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From Romantic to Mimetic Fiction in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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From Romantic to Mimetic Fiction in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Università degli Studi di Padova Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Letterari Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Lingue e Letterature Europee e Americane Classe LM-37 Tesi di Laurea From Romantic to Mimetic Fiction in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Relatore Laureando Prof. Alessandra Petrina Sibilla Siano n° matr.1191575 / LMLLA Anno Accademico 2019 / 2020 Table of Contents Foreword .............................................................................................................................................. 7 1. MS Cotton Nero A.x.: a pearl of breath-taking beauty concealed in an unimpressive shell. ..... 11 1.1 The relationship between the illustrations and the text in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight . 18 1.2 From romantic to mimetic fiction ............................................................................................. 23 2. Thresholds of ambiguity: real natural landscapes and fairy paper castles .................................. 25 2.1 The representation of the natural world: from background to enemy ...................................... 30 2.2 Feasting and celebrating at King Arthur’s and Sir Bertilak’s courts ....................................... 46 3. Heroes and villains: the description of the knight’s equipment as a means of identity disclosure .................................................................................................................................................... 75 3.1 Gawain, the hero of the pentangle ............................................................................................ 90 3.2 The bewildering greenness of the Green Knight .................................................................... 104 4. The late medieval debate on the sacrament of penance. ........................................................... 119 4.1 From divine to human: three confession scenes ..................................................................... 127 4.2 It is all a matter a conscience .................................................................................................. 139 Bibliography..................................................................................................................................... 153 Riassunto .......................................................................................................................................... 165 List of Illustrations Figure 1. MS Cotton Nero A.x., The Green Knight at King Arthur’s court (f94v) ......................... 145 Figure 2. MS Cotton Nero A.x., Sir Gawain and Lady Bertilak (f129r) ......................................... 147 Figure 3. MS Cotton Nero A.x., Sir Gawain at the Green Chapel (f129v) ...................................... 149 Figure 4. MS Cotton Nero A.x., Sir Gawain’s return to King Arthur’s court (f130r) ..................... 151 Foreword This dissertation is aimed at analysing the anonymous fourteenth-century alliterating poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in order to outline a possible transition from romantic to mimetic fiction within the poem. The first chapter illustrates the historical and social framework in which the poem was allegedly composed. Since nothing is known about the author, the patron, the date and place of composition, we can only rely upon textual evidence in order to interpret the poem. It is impossible to determine whether this text was composed in the wake of the alliterative revival characterising Edward III’s reign or during the reign of his grandson, Richard II, or even if it was conceived for a provincial audience or conversely related to the royal household. The dialect evidence (assuming it refers to the author and not the scribe) allows the identification of the area of composition with Cheshire or Staffordshire. However, since many lords extensively travelled with their retinue across the country, this identification can hardly be used to discover the owner’s identity. An analysis of the illuminations decorating the manuscript might offer further insights into the reception of this poem amongst the contemporary audience. According to the theory of modes elaborated by Northrop Frye, a distinction between romantic and mimetic fiction can be drawn on the grounds of the relationship between hero and natural environment, as well as of his power of action. Therefore, chapters two and three analyse both these aspects in order to determine whether a transition towards mimetic fiction occurred in this poem. The second chapter analyses the background of Gawain’s adventures, which proves to be shaped on the dichotomy between wilderness and courtly environment. The first functions as an additional character capable of hindering Gawain’s path, whereas the second functions as a stronghold of civilization. The existence of opposing worlds is further reinforced by the presence of textual and paratextual thresholds. The ambiguities at the very heart of this poem can already be highlighted in the representation of both the courtly and the natural environment: the wilderness full 7 of foes proves to be the place in which Gawain is at his best, whereas the courtly environment proves to be but a nest of temptation. The realistic description of a wintry landscape marks a decisive shift towards mimetic fiction, since it weakens the hero’s power of action: the hero of standard Arthurian romances cannot be killed by extreme weather conditions, conversely, a real man can. The third chapter is aimed at analysing the two main characters: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The description of their equipment should inform about their identity; on the contrary, it increases the ambiguity imbuing the poem. Gawain is described as a symbol of almost divine perfection, embodied by the pentangle depicted on his shield. Such a description sets very high expectations on Gawain’s behaviour. Nonetheless, he proves to be the embodiment of Everyman, thus not exempt from human fallibility. Many scholars have tried to uncover the Green Knight’s identity by relying upon the colour symbolism. However, since the poet also chooses to represent him as a courtier, as well as a knight, it is impossible to come to a univocal and definite conclusion about his nature. On the contrary, his greenness opens up several contrasting interpretations that stretch from a devilish creature to the embodiment of the Christian Epiphany. As the chief source of literary medieval realism is the hero’s sinfulness, the last chapter is entirely devoted to the analysis of the three confession scenes presented in the text. The first takes place at Bertilak’s castle and is performed before a priest; therefore, it can be considered a representation of the divine court, whereas the last scene is performed before King Arthur and can consequently be considered the representation of the human court. Since the identity of the Green Knight is all but straightforward, the confession scene taking place at the Green Chapel is equally opaque. However, a close analysis of the words used by both Gawain and the Green Knight might uncover further ambiguities at the very heart of the poem. Since its rediscovery in the nineteenth century , Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has fascinated scholars and readers due not only to the ambiguities imbuing the text, but also to its pervading 8 humanity. Although the poem is still rooted in the romance tradition, its emphasis on human fallibility and real-life constraints might have marked a transition from romantic to mimetic fiction. 9 1. MS Cotton Nero A.x.: a pearl of breath-taking beauty concealed in an unimpressive shell. The purpose of this chapter is to analyse some of the outstanding physical characteristics of the manuscript, in order to outline the possible historical framework in which the texts might have been conceived. This analysis might offer additional insights into Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as well as highlight a possible transition from romantic to mimetic fiction, which will be further explored in the following chapters. The late fourteenth-century manuscript MS Cotton Nero A.x. has always held a fascination for scholars and readers, not only for the stark contrast between its sophisticated content and its unpretentious outward appearance, but also for the mystery involving its authorship and ownership as well as its date of composition. The manuscript is currently held in the British Library and is recorded according to its position in Sir Robert Cotton’s library. The seventeenth-century librarian wanted this manuscript to be bound with some works by Justus de Justis and some theological excerpts 1. It was only in 1964 that the manuscript was restored to its original composition 2. It is composed of four texts: a dream vision, Pearl, two homiletic texts, Patience and Cleanness, as well as an Arthurian romance, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight . It is the only surviving Middle English manuscript entirely consisting of alliterative poetry 3. In particular, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is written in long alliterating lines evoking the Old English tradition, with additional bob- and-wheel lines, rhyming ABABA, at the end of each “stanza.” Furthermore, the Pearl-manuscript – as the manuscript is also referred to – is a codex unicus, since there is no other surviving copy of any of the four texts contained in it. This might be considered yet another mystery involving this 1 British Library, Archives and Manuscripts, Works of Justus de Justis and Theological Excerpts [website] http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?tabs=detailsTab&ct=display&fn=search&doc=IAM
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