Within a feudal and pagan English society the ‘Sir Gawain’ poet offered the audience a stark contrast between this society (represented in Bertilak’s countryside and castle); and the idealized Christian society of Camelot. Coleman (p 42), states that in the fourteenth century, ‘…two categories of specifically English works emerged…those…for spiritual edification and social reform, and those…for entertainment.’ Whilst Coleman later suggests that romances fall into the category of entertainment, the value of ‘Sir Gawain’ was more than pure entertainment: it can also be seen as a ‘…sophisticated, moral and didactic compilation[s]…’ (Barron, 1987 p 55). It is a moral tale because it exemplifies Christian belief and it is didactic because the poet appeals to the audience to respond in the way that Sir Gawain does during his journey through ‘country wild’ (Line 713), his own temptation, sin and eventual redemption.
As Sir Gawain sets off in his search for the Green Knight, the poet describes how King Arthur bestows on him richly ornamented armour. From line 568 there follows a detailed description of each piece as it is put on, using words and phrases such as: ‘…lavishly lined…lustrous…with fastenings of the finest gold…the best cloth...rich…fine gilt…resplendent…’ (Lines 571, 577, 581, 590, 598, 603), the audience would have been left in no doubt that Arthur had spared no expense in sending a glittering and glowing ‘…peerless prince’ (Line 623) out into the unknown.
At line 619, he is given ‘…the shield, that shone all red’, which is detailed ‘With the pentangle portrayed in purest gold’, (Line 620). Note that although gold is used elsewhere on his armour, pure gold is reserved for the pentangle on the shield. Between lines 623 and 665, the poet is keen to show the narrator taking pains in describing the symbolism of the pentangle as a ‘sign by Solomon…/ To be a token of truth…’
David and Donaldson (Ed. Abrams, 2000) suggest that as well as meaning truth in a modern sense of what is known to be true, truth here is trawþe as in troth or pledge of faithfulness made by ‘..one’s word and owed to a lord, a spouse, or anyone who puts someone else under an obligation.’ (p 157). For a knight to pledge this trawþe it remained a bond until death. Although the Gawain poet goes on to give other meanings to the pentangle on the shield, the central idea is that it is a symbol of trawþe, firstly to his lord, Arthur, secondly to Christ and thirdly (later) to Bertilak.
Radice (Ed 1974, p 147) comments that because the Gawain poet goes to great lengths to explain the detail of the pentangle, he ‘…acknowledges his audience’s probable ignorance of it…’ My opinion is that the audience would need some prior knowledge of the pentangle to fully comprehend the significance of it, (though we are not obliged to believe the poet when he says it is known in all England). This knowledge is important, especially as it is used to contrast the
emblem of the green sash which later symbolizes vntrawþe or ‘…false faith…’ (Line 2509). They would certainly have understood the idea of a pledge of trawþe, as contracts in this society were not written down. A man really was ‘as good as his word’ in the 1300’s, so even if they were unfamiliar with the pentangle symbol, they would have understood the meaning of truth here.
The pentangle is dated as far back as some excavated Babylonian pottery, (about 3500 BC). According to Davis (1997 p 93), ‘The pentangle was …used as a magic sign…to give power over evil spirits…but had much earlier come to be adapted to Christian symbolism…’ Davis later goes on to say that there are manuscripts and a fourteenth century church ornamented with the pentangle and more importantly that ‘…he [the poet] could hardly have expected his audience to follow his description of the figure if they had never seen it.’ Despite the poet telling us of a biblical link, (Line 625), there is no mention of it in the bible. He also gives it a previously unknown name, ‘…the endless knot’ , (Line 630), so perhaps he used a known symbol, attributing a new Christian meaning and name to it to fulfill his purpose within the poem.
Sir Gawain’s temptation comes in the form of the wife of Sir Bertilak of Hautdesert. Spearing (1972) suggests that the temptation of Sir Gawain at Bertilak’s castle is the main theme of the poem, (as described in lines 1187 – 1308; 1472 – 1557 and 1755 – 1870). While the Beheading Game was a
physical test, the greater test was a ‘…moral test, in which Gawain, superior though he is to all other knights … failed’. (p 34). It is worth remembering that Sir Gawain pledges his trawþe in the form of obligation to Bertilak (see lines 1089 – 1111), and while he remains chaste in Bertilak’s house, he does not reveal the green sash before he leaves the castle. Unbeknown to Sir Gawain, Bertilak’s wife had been trying to break Sir Gawain’s trawþe, and she finally succeeds in line 1861 not by seduction, or with the love token of a gold ring, but with the gift of a green sash: ‘For the man that posses this piece of silk / …There is no hand under heaven that could hew him down’ (Lines 1851 &1853). (See how perfectly it fits its purpose for Sir Gawain!).
The audience will surely have identified with Sir Gawain at this point in the poem: as a mortal, he does not posses the supernatural powers of the Green Knight, so they know that for him the Beheading Game is certain death. When he places his faith in the power of the sash to (literally) save his neck from the axe of the Green Knight, he is not aware that it is worthless in this respect, nor does he see it as a symbol of vntrawþe. His trawþe, represented in the emblem of the pentangle is broken, along with his trawþe to his Christian faith, Camelot and King Arthur. Sir Gawain also breaks his pledge to Bertilak in not declaring the sash to him and it is in this respect that he feels guilty.
Aware of his failure, he confesses his sin ‘And called on the confessor to cleanse his soul’ (Line 1882). Here the didactic nature of the poem challenges the audience’s assumptions of the sinful nature versus Christian ideals on the understanding that nobody is perfect. Even ‘perfect’ Sir Gawain ‘got it wrong’ and had to repent. The Green Knight offers the sash back to him, so that ‘…you may / Be mindful of this meeting…’ (Lines 2396 & 2397). Later, the audience sees that Gawain is permanently ‘marked’ by his dark deed, even though ‘redeemed’ by the Green Knight, who absolves his sin. Even the court at Camelot accepts Sir Gawain, despite his ‘blemish’ (Line 2506), and all offer to wear a sash (Lines 2515 – 2518). This could be seen by the court audience as a corporate acknowledgement that although society can try to uphold Christian ideals and aim to be ‘perfect’, human fallibility is part of life.
To conclude, it can be seen that the poem ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ in its style and content reflects both the period and place in which it was written. The northern court audience was familiar with some of the main themes and events within the poem and would have seen it as not only entertainment, but also as a moral and didactic text. Christian ideals are portrayed in the court of Camelot and the pentangle is seen as symbolizing protection and trawþe. It has been shown that the poet offers the green sash as a direct contrast to the pentangle symbol, and that while Sir Gawain successfully retains his physical
chastity, he fails the moral test by accepting an emblem of vntrawþe, in which he misplaces his faith.
The audience saw in this poem, a brave knight, greatly loved by his friends and king set out on a near impossible and lonely journey where he will surely meet his end during a Beheading Game. The audience would have appreciated the honourable character of Sir Gawain as he resists the charms of Bertilak’s wife in an almost superhuman way. Most importantly, the audience would have identified with Sir Gawain’s natural desire to preserve his own life even at the cost of sacrificing his trawþe to his king, country and God. The figure of Sir Gawain leaves Camelot with his faith as shiny and pure as the pentangle on his shield. He returns home with a humble badge of false faith, which serving as a more realistic emblem of human imperfection is shared by Camelot and the court audience alike.
