Okay, a couple of points before I dive back in. First, I admit I'm not sure what to make of the Green Knight. I'm not sure if he is and has always been some sort of magical creature who can survive a beheading or if Morgan enchanted him for the sole purpose of challenging Gawain. And if so, is this a spell she can activate and deactivate at will? If Gawain had tried to behead Bertilak at his castle, when he wasn't in the guise of the GK, would he have succeeded? Or would Bertilak still be invincible?
I've always argued on the side that Bertilak is or was once human and was only recently enchanted by Morgan. That is why I think the ending of SGGK is out of character for him...in that he spares Gawain. I think he breaks from Morgan's plan by not taking Gawain's head off. I think it's a human failing...because he feels pity for Gawain because he's familiar with Lady Bertilak's games. Of course, the poet is able to frame it all as a lesson in faith for Gawain. But I think my opinion dissents somewhat from the accepted interpretation.
To me, Bertilak - not Morgan - is the key. We have no idea who he is what he is or where he comes from. And I've always found it intriguing that nobody has every found an acceptable etymology for his name. It's unprecedented...but, then again, so was the Pearl poet.
Back to our discussion....
Not necessarily. Even Merlin doesn't have unlimited prescience. I could accept that she might be able to foresee some of the adventure...maybe that Gawain would be the one to accept the challenge, but not all the other events that fall into place. Sorry, that's one place we'll have to agree to disagree. What happens to Gawain is, to me, much too detailed and sometimes even contradictory for anyone to foresee.Quote:
Originally Posted by TalmadgeMonroe
In the Arthurian tradition, there are any number of knights that could be called the "most loyal" to Arthur. It's only because of the title of the poem that we know Gawain will be the one to take the GK's challenge, not out of any all-encompassing title that he's Arthur's most loyal knight.Quote:
Originally Posted by TalmadgeMonroe
Okay, agreed. Christian faith is one of the big themes of the work. But, again, I don't think Morgan could've foreseen this, considering that she usually is portrayed as the exact opposite of the Christian model; she's usually pagan. Fey, witch, sorceress...it's all just a Christian way of saying OTHER is big capital letters. It doesn't make sense to me that Gawain would pray three times to God and bam! he would find Morgan la Fey's enchanted (pagan) castle. Which is one of the reasons I have a hard time accepting your interpretation that Morgan is "not evil" (evil usually being synonymous with "pagan", especially in a Christian work). She is generally allied with the pagan; what would be her motive for helping Gawain perfect his Christian faith?Quote:
Originally Posted by TalmadgeMonroe
Again, why? What interest does Morgan have in seeing Arthur's knights gain prestige?Quote:
Originally Posted by TalmadgeMonroe
Look, I'm not adverse to classifying Morgan in general as "not evil". I think there are certainly pieces of Arthurian literature out there that show her in more or less sympathetic lights (Mists of Avalon, for one). And even in the works where she is most definitely evil (Malory), she is given just cause for turning against Arthur. She's never something as simple as a cackling witch bending over a boiling cauldron, which is one of the beauties of Arthurian literature. But IMO there isn't much evidence for labeling her a good character in SGGK.
