We have read different portrayals of characters throughout this course. King Arthur is passive in some stories and assertive in others. Gawain is a knight to aspire to in some and other times lacks wisdom and is hot headed. Queens are voiceless in some tales and  are the driving force behind plots in others. Choose a character who you feel was portrayed the most differently.  How did the trait effect them and others in story a compared to an opposite trait in story b?  You want to argue that these opposite traits resulted in vastly different outcomes for them and others.

I see a lot of dualisms in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” “The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell” and “The Turke and Sir Gawain” and in other texts we’ve read. It seems like magical transformation happens in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” “The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell” and “The Turke and Sir Gawain.” How does this add to the texts? Do you think transformation is important in them? Or is being steadfast more important? 

   In “The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell” there is a lot of unexplained events- like Dame Ragnell’s death- but other stories we’ve read are incredibly detailed with character’s origins/ lineage.  Does mystery serve a purpose in the “The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell”?  Other dualisms you could discuss are private life/ court life, or any you found interesting. 

The reaction to death appeared to contrast throughout  “The Death of King Arthur.” Sometimes it appeared to be feared, other times it seemed honorable or even blasé. Character’s reactions to death were so varied. There were many scenes about death: King Arthur’s nightmares, the sage’s interpretation, Sir Gawain’s death, Sir Mordred’s, battle scenes and King Arthur’s death.  Do you think in “The Death of King Arthur” death is viewed more in a positive light, maybe even romanticized? And for what reasons? Negative reactions to death are also strong, is death viewed more as a tragedy and a loss?

How do you think women and femininity  are represented in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? Do you think women have more positive or negative attributes? Are they portrayed as cunning, manipulative, and deceiving? And a creation of the Pearl Poet’s view of women? Or can this poem be read as a critique of misogyny and gender norms?  

In the beginning of the poem, the speaker describes Camelot. He says “Such a coming together of the gracious and the glad: the most chivalrous and courteous knights known to Christendom;”  He says the knights are known in the Christian world not throughout the kingdoms. There is an emphasis on Christianity in multiple parts but do the characters’ actions align with christian doctrines? Even some unlikely characters? Or do you see more of a repetition of the seven deadly sins?