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In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", Lines 2245–2271 of, the line ".Then the man in green, quickly prepared." is used to describe how Sir Gawain is given a "girdle of green silk" by Lady Bertilak, who promises that it will protect him from harm. In medieval times a girdle was more than mere decoration; it could symbolize loyalty, status, or even magical protection. To knights a girdle would symbolize such interior meaning. The green girdle has direct reference to tension across the entire passage between knightly courage and human fear. Gawain, by the nature of his knight's vow to face danger with courage, takes the girdle in order to save his life. The green makes the girdle refer to the Green Knight himself whose test determines if Gawain is able to confront the highest ideals of honor and verity. By hiding the girdle from his host, Gawain breaks his oath and reclaims his test of veracity.

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Deal, Kat. “A Girl with Rizz: Lady Bertilak.” Substack.com, Curiosity Killed the Kat, 19 Feb. 2024, curiositykilledthekat.substack.com/p/a-girl-with-rizz-lady-bertilak. Accessed 22 July 2025.

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In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", he phrase "and this New Year was to promptly repay you" occurs when Gawain remembers that his ordeal with the Green Knight is to be resolved at the time of changing the year. The medievalists in Britain considered the New Year a period of renewal and accounting. In contrast to contemporary New Year festivities, it was linked to deeper ideas about the rhythms of time and the payment of one's dues which can range from spiritual, social, and personal, etc. The New Year mentioned here is Gawain's unavoidable fate where he must repay his oath to accept the return blow of the Green Knight. This line reminds readers that Gawain's deal was not just brave but required. The seasonal cycle emphasizes that acts have consequences and commitments have to be repaid. The New Year coordinates with the poem's themes of nature cycles and eternal tests of honor and worth. The Green Knight, man and nature figure that he is, forces Gawain to face these cycles head on. Gawain's journey to the Green Chapel at New Years shows how ideals of knighthood must face the harsh current of time and the things that it carries.

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Calendar, National Day. “NEW YEAR’S EVE - December 31.” National Day Calendar, 15 Feb. 2024, www.nationaldaycalendar.com/pop-culture-lifestyle/new-years-eve-december-31.

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In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", the lines "Take off your helmet, and now take your dues" come just as the Green Knight prepares to deliver the blow Gawain accepted a year earlier. To a modern reader, the line may seem like a simple phrase that concludes a sentence, but in medieval culture, the removal of a helmet in combat indicated absolute trust or surrender. "Take your dues" is more commonly known as "pay your dues". Both mean "to earn the right...". A helmet was a knight's most significant protection; to remove it was to be totally vulnerable, showing one's bravery and honor. "Take your dues" is a reminder that Gawain's test is a test of paying a moral debt. His "dues" are not just a blow but payment for holding to his word. A knight's honor depended on keeping promises at any cost, even the threat of death. This is connected to the larger themes of the poem, which include courage, honesty, and the harsh truth that living up to ideals will occasionally require sacrifice. Gawain's uncovered head symbolizes his genuineness and humanity, but exposed to judgment.

I used AI to research more on the phrase "Take your Dues" and "Pay your Dues" and how it relates to "Sir Gawain nd the Green Knight".

“How to Use Pay Your Dues to Express Hard Work and Experience.” GRAMMARIST, July 2020, grammarist.com/idiom/pay-ones-dues/. Accessed 22 July 2025.

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In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", the line "but Gawain glanced sideways as the battle axe swung, as it came gliding down to the ground to destroy him," the battle axe is not just a weapon, it is a symbol of the terrible trial of Gawain's knightly honor and of the harsh reality of nature's verdict. To a modern reader, an axe would appear as an ordinary medieval weapon, but in this poem the axe is a figurative symbol of life's inevitable accounting. There is so much depth to this weapon. Early on, the axe of the Green Knight is associated with the "beheading game," a ritual of reciprocal blows that tests Gawain's valor, veracity, and loyalty. He must withstand the same deadly force he swore to deliver. The line shows that the axe, descending, is a tangible reminder that Gawain's vow must be fulfilled with his life. The axe also echoes the poem's broader issues: nature's inexorable law compared to man made chivalric codes; codes of conduct. Gawain's sidelong glance foreshadows the struggle between human nature and legalistic knightly ideals. The axe finally gives him a break, but only after illustrating that true honor lies in facing up to one's own frailty.

