The Royal Truth :: Essays Papers

The Royal Truth The poem Sir Gawain And The Green Knight was written anonymously around 1375 for the royal court in London. This work is a combination of comedy and satire. The poem also has two plots: "the beheading contest, in which two parties agree to an exchange of blows with a sword or ax, and the temptation, an attempted seduction of the hero by a lady" (Norton, 200). This essay will discuss one description of the setting of the poem, the characters' behavior, and how this courtly society has deteriorated from the ideal. The poem begins with the burning of the city, Troy, and the flight of Aeneas. The great-grandson of Aeneas, Felix Brutus, is also the founder of Britain, and he comes to rebuild the city in Britian. The poem continues to describe how the city is built and says that King Arthur becomes the successor of the throne. The author makes the readers understand that the action is taking place during the winter because he mentions that the king, who is the handsomest of all his guests, is having a Christmas party at Camelot. The text states: ...he is the comeliest king, that that court holds, For all this fair folk in their first age were still. Happiest of mortal kind, King noblest fame of will; You would now go far to find So hardy a host on hill (203). The author is also very graphic. For example, the author describes the beheading of the Green Knight this way: "...the head was hewn off and fell to the floor; ...The blood gushed from the body, bright on the green..." (Norton, 211). The passage from lines 60 to 129 of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight describes how the king and his guests celebrate New Year's Day. Before the king enters the room, the food is served to the guests. When the king comes in, everyone stops and the "Clerics and all the court acclaimed the glad season, Cried Noel anew, good news to men" (Norton, 203), which means that the guests exchange greetings with each other. Then men and women hand out gifts, but at the same time they play a kissing game. The entertainment continues until the food is served. In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight, the unknown author explains his characters' personalities and their appearance. He says that Queen Guenevere is a perfect person, who has no faults.