Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Symbolism and Moral...

In the opening lines of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Gawain-poet predicates the numerous dualities—which lead the reader through questions of moral seriousness—that exist in the poem. The opening historical recounting, according to Richard Hamilton Green, reminds the reader that â€Å"the greatness of the past is marred by reminders of failure† (179). The paradox of triumph and greatness arising out of failure foreshadows Sir Gawain following the same pattern of fate as his predecessors. While the completion of Gawain’s quest reaffirms the historical paradox of greatness, his journey to renown is fraught with situations and symbols that develop the poem’s main concern of moral seriousness. The Gawain-poet skillfully reveals his†¦show more content†¦While GGK is an entertaining romance upon the initial reading, as Prior claims, a retrospective reading reveals Christian meaning and the implications of Gawain’s actions, even if not discussed overtly, are central to the poem. In order to discover the poem’s moral significance, the reader must concentrate more on what is unsaid than what is said by focusing on the meaning of symbols and the significance of setting. After the history of great men, the poem opens at King Arthur’s court during Christmas time. Having the poem begin and end during the Christmas season, the beginning of the liturgical calendar, has underlying significance (to be discussed in more detail later) because it marks the First Coming of Christ, the model of perfection. Befitting this major event in Christian history, the mood of the court is one of revelry. However, even with the merriment of the feast, King Arthur demands a marvelous event before he will eat: But that day he was driven by a different resolve; He had nobly decided never to eat at feasts Such as these, until someone had told him A strange story or a splendid adventure— Something marvelous and beautiful that he might believe, With the clamour of battle, attacks, the clash of arms—. (90-95) Arthur’s desire to see â€Å"something marvelous and beautiful that he might believe† reveals a misconception of a marvel’s nature. Hearing a marvel for the first time inspires