Stanza 4 - "Then lords and ladies leaped forth, largesse distributing, offered New Year gifts in high voices, handed them out, Bustling and bantering about these offerings, Ladies laughed fully loudly, though losing their wealth And he that won was not woeful, you may well believe."
or another translation (same lines): "Then noble knights ran forward with New Year gifts, Handed out what they had, shouting, with loud Guessing-games about each other's gifts. Even when they guessed wrong the ladies laughed-- And, believe me, those who won weren't angry at all." Two things to pick up here: 1) They are playing games. The knights have gifts to give to the young women, the women have to guess what it is and if they guess incorrectly they have to give the knight a kiss. It's a kissing game. This introduces the motif of games. The bigger game will come soon. 2) It also introduces the idea of romance or games that are connected to romance. Make the comparison/contrast: The description of King Arthur with the description of the Green Knight. Some notes from the book - below:
Toulouse, Turkestan The French city Toulouse was famous for the production of luxury fabrics. Tharsia, or Turkestan, in central Asia, was famous for its rugs and tapestries.
Today, we will start reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
You will have to compare it to Beowulf either by character, theme,
symbol, or structure. You will do this in a short video. As we read
you will need to answer study questions.
Some themes for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:
Paganism vs Christianity, The Idea of Honor, Good vs Evil, The idea of Faith.
Motifs: Colors, games, religion.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Chivalry
THE THIRTEEN RULES OF CHIVALRY KNOWN AS THE QUEST
1. A TRUE KNIGHT must be a gentleman, yet not fail in duty.
2. A TRUE KNIGHT must uphold the Dignity of Men and Women,
remembering that all are born free and equal in Dignity and Rights.
3. A TRUE KNIGHT’s manner of living is an example to the young.
4. A TRUE KNIGHT shall at no time act outrageously nor do murder or be
cruel in any way to man or beast.
5. A TRUE KNIGHT respects and defends the rights of all men and women to
hold and practice religious beliefs other than his own.
6. A TRUE KNIGHT takes no part in wrongful quarrel, but at all times
supports the lawful rights of all men and women.
7. A TRUE KNIGHT’s word is his bond.
8. A TRUE KNIGHT must be honorable in all things and know good from evil.
9. A TRUE KNIGHT must be of modest demeanor and shall not seek worship
of himself.
10. A TRUE KNIGHT must seek out such Quests as lead to the protection of
the oppressed and never fail in Charity, Fidelity, and the Truth.
11. A TRUE KNIGHT speaks evil of no man. A slanderous tongue brings shame
and disgrace to an Honorable Knight.
12. A TRUE KNIGHT never betrays a trust of confidence given to him by a
brother Knight.
13. A TRUE KNIGHT must so order his life that by his contribution, the people
of the world may hope to live together in greater peace and tolerance.
Compare the above to GAWAIN:
The
poem describes Gawain's armor in detail. He carries a red shield that
has a pentangle painted on its front. The pentangle is a token of truth.
Each of the five points are linked and locked with the next, forming
what is called the endless knot. The pentangle is a symbol that Gawain
is faultless in his five senses, never found to fail in his five
fingers, faithful to the five wounds that Christ received on the cross,
strengthened by the five joys that the Virgin Mary had in Jesus (The
Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and Assumption), and
possesses brotherly love, pure mind and manners, and compassion most
precious. The inside of the shield is adorned with an image of the
Virgin Mary to make sure that Gawain never loses heart
The Pentangle
1.
"Fiue wyttez" (five senses): may indicate that Gawain did not sin
through sensual indulgence, but cf. "fyue wyttez" in 2193 (st. 88),
where wyttez have most to do with intelligence, ability to understand a
situation, etc.
2. "Fyue fyngres" (five fingers): no special
significance is apparent here; may signify manual competence or physical
strength. Some critics refer to the use in some devotional manuals of
the image of the five-fingered hand.
