Essay on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Modern Fantasy

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as Modern Fantasy nbsp; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written by an unknown author in the 14th century, can be called a timeless work of poetry. It exudes a certain fantastic quality that, despite its age of over 500 years, still appeals to modern audiences. Because of this application to all eras, would it be reasonable to state that this poem could be classified with modern fantasy fiction? Because of the similarities in plot and style with so much modern fantasy, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight could be placed in the same category with that genre, though the uses of doing so are questionable. nbsp; In plot, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has elements which are similar to much modern†¦show more content†¦From when the Green Knight is beheaded and proceeds to pick up his head, give a wicked grin, and say essentially, Ill see you in a year, (ll. 423-456) it is clear that magic will play in integral part in the narrative. The confirmation of enchantment by Morgan le Faye (ll. 2446-2462) finishes the plot as it began it: in a state of magical unreality. Such enchantment is typical of modern fantasy, particularly from writers of modern fairy tales. Indeed, Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have essentially made their careers editing compilations of these tales, such as the popular Snow White, Blood Red and its several follow-ups. To increase the fairy-tale style feel of the story, the Green Knight is called an elf (ll. 680, 2461) and faery. (l. 240) There is clear indication that this can easily be called a fairy tale. nbsp; Stylistically, the visual and concrete nature of the poem lends itself to modern comparison as well. The delightful accounts of the changing of the seasons are in part to indicate the passage of time, but also add mood to the whole of the piece. Present-day fantasy writer Patricia McKillip has been critically lauded for lush imagery and stories described as atmospheric... and filled with rich imagery. Clearly the descriptions are an important part of the style that makes modernShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1541 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature during the medieval period is where magic and the supernatural are constantly present: in otherworldly encounters such as when the knight Lanval meets the lady who becomes his love, in the strange adventures experienced by knights on quests as Sir Gawain does, and in mystical objects such as the green girdle given to Sir Gawain by Lady Bertilak. Without the magic and otherworldly circumstances that exist in these stories, none of them would have been interesting and they probably wouldn’tRead MoreThe Role of Women in Medieval Literature1344 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The assumption of anti-feminism Ã¥ ¤Å¡as become something of an article of faith when interpreting medieval English literature like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales (Morgan 265). Heng concurs that there are textual assumptions that we now recognize, with the unfair judgment of hindsight, as implicated in a fantasy of textual closure and command, (500). The privilege of hindsight, does, however, offer the opportunity to explore the connections between historical social codesRead MoreAnalysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1054 Words   |  5 PagesIn his book The Discarded Image C.S. Lewis states that â€Å"the Middle Ages depended predominantly on books†¦reading was one way of the total culture.† To illustrate, imagine a young heroic knight, holding his sword in one hand and his shield in another. Standing in confidence, with a determined look upon his face before confronting his next challenge. Bravery is found in many interesting stories throughout the medieval ages. It is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as â€Å"courageous behavior or character† (OxfordRead MoreCharacteristics Of Medieval Romances2016 Words   |  9 Pagescharacteristics: knights, quests, a lady, magic, romance, Christianity, and of course King Arthur. There is actually much more to these stories than just â€Å"A knight goes on a quest. He meets a lady. And they all live happily ever after.† A reader needs to know what features to look out for in order to know for sure what kind of story he is reading. A Handbook to Literature by William Harmon and C. Hugh Holman says that a medieval romance is a tale of adventure that contains knights, kings, or distraughtRead More J.R.R. Tolkien Essay example1443 Words   |  6 PagesJ.R.R. Tolkien Merely mentioning the name J.R.R. Tolkien conjures up fantasies. Though his trilogy The Lord of the Rings is well known, not much else is known about the man who was a scholar before anything else. It is, in fact, the cult scale popularity of the trilogy that obscures the many accomplishments that marked his life. He won an exhibition, or a middle class merit scholarship, to Oxford University in 1911. By the time he attained his bachelor’s degree, he was conversant in seven languagesRead More J.R.R. Tolkien Essay895 Words   |  4 Pages(1892-1973) gained a reputation during the 1960’s and 1970’s as a cult figure among youths disillusioned with war and the technological age. His continuing popularity evidences his ability to evoke the oppressive realities of modern life while drawing audiences into a fantasy world. John Ronald Reuel was born on the third of January, 1892, at Bloemfontein, South Africa, where his father, Arthur, had taken a position with the Bank of Africa. In 1895 Tolkien’s mother, Mabel Suffield, moved backRead MoreMorgan Le Fay5287 Words   |  22 Pagesthe sacred triad of the Triple Goddess, the essence of the powerful Crone, Warrioress, Seductress. Although She is an elder Goddess, she is still magnificent in appearance - often beautiful but frightening. In many of the tales, such as Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight, she can change her appearance from an ancient hag to a beautiful maiden. Irish Goddess of War and Death In Ireland, She is called Morrighan (or Morrigu), the Goddess of Battles and Death. She is a Queen among the Tuatha de Danaan.Read MoreMedieval Poetry3509 Words   |  15 Pagesof roughly 1,000 years. As a result, it is difficult to make generalizations about medieval literature. It is, nonetheless, possible to identify a few general trends. Allegory and symbolism are common in medieval literature, perhaps more so than in modern writing. Religious and philosophical messages were often conveyed through the use of figures, such as the panther, an animal which represented Christ.  Old Norse  and Irish poetry often contains figures of baffling complexity which allowed listenersRead More C.S. Lewis on Misunderstanding Fantasy Essay4960 Words   |  20 PagesC.S. Lewis on Misunderstanding Fantasy â€Å"Good stories often introduce the marvelous or supernatural and nothing about Story has been so often misunderstood as this.† On Stories—C.S. Lewis The early decades of the last century saw the loss of credibility of fantasy literature among the academic elite who ruled it a popular genre with little to no scholarly merit. Little that had had the misfortune of being dubbed fantasy had escaped the blacklist cast upon the field. Many