...Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. In the alliterative poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight “the theme of the story is “Integrity”. Having integrity means doing the right thing in a reliable way. Also, integrity means having wholeness of character. Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances. Integrity means you are being true to yourself. The Green Knight dared everyone to pick up his sword. King Arthur decided to pick it up. However, Sir Gawain grabbed the sword before him. Sir Gawain picked the sword up and accepted the Green Knights challenge. Also, he chopped the Green Knights head off. This is showing integrity because Sir Gawain was brave enough to accept the...
Words: 315 - Pages: 2
...Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong morals; moral uprightness. There are many vital points of integrity executed in the story, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. Growing up, they teach you to have gallantry and never back down. Regardless of a win or loss, you pushing yourself to fulfill challenges shows a lot about your character. However, due to someone having integrity does not mean they will not make a few mistakes along the way. It is not about your mistakes, but about the way you acknowledge and reinstate things when you are wrong. Regardless of the outcome, executing the best of your ability is all that matters. Sir Gawain endeavored to accomplish The Green Knight’s challenge of taking a strike at him. Gawain’s...
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
...all the challenges that Sir Gawain faced. Sir Gawain expressed integrity by being the only knight to come forward and take on the challenge the Green Knight requested at the Round Table. Gawain was willing to put his life on the line for King Arthur, although there were many obstacles along the way; However, Gawain did demonstrate traits of a knight. Trying to live up to others expectations, Gawain challenges started when the Green Knight arrived at the Round Table, when he came across the castle while heading to the Green Chapel, and when he finally arrived at the chapel. The Green Knight arrived at the Round Table where King Arthur and his knights were celebrating Christmas and New Year. Unfortunately, the Green Knight came unarmed because he was not there to fight anyone. King Arthur invited him to stay and feast with them, but the Green Knight declined his invitation and told him that he was there because he heard that Arthur’s castle was the best around with the most virtuous men of all men. Furthermore, the Green Knight challenged Arthur and his knights to strike him then, a year later receive a strike in return. Not one stepped forward to accept the challenge so the...
Words: 691 - Pages: 3
...values and actions of Sir Gawain and the other characters in the poem. Throughout the poem, Gawain’s main focus is staying true to the chivalric code, even if it means he will die honoring it. Christian beliefs also have a significant impact on knightly conduct, and they are both brought together in Gawain’s symbolic shield. Gawain’s chivalry is constantly tested throughout the entire poem, and overall he does a pretty good job of staying loyal to the code. Although he does fail at one point in the poem, it only reveals his imperfect human nature. When reading “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, one should keep in mind the various moral aspects of chivalry in order to acquire a better understanding of the text. Loyalty, courage, honesty, honor, and courtesy are all some of the traits that a knight of chivalry embraces. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” tells the story of Gawain’s test of his chivalric attributes. The test administrator in the poem is the Green Knight. He wants to test the courage and integrity of Arthur and his court. When Gawain, the only knight who steps up to the Green Knight, accepts the challenge, he displays great courage and loyalty to his king. After Gawain strikes his blow unto the Green Knight, this is when the true test begins. To maintain his honor, Gawain will have to journey to the Green Chapel and fulfill his end of the agreement. In order to not be deemed a failure, he will have to endure a blow from the Green Knight in a year and a day’s...
Words: 776 - Pages: 4
...Beowulf/SGGN Essay Beowulf, a strong and courageous king, willing to defend his people and his honor at any given moment, was the definition of an epic Anglo-Saxon hero. He conquered his enemies with strength and power and ruled over his people with wisdom. From the 7th century, in which Beowulf was written, to the late 14th century there was an evolution in the type of heroic characters that were portrayed in epic stories. You can see this change in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Gawain, a noble knight of king Arthur, was humble and full of integrity. Although claiming to be the least of Arthur’s knights he was well respected across the land. He was a man of his word and a true representation of a chivalric hero. Both characters in these stories were brave and daring and shared some heroic qualities but they held individual traits as well that made them distinct and one of a kind. Beowulf is depicted in the self titled poem to be adventurous, brave, strong, determined, and willing to take any challenge. The poem focuses on three main battles that help the audience determine his character; his fight against Grendel, his victory over Grendel’s mother, and his defeat with the fire breathing dragon. In these confrontations you can understand that he was a hero, a guardian, and a protector. He rescued those in need by conquering whatever was threatening them. One example is shown when Beowulf is introducing himself to King Hrothgar. He says, “ I battled...
