In
a world where giant, green men with very large axes simply stroll into Arthurian
courtyards during Michaelmas...but can you imagine if there was more than one
Green Knight? That’s a bit scary. This is probably my third time reading this
story and this part is probably my second favorite; since I am quite fond of
the whole “an honorable end for an honorable man,” so I like the weird ending.
But this part always sticks out, because you know, decapitation. Yet even so “that
scalp and skull now swung from his fist/…and it opened its eyelids, stared
straight ahead/ and spoke this speech…” (SGGK 49). The supernatural way that he
simply addresses the court like some headless horseman makes the story really
come to life (no pun intended).
However one of the most important questions to
ask is: Why green? Why not a Blue Knight? Why are this Knight and his horse
cantering into the great hall sporting this secondary color? The most common
symbol for green is envy and jealousy so would that mean that this mysterious
Green Knight is jealous of King Arthur, his court, his followers? So many
questions, so little time. The first lines that tell of this unusual pigment in
his skin: “Amazement seized their minds/ no soul had ever seen/ a knight of
such a kind/ entirely emerald green.” (SGGK 30). There is an intended emphasis
on “emerald” since it creates alliteration with “entirely” and with this the
knight is put into a noble light since emeralds are jewels which would NOT be
associated with a lower born person or even a small-fry knight. My guess is
that this honorable green knight heard about all the brave deeds and heroic knights
and their love of their king, he got real envious because he lives alone and
forgotten in the corner of the world and he comes to the court because he wants
to be noticed and talked about like the famous king.
Also
I feel like I should also talk about the other reading we had, “The Canon’s
Assistant Tale” which was interesting in how terrible the people in it are.
Especially the part where the “rascal canon” swindles a priest with his false
alchemy. First of all that priest is way too gullible and a bit corrupt if he
is all about making illegal money, probably for himself. And then the swindler,
well, I have mixed feelings about him since he is obviously talented about his
work and is renown through the town, but also he is a fraud. “That scoundrel
canon, whom the devil fetch/ Out of his bosom took a seeming charcoal/ A bit of
beech wherein he’d bored a hole/ In which he’d placed an ounce of silver
filings…” (CAT 442). Obviously what the fraud canon is doing is horrible, and
he is using alchemist pretexts to swindle wealthy, ignorant people who want to
believe in magic, and a quick way to more money. Yet, in a way he is just
trying to make money and survive, it is his livelihood, and he is good at it.
Somehow I saw him more as a corrupt salesman.
