Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is one of the legendary stories used to describe the heroic and brave knights of legends such as the Knights and King Arthur. Ideally, it would be better to be perfect. For them, they had to follow the cavalry code, which served as a model for behaviour. This included military and religious ideals such as honesty, courage, and faith. The story tells of a poetic work in which the author uses much symbolism, with which the number three plays one of the most important parts of his work.

First, the number three is used as a significant number and always acts as a universal symbol. The author uses the number three to symbolize Sir Gawain’s loyalty to the Green Knight. Sir Gawain has been tested three times in history. The first case is whether or not you are ready to accept the challenge offered by Green Knight.

In this test, Sir Gawain tied to show the courage and bravery he had by accepting the challenge. Secondly, test on whether he or not keep the agreement with Green Knight. The test outcome, in this case, was successful since he was honest and completed tasks successfully. Thirdly, test on how he coped up with temptations. Significances of the number 3 in Sir Gawain has for the green knight. These tests can as well be interpreted as the best reason for following both the ethical and moral codes.

However, the various things which fall in group three include heaven, hell and earth, both life and death and the three moon stages. Broadly, the events disclose in counts of three helps to explain in deep whereby the poet tries to make a connection between the story and the biblical events. Christianity is the critical subject of Code of honour. Number three is used to help describe the various case scenarios that promote wellbeing and code of conduct among the people. Gawain’s temptation within the three days reflects the social interaction that people undergoes through and various encountered challenges.

Additionally, the number three symbolizes various significant roles throughout the story that demonstrates a common objective. Also, in the story, the number three is used to illustrate the different functions on values symbolically. Thus it can be used as mythical phenomena, common folktale use as well as a religious aspect. Moral uprightness is well illustrated under number three as it is symbolized by Gawain the three days temptations.

Piers Plowman

In the poem, Piers Plowman by William Langland is a narrative poem that mainly deals with theological and social perspective of life. The poem takes the form of a series of dreamlike visions linked to the difficult social and spiritual situation of England in the late fourteenth century. The language is generally simple and familiar, but some images are powerful and straightforward. The realistic and allegorical elements are spectrally mixed, and the poetic medium and structure are hampered by the writer’s spiritual and educational impulses. His bitter attacks on the church and political corruption (especially among the brothers) quickly touched the sensitive fibres of his contemporaries. In the 16th century, Piers Plowman appeared as a printed book and apologized to the early Protestants.

Comparison of both poems

In both poems, they address the issues facing England. Both are from a Christian perspective which they think affects them. The only difference between the two poems is that they use different stylistic devices during communication. In the poem Piers Plowman, the author uses allegory while the poem of Sir Gawain, he uses imagery. These stylistic devices are important in ensuring that everything is communicated in an artistic way as compared to the author way of using art.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the author is trying to represent number three as a reference symbol. Gawain’s temptation within the three days reflects the social interaction that people undergoes through and various encountered challenges. Arguing in Christianity point of view, the author tries to compare the Number three symbolism with the Holy, i.e., God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This is a unique fairytale as well.  It is applied in the “Three Bears” “The Three Billy Goats Gruff “and “The three little pigs.” Three guess and three wishes are other ways the author which use as symbolism (the number three symbolism). Henceforth, the three axe made to Sir Gawain by Green Knight fully describes the three challenges to symbolize number three as a model and ideal myth towards human being moral traits. The number three is therefore used to assist in delivering the meaning of good morals within the social livelihood.

References

Tolkien, J. R. R., Gordon, E. V., & Davis, N. (Eds.). (1967). Sir Gawain and the green knight. Oxford University Press.

Andrew, M., & Waldron, R. (Eds.). (1982). The Poems of the Pearl Manuscript: Pearl, Cleanness, Patience, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Univ of California Press.