Romance and Allegory Essay
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is justifiably an allegory. An allegory is a narrative constructed by representing general concepts (Sin, Despair, and God) as persons. Many characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight have features that represent general concepts. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight can be interpreted allegorically by reviewing the characteristics and features of Gawain, the Green Knight, the Fair Lady, and the events that link the characters together. Some of the allegorical features found in the characters are obvious. The character Sir Gawain has the most obvious allegorical features within the poem. Sir Gawain is more than a knight; he represents "everyman" on a quest. During the late 1300's noble men displayed five classical virtues--brotherly love, good manners, compassion, open-mindedness, and beneficence. One can interpret Gawain's imperfectness as "everyman's sins". This idea becomes clear when Gawain states, "My journey is to judgment surely". Gawain represents "everyman" on a quest because at the end of every quest one receives judgment. Each mistake that Gawain makes represents man's sins. At the end of Sir Gawain's journey to find the Green Knight he is ju
The Fair Lady represents not only "temptation", but the fox as well. Like a fox she is, cunning and deceptive. The Fair Lady uses her slyness and wits to manipulate and seduce Sir Gawain. The fox uses its cunning personality to elude hunters, making for a great hunt. The Fair Lady is much like the fox in the way she is able to cleverly answer each one of Gawain's replies and persuade him into accepting the green girdle. The fox is not a great prize in itself, but the honor that it stands for is priceless. To hunt and kill a fox shows great skills and smarts. It is the ultimate hunt, not because of the prize, but because of the chase. This is the same with the Fair Lady and her striking beauty. She is beautiful and smart, and to woo such a lady is a great accomplishment. The Fair Lady represents both "temptation" and "achievement". The allegorical interpretation of the Fair Lady and Sir Gawain's encounters is that of a man on a quest, having to overcome different temptations and challenges along his way. dged by the Green Knight. Gawain's reply to the Green Knight supports the idea of Gawain facing judgment. "Met my master on a mountainside, where he invested in me the honor and the emblem of an imperfect man." In addition, this reply by Gawain suggests
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Approximate Word count = 860
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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