3. "Fyue woundez" (Five Wounds
of Christ): a typical subject of meditation; here Gawain's fealty
(Borroff) or faith (Tolkien, Vantuono) is said to depend on them. The
original afyaunce vpon folde 'trust upon earth/in the world' may be
understood as "trustworthiness" if we see the outward-directed virtue as
reflecting something inside Gawain.
4. "Fyue joyez" (Five Joys of
Mary): a variable list, but usually Annunciation, Nativity,
Resurrection, Ascension, Assumption; here Gawain's force (Borroff) or
valour (Tolkien) or bravery (Vantuono) is said to derive from them
(forsnes 'fortitude' in the original).
5. The "fyft fyue" are the social virtues (generosity, good fellowship, cleanness, courtesy, compassion).
Discussion Questions for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Fit I 1) When and where does the story start? Why is the time of year important? 2) How is both the King and Queen described? 3) How does the Green Knight behave? What is the tone of his voice? List some things he says. 4) How is Gawain humble in this section? 5) How do the guests act after the Green Knights leaves.
Fit 2 1) Look at the progression of each stanza in this section and briefly list/discuss in order what every stanza is about. 2) Look at the motif of games and discuss how it works in this section. 3) Other than the pentangle describe a symbol in this section and relate it to a theme. Discuss how this symbol reinforces the theme. 4) How is Gawain different in this section as compared to the last? 5) Discuss the setting.
FIT 3 1) Compare each of the hunting scenes with the bedroom scenes in the castle. Explain how the hunting scenes symbolize what is going on in the bedroom and explore how the differ animals hunted relate to the different tactics used by the lady each day. 2) What is your impression of Gawain during this section? How do you think he behaves? Does he uphold his honor while not dishonoring the lady and the lord? 3) What is the climax of the book? 4) What does the girdle symbolize? 5) There are a few allusions to Christ, Mary and faith (or failure of faith) can you pick a couple out and discuss why they are there?
Fit 4 1) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight can be viewed as a journey from life to death and back to life. Discuss how this works. 2) Sir Gawain is reborn both physically and spiritually at the end of the book how? 3) Whose Point of View are we suppose to exact at the end of the book? Why? 4) Is Gawain ruined as a knight or will we see great deeds from him again? 5) In your opinion who is really in control? 6) Is Gawain a hero?
Essay/Test questions - make sure you use adequate examples from the text:
Analyze and explain the symbolic significance of Sir Gawain’s shield in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (lines 619-669), and evaluate how well Gawain measures up to the expectations suggested by the symbolism of the shield.
How does Sir Gawain differ from Beowulf as a heroic figure? What do the two heroes have in common? How are they different?
Okay - so I've gone over all the essays that have been turned in so far. Here are some common things that are happening:
1) Periods come after the citation - example: "A great mead-hall/meant to be a wonder of the world forever" (lines 70-71).
2) Evidence. Many of you are throwing in random evidence. If you are discussing Beowulf's pride and you use a line like Hrothgar build "a great mead-hall/meant to be a wonder of the world forever" (70-71), you really need to do some work explaining how this line reinforces Beowulf's pride because the line seems more likely to reinforce something about Hrothgar. Make sure you use evidence that corresponds to your thesis. This is what you should have been doing with your dialectical journals.
3) Thesis. Make sure you evaluate how the text defines something like Pride. Beowulf has a lot of pride is not a thesis. What does the text say about pride? Excessive pride brings about monsters? Make a statement that you can argue.
4) Pride is a feeling about one's accomplishments. It is not something a person seeks. "I'm going to kill a monster so I can get pride" is incorrect. Make sure you know what you are talking about.
5) Grammar errors and clunky sentences can be easily fixed if you have someone read your essay.
6) Don't end a paragraph with evidence. Make sure you analysis your evidence after you present ti.
Okay - today, I want you to print out your first Beowulf essay, and begin to work on essay #2.
Essay #2 - will be due on Friday.
Essay #3 - the beginning of class on 10/16.
