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A bitten apple is the famous logo of Apple Inc.

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* While the apple is known to represent temptation and sin, it also represents that Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge. It could be argued Apple Inc. chose the symbol of a bitten apple to represent the knowledge and awareness of the world we gain by using their products.
* For Adam and Eve, the apple symbolizes temptation, knowledge, their sin and their fall. For Sir Gawain, the green girdle symbolizes his failure and sin. "Regard," said Gawain, as he held up the girdle, "the symbol of sin... a sign of my fault and offence and failure, of the cowardice and covetousness I came to commit" (lines 2505-2508). He vows to wear the girdle till the day he dies to symbolize his failing so that he will never forget (lines 2510-2512).

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Morgan Le Fay from Marvel comic book "The Avengers" #1 

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The Orchestrators: God and Morgan Le Fay 

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The Orchestrators: God and Morgan Le Fay 

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* In this story, Morgan Le Fay has cast a spell to transform the world back to medieval times. Her speech bubble says, "How perceptive of you, young knight! Yes, it's true--I am the ultimate author of all your misfortunes." Like in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, she used magic to orchestrate events. (Also, like the Avengers, the Knights of the Round Table were the super heroes of their times.)
* In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is told by Lord Bertilak that it was Morgan Le Fay who cast a spell that put Gawain's journey in motion. She sought to put King Arthur's court on trial for their pride and to test if the court was worthy of its great reputation. She had malicious intent and hoped, ultimately, that the court would fail her test (lines 2444-2462). Her plan did not succeed, but she orchestrated the circumstances that lead to Sir Gawain's dishonor.
* In Paradise Lost, God created Adam and Eve and put The Tree of Knowledge in Eden to test their obedience (lines 651-654, book 9). As the creator, God has power over everything and knows all. However, having given Adam and Eve free will, he does not intervene when they choose to defy Him (lines 118-128, book 3). God shares similarities to Morgan Le Fay (even if He had no evil intent) because He created the circumstances that led to their fall.

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"The Serpent Tempting Eve"  Henry Fuseli

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* In this painting Satan has such a fawning expression on his face he almost looks pitiable. It has a quality of insincerity, but looks non-threatening. Satan is behind a tree which references the Tree of Knowledge. Because he is somewhat hidden behind it, it gives the effect of sneaking up on Eve. She is smiling at him which reflects her lack of awareness of the danger he presents.
* When Satan first introduces himself to Eve he fawns over her beauty in the way of Petrarchan Sonnets. He appeals to her vanity by calling her a "celestial beauty" and a "goddess among gods" (lines 533-549, book 9). By telling her that eating from the Tree of Knowledge will give her awareness equal to gods, he is able to appeal to her ego (lines 708-712, book 9).
* Lady Bertilak attempts to seduce Sir Gawain sexually and tempt him materially (lines 1757-1829). He is able to resist her until she promises him the girdle that would protect him from harm (lines 1849-1854, page 181). Fearful that he might literally lose his head when he meets the Green Knight again, Gawain accepts the gift.

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"Ulysses and the Sirens" Herbert James Draper

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* The painting is a depiction of a scene from the epic poem Odyssey. Siren mermaids are singing to Ulysses and his crew. In Greek myths sirens used their beauty and singing to lure sailors to their death. The siren as a symbol of a dangerous woman who uses her sexuality/beauty to cause harm to men is an enduring and universally known one.
* Sir Gawain acknowledges the "cowardice and covetousness" that leads him to betray his own moral code and he feels great shame about it (line 2374). Yet, he ultimately blames women and their "womanly guile" as the reason he gave in to his weakness and accepted the green belt. Many men, including Adam, Gawain says, have been "wrecked and ruined" by the "cunning tricks" of women (lines 2411-2428). "Yet all were charmed and changed by wily womankind" (lines 2425-2426).
* Overcome by Eve's charm, Adam decides to eat the apple even though he knows it's a bad decision (lines 996-998, book 9). After, he blames himself for admiring Eve and seeing her as perfect (1178-1179, book 10). If he hadn't done so, he would have known not to trust her and if it wasn't for her pride and vanity, he would still be a happy man (lines 873-877, book 10).  Adam tells Eve that just as she had been "fooled and beguiled" by Satan, he had been fooled and beguiled by her (line 880, book 10).

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I liked that a character from medieval literature has endured and made its way to comic books. The themes of hero versus villain as well as fate or free will are timeless.

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* Eve and Sir Gawain are both tricked by people who present themselves as kindly intended even though they have a secret ulterior motive. Like Eve with Satan, Sir Gawain had no sense of the danger Lady Bertilak presented. Instead, he is charmed by her and attracted to her seductive qualities.
* The expression on Satan's face in the painting is complex, because it can be interpreted in so many ways--pitiful, fawning, innocent, adoring-but it has an undercurrent of insincerity. Satan in Paradise Lost is also complex with many emotions motivating his desire to destroy.

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I liked that this was not a picture that had anything to do with either Sir Gawain or Paradise Lost, but shares the common theme of women tempting men to their downfall.

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* I really wanted to show how the meaning of symbols can endure over time. I don't think Apple Inc. consumers always know or care about what the icon means necessarily, but it's interesting how it can easily be interpreted as relating to the story of Adam and Eve.
* The green girdle has not become such a universally known symbol, but to Sir Gawain it would always represent sin and human weakness. His fellow Knights decide to wear a green sash also and it serves as a symbol of the high regard they have for him. Eventually, it becomes a sign of honor (lines 2516-2520). This shows that like the apple, a single symbol can have a complex meaning and story attached to it.

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*  In the simplest way, the cartoon gives an example of a paradox.
* Milton believed in free will and man's ability to choose his own destiny. Milton cannot have God explain how free will works in His universe without-- by implication--acknowledging its paradox. How can there be free will if God, the creator of man, knows what man will choose before he chooses it? God explains how He knows Adam and Eve will fail Him while still granting them free will (lines 90-134, book 3).
* As a knight, Sir Gawain is honor bound to the Knight's Code of Chivalry. While Sir Gawain is staying at Lord Bertilak's castle, his wife Lady Bertilak attempts to seduce him. If he sleeps with her he will dishonor her husband, Lord Bertilak (lines 1773 to 1776). If he rejects Lady Bertilak, he will have shown her disrespect (lines 1297 to 1301 and more). Whichever he chooses, he is honoring one and dishonoring the other. By dishonoring either, he is dishonoring the Knight's Code.
* Gawain finds himself in conflict again when he accepts Lady Bertilak's girdle. By taking the gift, it solves the potential dilemma of being disrespectful to her. However, she then asks Gawain to vow to keep it a secret (lines 1859-1865). Gawain had already sworn to share all his winnings with Lord Bertilak as he requested (lines 1088-1092). Once again, there is no way Gawain can honor the Lord and Lady's requests simultaneously. And, just as before, because he can't honor both, he will fail to honor the code of chivalry.

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I really liked how concise the cartoon is because it gives an example of a paradox simply and easily. A paradox can be a confusing concept and the examples in Sir Gawain and Paradise Lost require a longer explanation.