Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a long poem that tells the story of the adventures of the brave knight Sir Gawain. This story is a fairy tale that shows the bravery and courage of the knights, which were popular at the time of its writing; however, it also shows their weaknesses, which are common to all people. Consequently, the fairy tale genre involves the use of many images and symbols, the main ones of which are green color, the pentagram, and the green girdle.
A feature of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is that the meaning of some symbols is revealed in the course of the story, while the sense of others is ambiguous even with in-depth analysis. For example, Sir Gawain talks about the symbolism of the pentagram on his shield, which depicts the five paths of virtue. He says they represent the strength and skill of his five fingers, the perfection of the five senses, devotion to the five wounds of Christ, the five joys of the Virgin Maria (Neilson 14-15). The last point of the pentagram represents the five virtues of generosity, fellowship, courtesy, chastity, and charity (Neilson 15). The reader sees how Sir Gawain sometimes breaks these rules, but more often combines and interweaves them like triangles in a pentagram. Hence the meaning of this symbol is clear to the audience.
However, the green color and green girdle symbols are more ambiguous as to their meaning changes throughout the story. Firstly, the reader can see the green color in every element of the Green Knight’s appearance when entering the castle, which is an image of power, and even fear and executioner. However, after the second and third meetings, this character becomes a hospitable host and a nobleman who, despite the guilt of Sir Gawain, shows mercy to him (Neilson 47-49). In this case, the green color and the character can symbolize the forces of nature that a person cannot confront because it is an invincible power but, at the same time, the source of life. The green girdle symbol also changes as it first symbolizes immortality protecting Sir Gawain from danger, then shames it due to deception and Sir Gawain’s unwillingness to return it. (Neilson 37, 48-49) Finally, the girdle represents dignity because of Sir Gawain’s confession and acceptance of his mistakes (Neilson 50 ). Consequently, these symbols demonstrate the fickleness of a human character, which is revealed in different circumstances.
These symbols serve as a means of conveying the meaning and moral of the story. Obvious images guide the reader on the right path and create a mood, while hidden meanings provide readers with a deeper feeling and analysis of the poem. These images make the tale’s literary and semantic depth, since, without them, the story would become just a representation of characters’ traits without explaining the motives behind each person’s actions. In addition, symbols allow the author to create an atmosphere of a fairy tale, in which the reader perceives fictional characters. Consequently, the symbolism of the work helps to reflect on the actions of the heroes and understand the message that the author wanted to convey.
In conclusion, the example of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight demonstrates that symbols in a text can be explicit and hidden to readers since they perform different tasks. Explicit images of a given story, such as the pentagram, help create and explain its fairytale atmosphere, while hidden symbols are intended to reveal deeper meanings. Consequently, the absence of symbolism in the poem could not disclose the meaning of the story and make it uninteresting to the reader.
Work Cited
Neilson, William, translator. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Publications. Middle English Series, 1999.