Remember - you need direct evidence and citations from the TEXT
Students will be able to write a series of short analysis
papers looking at BEOWULF in five different ways.Each short essay will connect commentary both
to DIRECT TEXT EXAMPLES (cited with the correct page number!) as well as
to the BOOK or TEXT AS A WHOLE.Students will choose five from the following:
1. THE AUTHOR AND HER/HIS TIMES: Biographical and historical
information pertinent to the novel.What important family, community, national, and world events helped
inform this material? Do not provide an exhaustive biography; merely provide
those details that can be directly linked to the novel in a manner that is
convincing. This is one of the few sections that will require some outside
research, so please remember to cite your source(s).
2. FORM/STRUCTURE, PLOT: How is the novel organized and what
techniques are used?Discuss techniques
such as sequencing, multiple, complex, or simple plot, foreshadowing, chapter
choices.Then, provide a BRIEF outline
of the events of the plot (no more than 200 words). For some modern novels, the
plot may be difficult to describe succinctly – but try to do it anyway. When
you discuss structure, remember that you need to discuss the effect of the
intentional internal arrangement of parts.
3. POINT OF VIEW/
PERSPECTIVE: From what vantage point does the reader receive the
information?Is the perspective
reliable, or is it highly subjective?How are important ideas received?Is there an agenda that the narrator seems to have, either consciously
or subconsciously? Does the perspective shift, and if so, to what end? Are
characters explicit in their dialog, or does on omniscient narrator fill the
reader in concerning the larger issues?Why is the perspective used particularly effective for this novel?
4. CHARACTER: Are each of the characters highly developed, or is most
of the writing devoted to one character? Do you learn about them through what
is not included in the text?How is
character revealed for the most part? Is through what they say? What they do?
What they wear? What they think? The people with whom they associate? What the
narrator says about them? How complex are the people that you meet?Describe the central characters including
what you find out about their names, ages, physical descriptions,
personalities, functions in the novel – in other words, the responses to the
questions asked in the preceding sentence. Also include one short quotation
that reveals their character, and explain why the quote reveals character.
5. SETTING:Where and when does
the novel occur?How many locations are
described? Are there connections between the setting(s) and character(s)? How
is the atmosphere described?Are there
any important settings that contrast or parallel each other?Why is this setting so effective in
supporting the ideas in the novel as a whole? Conversely, if the setting is
ambiguous, what details seem most important and what is the effect of the
ambiguity? Why is this story best told in this setting? When discussing
setting, remember that it does not only mean the geographical location
(topography, scenery) but also the cultural backdrop, social context, and the
artificial environment (rooms, buildings, cities, towns) as well.
6. THEME: Identify one major
theme (a central or controlling idea) and explicate the theme using specific
moments from the text, either paraphrased or directly quoted.What is the abstract concept being addressed
and what is the evaluation of that concept through the text? Are there any
“universal” truths are revealed, supported, or challenged by this theme?Be aware that a theme cannot be expressed in
a single word, and with complex works of literary merit the elucidation of a
theme requires a full paragraph or more. Also note that the theme is rarely
stated explicitly, but rather is implicit. Remember that a theme has TWO (2) PARTS: An abstract conceptANDthe author’s commentary onor evaluation of that concept through the
text.
7. CRITICALREVIEW: Find
one critical review (not a Cliffs Notes or similar source) of you novel and
offer your opinion of the critic’s analysis in two or three paragraphs. Attach
a copy of the critical review to your paper, and cite it directly. When
expressing your response to the review, be specific in your discussion. If you
agree, then explain why and carry the argument beyond what the critic pointed
out. If you disagree, provide support for your position from the text.
8. DICTION: Analyze the
novelist’s word choice.Is the language high
or formal,neutral,
informal?Does the novelist
employ slang(faddish words)? Colloquialisms (nonstandard regional
ways of using language(like someone from Boston asking where you “paah-ked yeh caaah”)?
Jargon(language associated with a particular trade)? Dialect (think Tom Sawyer)? Is the language plain?Flowery?Concise?Vulgar?Dense?Elevated?Select a passage that
illustrates your observations and discuss this passage directly.