Words: 1418 - Pages: 6
...The poem, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, shows how one of Camelot’s most revered knights, Sir Gawain, will fight for his life, honor, and dignity. Camelot, King Arthur, and The Knights of The Round Table are all names synonymous with all that is good. During the fourteenth century, the knights are expected to have honor and respect for all citizens and Sir Gawain is the epitome of honor. Gawain does not think highly of himself but sustains a high status with knights being a blood relative of King Arthur. By story’s end, Gawain will question if he maintains his honor, respect, and dignity in a fight for his life. The poem opens with Arthur, the knights, and some members of the community celebrating the new year when an unknown knight arrives in the kingdom. The narrator describes him as, “giant” in stature: he, his horse, and his ax are all green, but with a green armor outlined in gold. He calls out his challenge, “give me a well-aimed stroke, and agree / To accept another in repayment when my turn / Arrives” (1. 294-296). Eager to prove his bravery to his uncle, the king, Gawain accepts the challenge. He understands that he will face the same fate one year later and takes the Green Knight’s ax, swings with all his might, and beheads him. At the moment, the hubris of Gawain is at the highest level. Gawain thinks it may be the end of his challenge, but the Green Knight retrieves his head from the floor and tells Gawain to meet him a year to the date at the Green Chapel. The...
Words: 1689 - Pages: 7
...Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains many themes. Some of these themes are more obvious than others. Love, lust, loyalty, deceit, trust, courage, virtue, and righteousness are most of the themes within the poem. There are some more that are hidden within the concepts of the ideas that the poem presents. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by John Gardner, many different themes are addressed throughout the story. The translation by John Gardner portrays these themes by using specific characters, medieval symbolism, and various settings within the story. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a great work of medieval literature. The story is considered to be verse romance. There are not many solid facts on the story. The story was composed in the second half of the fourteenth century. It is likely that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written around 1375. The author of the piece remains unknown, but we do know of the northwestern dialect of Middle English with which he wrote the poem. The unknown author also consciously wrote in an old-fashioned style. The author is usually referred to as the Gawain poet or the Pearl poet. Three poems were included with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. "Pearl", "Patience", and "Purity" were all with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the same manuscript. This is the reason the author is named as the Pearl poet, in addition to the Gawain poet. All four poems were uniquely named Cotton Nero A.X. This is due to the manuscript's...
Words: 2666 - Pages: 11
...Lady Bertilak The lady of the house she was one of the most important characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Although her name was not mentioned in the poem, she was the wife of Lord Bertilak (Master of the castle). Lady Bertilak- beautiful, skilled conversationalist, young with a seductress mannerism played the role of the temptress in order to break Gawain’s Christian faith. During the fourteenth century, religion played such an important part in everyone’s life that the women were compared to the Virgin Mary- someone who represents love, obedience, honor, and life. Lady Bertilak was the opposite of the Virgin Mary. To characterize Lady Bertilak, she had a demeanor that personifies lust, someone who will not think twice about deception and will use any weapon (body) to get what she wants. I chose Lady Bertilak because of her unique way of getting what she wants: her smarts, her articulate yet deceptive mannerism she has developed throughout the poem. Per her husband and Morgan le Fay’s request while her husband was out hunting on early morning trips, Lady Bertilak is to entertain and break Gawain’s faith. Morgan le Fay an elderly matron who resides with Lord Bertilak and his wife is one whom they hold great honor toward has organized a challenge for to see if one of King Arthur’s knight were brave enough to strike off the Green Knight's head and may keep the Green Knight's ax, but that man must accept a return stroke in one year.The challenge or Christmas...
