Sir Gawain 2
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the most intact of the Middle English Romances, and for this, it is one of the most important pieces that allows the reader to better understand the style and influences of Middle English novelists. While the story of a chivalric quest in search of a mystical being allows the reader to delve into the ideologies and ways of thinking of the medieval people, it is the author's diction and literary devices that make this work able to be fully appreciated by the reader. However, since the Middle English text is inaccessible to most people, the translation of the piece must be done such that the same emotions and descriptions prevail. J.R.R. Tolkien does a marvelous job of this in his translation; with the result being a piece that carries the aura of the medieval times in its entire chivalric and romantic splendor. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the epitome of a Middle English Romance because of the vivid descriptions, literary devices, and medieval diction brought from the original piece to the translation. The fluidity of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight created by the author's use of alliteration greatly enhances the readability and allows the reader to better appreciate the medieval language
J.R.R. Tolkien's diction is essential in conveying the work as an extraordinary piece of chivalry and romance. His use of fantastic words of antiquity distinguishes the piece from many others and greatly augments the setting and mood. The passage "when there passed through the portals a perilous horseman," convey much more than simply the entrance of the Green Knight. The use of the word portal instead of a more direct word for door gives the Green Knight a near demonic aspect since the idea of passing through a portal is almost of Hell. This idea of the Green Knight being of Hell shows the Christian influence of the medieval society, and hence is integral to making this a feat of medieval writing. Another example of Tolkien's diction that conveys the religious aspect as well as the normal meaning is when the Green Knight refers to Gawain's punishment for his misdeeds and wrongs as "penance plain," rather than as a simple punishment. This conveys the idea that Gawain did not simply commit a wrong, but he was sinful in his infidelity, and for such he would pay for his sins, rather than just his actions. The Christian aspect of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight created by Tolkien's diction is essential to the greatness of this work because it stresses the importance that Christianity had on medieval life. and d
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Approximate Word count = 888
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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