9. SYNTAX (Sentence
structure):Analyze the sentence and
phrase patterns.Are the sentences
predominantly simple, compound, or complex?Are the sentences intentionally long and complex or are they precise and
simple?How is punctuation used?Select a passage that illustrates your
observations concerning syntax, complete the attached Style and Syntax Analysis Chart,
and discuss your example specifically.
10. TONE:What is the author’s attitude towards the
subject of the novel?Discuss how the
author creates the tone you identified through a variety of vehicles including
plot, characterization, setting, and anything else that contributes to tone.
Use specific text examples to support your findings.
11. TITLE:Why is this title so appropriate for the
novel?Does it have literal or symbolic
significance?Does it actually appear in
the novel, and if so, what is the situation? Is the title an allusion, and if
so, why would the title include this allusion? Does the title implicitly
connect to the theme of the work?
12. MEMORABLE QUOTE:Choose and
type out one quotation that you
believe to be significant or noteworthy.Please explain your choice. Is it an
especially moving moment? Is it especially well-written? Why does this quote
stand out for you?
13. Symbol or literary
device: Choose a symbol or literary device that you believe to be significant
to this book.Discuss how it is used,
what ideas it backs up (what it means), and perhaps why the author used it.Make sure you use examples for the text and
you connect the symbol or device to the text as a whole.
Make sure in your thesis statements that you are relating the topic to the book as a whole and that you are defining exactly what your investigating. Meaning, if you are discussing Christianity in the text you define what or how Christianity creates meaning in the text, or what the text says about Christianity.
We need to review your test and then work on your essays.
APPOSITIVE: A build up of phrases that mean the same thing. The build up is suppose to have climatic effect.
Examples:
1) The almighty judge of good deeds and bad, the lord God, Head of Heavens and High King of the World
2) A lookout who was a match for Grendel, a guard against monsters, special protection to the Danish prince.
Today - we need to begin essay #1. This first essay is due on Tuesday (I moved it back one day). Please share with me your essays and let me know if you need help or feedback.
Analytical Essay Rubric
4
3
2
1
Thesis, opening paragraph.
Student takes a clear position on the prompt/topic.Thesis Statement is defensible.Hook and thesis statement link.Order of development is present and sets up
how the thesis will be investigated.Thesis connects prompt to the text as a whole.
Student has a clear and defensible thesis statement.
Thesis connects prompt to the text as a whole.
Thesis statement is attempted,
But – maybe not be defendable.
May not be clear.May be wordy.
May not connect to the text as a whole.
There is no recognizable thesis statement.
Or there may be multiple thesis statements.
Use of Evidence
Evidence is introduced and relevant to the thesis and
analysis is thorough makes clear how the evidence connects to and defends the
thesis.Evidence is properly cited.
Evidence is introduced and relevant to the thesis.The analysis makes connection between
evidence and thesis, but the quality and/or quantity is inconsistent.Evidence is cited.
Evidence is relevant to the thesis and there is some
analysis attempted, but the analysis may be taken out of context,
misinterpreted, or oversimplified.
Evidence is attempted, but may not defend thesis or there
is no connection made between evidence and the thesis.
Sophistication of Writing
Use of prose style that is especially vivid.Student uses rhetorical strategies such as
parallel structure.Varied
syntax.High level vocabulary.Language consistent for an academic essay.
Student uses varied syntax.Some high level vocabulary present.Prose style is engaging.Language consistent for an academic essay.
Student attempts varied syntax.Vocabulary might be simplistic or
repetitious.Prose style is sometimes
engaging but might be repetitious of ideas.Language may not be consistent for an academic essay
Wordy, repetitious.Vocabulary might be repetitious or the use of “to be” verbs may be
overused.Not engaging.
Grammar
1-2 errors that do not distract from reading.
2-5 errors that do not distract from reading.
More than 5 errors, or the errors present distract from
reading.
Many errors.Errors
seriously distract from the reading of the text.
