This week we started to read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It's a medieval story taking place in Camelot, where King Arthur and his knights of the round table reside. The story starts off on new years and everyone is waiting for food to be served. Arthur said he's bored and wont eat until he see's something marvelous. Just then a random, giant, green knight walks into the hall and challenges someone to cut off his head with his own ax. Everyone is shocked, but Sir Gawain steps up, promises to play the knight's game, and chops the knight's head off. After the knight puts his head back on, he tells Gawain that in a year and one month, he Gawain to find him so that he can chop Gawain's head off.
Sadly, Gawain promised to obey the rules of the game before hearing the part about his head being chopped off. So the story continues like that and I haven't finished the story yet. So far I enjoy the story a lot and I'm expecting there to be a good ending.
This story was written after the story of Beowulf, but just before Othello. I personally found Sir Gawain and the Green Knight a lot easier to read than Shakespeare, but I later found it was actually translated by J. R. R. Tolkein. For some who might not know, J. R. R. Tolkein is mostly well known for writing the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
With the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I feel like it's just like the other stories we read, but I feel its also very unique in its own way. Tales of King Arthur and Sir Lancelot were famous stories I remember hearing when I was a kid. There were also many movie adaptions depicting Excalibur and the Knights of the Round Table. I always thought that Sir Lancelot or Sir Perceval. But I don't remember hearing about a knight called Sir Gawain. It turns out that Sir Lancelot was actually one of the last knights ever added to the Round Table and that Gawain was one of the original and best of King Arthur's knights.
Today we also talked about honor. At first I was a little confused, but I think I kind of understand now. I just questioned that if Sir Gawain is told the Green Knight is coming back in a year and one month to cut his head off, why would go find the knight and let him cut his head off? According to the Professor, its all about honor. Gawain made a promise, even though he wasn't 100% clear on whole getting your head cut off.
Personally, there isn't really anything that I would sacrifice my life for. But the Spartans in 300, the Alamo, and the brave people during 9/11, they all sacrificed themselves even though they knew they were going to die. I guess it's like describing the color blue to a blind person or Daoism. I guess that's why I like these types of characters. They're selfless and they never go back on their promises.
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