Not going to lie, I found the end of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight a little bit unimpressive. Like 'hey! Congrats on still having a head but you still screwed up!' And then his only form of punishment or penance was turned into a fashion statement? Like I know they said it was a "solidarity" thing but it still seems like he got off pretty easy. He broke a deal, he broke his word, and all he had to do as penance was wear a sash? And yes, sashes are ridiculous, especially on grown men but it's still a pretty meager thing.
What really got to me was how much the Green Knight didn't seem to care. It was more like a slap on the wrist than a "you broke an oath" anger. That seemed kind of suspect for a guy who transforms himself into a magical, gigantic, GREEN KNIGHT. You kind of expect him to be a drama queen. But nope.
And Gawain just rolls with the fact that this Green Knight starts talking about how Gawain was hanging out in bed with his wife. He doesn't question the fact that the Green Knight was his host for the three days. He just accepts it! Without second thought! Who does that? (People who agree to favours for total strangers is who.)
It is the whole magical world view. Heads can come on and off like some "Barbie" doll. People can shape shift into different people. Powerful women must be witches (or substitute a "b"). The green sash is like Hawthorn's scarlet letter or a badge of suffering and courage, like the tattoo worn by a concentration camp survivor.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your comment, I thought about our police system now a days. Some people who have really good connections, only get a slap on the wrist for their wrong doings. A good example of this would be Chris Brown, he has gotten in to SO SO SO much trouble, beating up a woman, drugs, and even fighting in public. What does he get? Like you said, a slap on the wrist. Although Gawain didn't do any of the same things, breaking the code was a serious thing back then. And remember, he is King Arthur's nephew, so he doesn't get any serious punishment. Instead when Gawain goes back to court, everyone pretty much congratulates him.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparison but I think after a certain point it breaks down. Chris brown beat his girlfriend and got a slap on the wrist. Gawain consented to have his head cut off and made some mistakes, but he was also the only one who was brave enough to take up the gauntlet in the first place. So his shame does become a kind of badge of honor, and reminds us all were not perfect
DeleteI disagree with the whole punishment thing. Instead of loosing his head, he now has to live the rest of his life knowing he did something wrong. Even worse his mistake is turned into a fashion statement and establishing guilt. At first it wouldn't be so bad, but over time it eats you away.
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