Gawain Questions

1. The first 3 stanzas deal with the passing of time between when we are first introduced to the Green Knight and the time when Gawain has to leave to finish the contest. The next two stanzas deal with the motif of the arming of the warrior. In the sixth and seventh stanzas, we are introduced to the shield with the pentangle and what it symbolizes to Gawain's faith. In the eigth through the eleventh stanzas, we travel with Gawain on his journey. Stanzas 12-17 Gawain arrives at the castle and is made welcome by the king, and in stanza 18 the people of the castle are making sure that Gawain is a man from King Arthur's castle. In stanza 19, we have our first introduction to the lady and the old crone (Morgana), and the following stanzas serve to begin the connection with Gawain and the lady. There is a connection hinted at between the lady and the crone. The way the crone has a grip on the lady's arm and seems to be leading her suggests that she holds some kind of control over her. In the 23-25 stanzas in this section, the author is establishing the connection with Gawain's quest for the Green Knight and the king of the castle. It suggests at the role the king will play in Gawain's search to prove himself.

2. Games in this section seem to reflect on seem to reflect on King Arthur and the way that no one in Camelot seems to take anything completely seriously ("and yet, though sad, they all made jests" ln. 541). One of the less obvious of the games reflects on and foreshadows to the connection between Gawain and the lady ("their witty word-play surpassed the sports of the other lords" ln. 1014). This is the first hint the reader has that there will be some mental game-playing between Gawain and the lady. I think the author is using this to suggest to the reader that this is the only connection that there is between the two. What is happening with them is only a game and isn't meant to have any special significance in the long run.

3. Once again in this section, we see the symbol of the time of year. One of the biggest things that the time of year plays into is the drawing closer of the deadline for Gawain to fight the Green Knight. While the Yule time of year is supposed to be a time of celebration and feasting, this year seems to be different for Gawain. There is an overtone of dread that is a little hard to pick up on. There could be a conection between this overtone and the fact that the Yuletide had been strategically placed very close to the pagan religious holiday, and this idea could be playing into what is going on/what will happen with Gawain.

4. In this section, Gawain seems to be a little bit more important than he did in the last. He seems to be more brave than in the last one where he only decided to fight the knight after King Arthur was going to. He seems to be more accepting of his fate to enter the beheading contest with the Green Knight. We see more confidence in him, suggesting that he has now proven himself as a warrior, and feels more deserving of his role as a knight. His confidence contrasts with the humbleness of his character in the previous section.

5. There is a contrast between the two settings. In Camelot, the atmosphere is more fun-loving. The king is youthful and easy to provoke to a fight. He likes to play games, and this trait reflects on his subjects, especially at feasting times. In contrast, there is an overshadowing of seriousness in Byrtelac's castle that is made even deeper by the presence of the old crone. Even at the times of feasting and celebration, there is a hint of something sinister lurking deeper in the moods of the people.