gawain is marked by meter, rhyme, and (as with Beowulf) alliteration.

• All these poetic devices were intended to help in the oral retelling of the story.

He was a fine fellow fitted in green --And the hair on his head and his horse's matched.It fanned out freely enfolding his shoulders,and his beard hung below as big as a bush,all mixed with the marvelous mane on his head,which was cut off in curls cascading to his elbows,wrapping round the rest of himlike a king's cape clasped to his neck.And the mane of his mount was much the same,but curled up and combed in crisp knots,in braids of bright gold thread and brilliant greencriss-crossed hair by hair.And the tossing tail was twin to the mane,for both were bound with bright green ribbons,strung to the end with long strands of precious stones,and turned back tight in a twisted knotbright with tinkling bells of burnished gold.No such horse on hoof had been seen in that hall,nor horseman half so strange as their eyes now heldin sight.                He looked a lightning flash,                they say: he seemed so bright;                and who would dare to clash                in melee with such might?

Why is it called

alliterative verse?

VERSE FORM: the "Gawain stanza"--a varying number of

alliterative long lines terminated by

a "bob & wheel," five short rhyming

lines (ABABA).

B

BA

A

A

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as epic poetry

Review: Characteristics of the Epic Hero

1. He is a model of faith, loyalty, or bravery…

2. who makes a long, difficult journey…

3. to do battle on behalf of another…

4. perhaps using his own superhumantalents…

5. against an enemy who may himself have or be guarded by supernatural powers.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

SNL SKITS• In groups, you will be assigned a scenario.

You have fifteen minutes in your groups to design, script, and rehearse a skit to share with the class that acts out your scenario.

• Each scenario can be found in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but your skit will be a modern adaptation of the event.

• Your skit must be school appropriate.

Period 2

Period 4

Period 6

Take out your Beowulf books.

We will go to the library to return our books. If you are

attending the make-up Socratic Seminar, you may

want to hold onto your book. Pick up a copy of Sir

Gawain and the Green Knight.

BBC Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74glI1lg1CQ