Structure and Meaning in Sir Gawain and the

Structure and Meaning in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sam Berit, Yash Hari, Ryan Kulka, Selin Ozoglu, Min Son, Arthur Vasilyuk

Robert Ward Margeson 1944 -2015 Canadian Earned Ph. D at the University of Toronto 1971 - wrote a doctoral thesis about King Arthur Professor at the University of Guelph

Audience Other scholars of literature conveys the significance of both circular and linear analysis Readers provides further support on their idea of symmetrical poem (circularity)

Summary and Other Important Information Linear versus circular shape of Gawain’s quest Beginning and ending in perfection versus perfection to imperfection Concept of the past Circular-past is past, present, and future Linear-past is only the past, cannot be repeated Gawain sees himself linearly, everyone else sees his adventure as a circular path Only knight to see his mistake, begins on the path to correct himself

Relationship to Our Study of Text Symbols, virtues of Gawain as a very religious knight Shield(Pentangle), 5 knightly virtues Celtic pagan beliefs: Year=importance cycle in human and natural worlds circular cycle

Three Take-Away Points Gawain sees his quest as a linear venture (failure) From a perfect to imperfect knight The court sees the quest as circular (success) Completion of the beheading game, no net effect on Camelot Gawain walks away from his quest as a better knight