Words: 1079 - Pages: 5
...Kayla Hinojosa English 2321 Short Paper (3/20) April 4, 2013 “Cultural values defined in ‘Beowulf’ and ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ ” The cultural values depicted in “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” are those of courage, honor, strength and humility among many others. Now, while exploring the ethos of the cultures in these pieces of literature the reader can deduce that each value means something different. What defines courage (and other values) in “Beowulf” differs from the definition of courage in “Sir Gawain” in many ways including the struggles Beowulf himself faced with Grendel, in “Sir Gawain” with the encounter with the lord’s wife, among other events in both poems. To begin with, in “Beowulf” these values are defined through the heroic code, which was held in the Anglo-Saxon culture in which this poem takes place. Beowulf himself is the definition of a “hero”, exemplifying values such as courage and strength. For example, one challenge that Beowulf held was the battle with Grendel. He shows exceptional strength when he is able to rip of Grendel’s arm which we see in the text itself, "The monster's whole body was in pain; a tremendous wound appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split and the bone-lapping’s burst. Beowulf was granted the glory of winning". The ability to cause so much physical pain to a giant monster shows just how powerful and strong Beowulf is. Strength here is sort of defined as physical power and ability rather than spiritual strength...
Words: 1048 - Pages: 5
...Many have asked the question of what makes a hero someone to look up to. Or why is a hero a hero? The characters in the books Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Knight's Tale all show the attributes of a hero. Beowulf takes place in what would now be modern day Denmark and Sweden while Sir Gawain and the Green Knight takes place in what is now Great Britain. Finally, The Knight's Tale is an ancient legend that comes from Greece. In one story Beowulf slays the dragon Grendel. Then the young Prince Beowulf slays Grendel's mother. Similarly, Gawain goes on a dangerous adventure to keep his word, while two noble knights fight over a beautiful lady in the third story. Since all can agree that heroes must be brave and willing to risk their lives for the good of others, these protagonists exemplify a hero....
Words: 619 - Pages: 3
...paganism, between virtue and sin, between light and utter darkness. An Era portraying a country trying to adapt to drastic changes brought on by the Norman Conquest of 1066, a country fighting to establish its own history in order to gain independence. A Period of knights and ladies, of valour and good faith, which gives life to some of the highest ideals mankind has ever known. It has introduced us to concepts such as chivalry and courtly love, pure expressions of spiritual essence. Of these ideals poets and authors wrote with lively passion, embroidering them in poems such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, or The Wife of Bath. Although its poet remains unknown, the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight remains instilled in our minds as one of the prime examples of chivalry, Gawain representing the chivalrous ideal of the period. His story begins at New Year, in a court filled with joy and happiness, during a banquet thrown by the legendary King Arthur. In the midst of the merriment, the King expresses his desire to behold a marvel, refusing to eat until he had done so. His desire is soon to be fulfilled, as a mysterious creature of the purest green strides in the castle atop his steed, which was also green. This creature exudes of beauty and power, inspiring...
Words: 3278 - Pages: 14
...Critical Reading 1. Preview. Look “around” the text before you start reading. ... 2. Annotate. Annotating puts you actively and immediately in a "dialogue” with an author and the issues and ideas you encounter in a written text. ... 3. Outline, Summarize, and Analyze. ... 4. Look for repetitions and patterns. ... 5. Contextualize. ... 6. Compare and Contrast. When you write about literature . . . Some Tips for Academic Writers Sentence Style 1. Use simple sentences as rubrics (pointers). 2. Use compound sentences to suggest balance and to present pairs of ideas of equal value. 3. Use complex sentence to emphasize the most important ideas and to subordinate less important ideas. 4. Avoid "empty" sentence frames that say little or restate the obvious. 5. Use present tense when referencing details in a literary work except for passages written in the past tense. 6. Incorporate short, key quoted phrases into analytical sentences. 7. Avoid the use of such words and phrases as "you" and "the reader" that often lead to wordiness. 8. Avoid the phrase, "In conclusion," when opening the concluding paragraph. 9. Avoid gratuitous complements and superlatives. Paragraph Development 1. Use Pattern 1 paragraph frames for most paragraphs in the body of academic essays. 2. Begin body paragraphs with claims as topic sentences that repeat key concepts from the thesis sentence. 3. Always introduce the speaker, context, and/or significance of block quotations. 4. Always...