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Nast, Condé. ““The Green Knight,” Reviewed: David Lowery’s Boldly Modern Revision of a Medieval Legend.” The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2021, www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-green-knight-reviewed-david-lowerys-boldly-modern-revision-of-a-medieval-legend.

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In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", the line "You're flinching from fear before you feel pain" are spoken by the Green Knight to reproach Sir Gawain for recoiling when the great axe strikes at his exposed neck. To a medieval audience, this would be a very deep thing, I mean, a knight's honor rested on being brave in meeting death, no external display of fear. Modern readers might sympathize with Gawain's reaction, but under code of conduct, wincing disloyalty betrayed a shameful crack in discipline and courage. The Green Knight's taunting words bring out the underlying tension oft his scene. The tension between human nature and chivalric ideals. Gawain's wince illustrates that even the best knight cannot suppress the primitive fear of death. This little twitch holds great symbolic significance. It shows that underneath the armor and vows is the same mortal man as the rest of men, beset with the same fear of men. This is an action that also conforms to the greater themes of the poem, for example, imperfection and truth. Gawain's wince is also symptomatic of his later refusal to tell people about the green girdle. Both actions are taken out of fear. He finally accepts shame and realizes that honor is not about flawless courage but about owning one's own errors. The taunting line of the Green Knight serves as a reminder that even heroes fear pain and that such fear can lead to humility.

I used AI to get my point across and how "fear" relates to the rest of the text.

Bates, Robin. “The Green Knight and Plague Fears | Better Living through Beowulf.” Better Living through Beowulf | How Great Literature Can Change Your Life, 19 Dec. 2024, betterlivingthroughbeowulf.com/the-green-knight-and-plague-fears/. Accessed 22 July 2025.

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I used AI to create this image to represent the Green Knight having characteristics of violence and heroism. This image captures the Green Knight as both violent and heroic. His fierce expression and raised battle axe show his power to test and terrify Sir Gawain. His flowing green armor and natural motifs, like leaves and vines, tie him to the wild, untamed forces of nature. The Green Knight’s violent posture reminds us of his role as an executioner enforcing Gawain’s promise, but his calm, noble stance and shining armor also reveal his purpose as a teacher of truth and humility. He is not a villain but a supernatural judge who forces knights to face their fears and flaws. This double nature reflects the poem’s theme that true tests of character often appear frightening but lead to moral growth. The Green Knight’s violence is the spark for Gawain’s journey toward honesty and self-understanding.

I asked AI to help me go more in depth with what this image means to me as far as the story goes, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight".

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Girdle (Noun): An article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist. (“Definition of GIRDLE.” Www.merriam-Webster.com, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girdle.)

New Year (Noun): The calendar year about to start or recently started. (“Merriam-Webster Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster.com, 29 Oct. 2023, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/New%20Year.)

Battle Axe (Noun): A broadax formerly used as a weapon of war. (“Merriam-Webster Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2025, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battle-ax. Accessed 22 July 2025.)

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Alexa Morelle

ENG 200-001

Fitt 1, Lines 2244-2271

"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"

I have selected lines 2244–2271 of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Keith Harrison (Oxford University Press, 2008)”, which is the climactic moment when Gawain confronts the Green Knight and learns the secret of his trials. This passage is especially effective because it redefines what it means to be a noble knight not in action or perfection, but in humility. I was drawn to the moral complexity of the scene where Gawain is extremely embarrassed, but the Green Knight thinks of him as reasonable.

I did not use AI.