Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Book Report/Review Example

The work Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in late 14th century. The work has to be understood in the background of the values which were prevalent in British and the Irish traditions. The protagonist of the story, Gawain, through different happenings in the story, passes through tests of these values. The author reiterates these values as the Gawain proves himself to be a worthy and loyal knight. The resolution, confirms the reiteration of the values as the fellow knights in the court wear girdles expressing solidarity with the protagonist.

The initial action comprises of the entry of a green man into the court of Arthur, where Arthur always has the habit of not eating without having heard an interesting tale. The rising action unveils as the green man comes up with a challenge which lays the background for the happenings henceforth. In the climax, Gawain meets the green knight and survives through the challenge as he does not lose his head in the process. The falling action unveils the secret behind the challenge where the green knight reveals the identity of the characters that the protagonist comes across.

As mentioned above, the conclusion reiterates the values which the author is trying to highlight.The setting extends from the Arthur’s court to areas outside the jurisdiction of Arthur. Thus here the knight travels beyond his zones of authority. As the plot deals with the values being tested, this extended setting contributes to the plot. The court room, the castle of Sir Bertilak and the chapel of green knight are the most important settings in which the story unfolds. Here both the court room and the castle of Sir Bertilak are very civilized settings where as the setting of the castle of the green night is in wilderness and a very imaginative space.

This setting helps the rising action and the uncertainty in the challenge posed by the green knight is well supported this setting.Peculiar among the symbols used are the Green girdle and the color and the appearance of green knight. The green girdle symbolizes a sense of security for Sir Gawain. The same symbol brings in the protagonist guilt of being dishonest as he didn’t disclose the receipt of the from the lord’s wife. The appearance of the green knight also adds to the mystery of the story.

King Arthur symbolizes the philosophical values connected with the English history. By adhering to King Arthur’s system what is being implied is the need to adhere to the system as such. The protagonist, Sir Gawain represents every individual who has to go through varied experiences, ensuring that the values of the civilization are adhered to. The plot has set as being narrated by the protagonist in most places. This adds the readability element. The most important theme that has been dealt with here is important of values.

The protagonist goes through several processes which tempt him to negotiate his values. He strives across the challenges to keep his values. For instance, he was tempted many times not to go to the green knight. Knowing that he may lose his head, he went ahead and kept his word. The glory that followed on adhering to the values also has been emphasized in the work. Thus the literature has relevance even in the present day context.