Words: 4605 - Pages: 19
...Law and the Humanities Online Dr. Hugo Walter Spring 2014 Email: HGW@BerkeleyCollege.edu HUM360 Online 4 Credit Hours Office Hours: Online every day, seven days a week (Sunday through Saturday). Please always feel free to email me with any questions. I will also designate an hour each week when I will be available on Blackboard IM to answer your questions. COURSE DESCRIPTION This course examines the treatment of legal themes in literature, music, film and other visual arts as part of a broader consideration of the relationship between the humanities and the law. Students will explore the ways that the humanities utilize different perspectives and aesthetic styles in the discussion of such legal themes as morality, justice, equality and authority. COURSE GOALS At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to: Articulate the contribution made by law and the humanities as a field of study. Articulate the ways that imaginative portrayals of law often convey concerns about the process and practice of law with greater persuasive force than factual texts. Identify recurring themes that are investigated in law and the humanities, such as the difference between legal and moral codes, the role of custom in establishing legal norms, the role of punishment, the imperfect functioning of the legal process, unfairness in the criminal justice system, bias against minorities and the poor. Understand the...
Words: 3295 - Pages: 14
...Министерство образования и науки Республики Казахстан Кокшетауский государственный университет им. Ш. Уалиханова An Outline of British Literature (from tradition to post modernism) Кокшетау 2011 УДК 802.0 – 5:20 ББК 81:432.1-923 № 39 Рекомендовано к печати кафедрой английского языка и МП КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, Ученым Советом филологического факультета КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, УМС КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова. Рецензенты: Баяндина С.Ж. доктор филологических наук, профессор, декан филологического факультета КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова Батаева Ф.А. кандидат филологических наук, доцент кафедры «Переводческое дело» Кокшетауского университета им. А. Мырзахметова Кожанова К.Т. преподаватель английского языка кафедры гуманитарного цикла ИПК и ПРО Акмолинской области An Outline of British Literature from tradition to post modernism (on specialties 050119 – “Foreign Language: Two Foreign Languages”, 050205 – “Foreign Philology” and 050207 – “Translation”): Учебное пособие / Сост. Немченко Н.Ф. – Кокшетау: Типография КГУ им. Ш. Уалиханова, 2010 – 170 с. ISBN 9965-19-350-9 Пособие представляет собой краткие очерки, характеризующие английскую литературу Великобритании, ее основные направления и тенденции. Все известные направления в литературе иллюстрированы примерами жизни и творчества авторов, вошедших в мировую литературу благодаря...
Words: 82733 - Pages: 331
...First published by The Writer’s Coffee Shop, 2011 Copyright © E L James, 2011 The right of E L James to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part maybe reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The Writer’s Coffee Shop (Australia) PO Box 2013 Hornsby Westfield NSW 1635 (USA) PO Box 2116 Waxahachie TX 75168 Paperback ISBN-978-1-61213-028-6 E-book ISBN-978-1-61213-029-3 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the US Congress Library. Cover image by: © Papuga2006 | Dreamstime.com Cover design by: Jennifer McGuire www.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/ejames E L James is a TV executive, wife, and mother of two, based in West London. Since early childhood, she dreamt of writing stories that readers would fall in love with, but put those dreams on hold to focus on her family and her career. She finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper with her first novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. E L James is currently working on the sequel...
Words: 151445 - Pages: 606
