ENG208 -- Survey of British Literature: Beginnings to 1789

Prof. Eileen Joy

Fall 2003

READING QUESTIONS #2 (Beowulf & Sir Gawain)

Please respond to the questions with full, complete sentences. You should write at least one FULL paragraph in response to each prompt (a full paragraph is somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-10 sentences, but let's not get distracted by these fine points of detail--what matters to me is that you respond to these prompts with thoughtfulness and care and show me that you have something of substance to say in relation to the reading and discussions we have had in class, and what that ultimately means is: MORE is always better than less). Where the questions are interpretive in nature, there are NO right or wrong answers, only your opinion (an opinion, nevertheless, that's hopefully grounded in a close reading of the text as well as a close attention to background material presented in class). It wouldn't be a bad idea either to point to and/or quote specific passages from the text in order to support your observations and ideas (that will help you practice a skill that will become an absolute necessity when you are writing your papers).

1. What is medieval chivalry, and why is it important in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?

2. Describe Gawain's shield, front and back. What is the significance of the Pentangle? What about the significance of who is portrayed behind the Pentangle (on opposite side of shield)? What is implied about her relationship to Gawain?

3. How would you define/explain the relationship between the hunting exploits of Bercilak and the different sort of "hunt" going on in the bedroom?

4. What is Gawain's (and the poet's) attitude toward Lady Bercilak? What does that imply about courtly love?

5. Why is Gawain ultimately being tested, do you think? What aspect, or aspects, of his character are ultimately being challenged by the Green Knight, Bercilak, and Bercilak's wife?

6. How is Gawain as a character different from Beowulf? How are they similar--what values do they share?