Medieval romantic literature placed great emphasis on the significance of costume. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight quintessentially represents this ideal as well as underscores differences between characters through the detailed descriptions of their appearances.
In the beginning of the poem a description is given of the Green Knight as soon as he appears. He is described as wearing all green “with smoothly shorn fur clearly showing, and faced/with all-white ermine” (Fitt 1, lines 154-155). His attire is a direct representation of his wealth, as fur was, and still is, a luxury. Such a description makes readers wonder about the status of the Green Knight, and in turn his identity, as well as pose questions, such as: Is the Green Knight a wealthy gentleman? How did he become wealthy? The answers to such questions are more obvious in regard to Sir Gawain, who is depicted as clothed “in the costliest costume:/his coat with the brightly emblazoned badge/mounted on velvet; magical minerals/inside and set about it; embroidered seams;/a lining finished with fabulous furs” (4.2025-2029). From the poem, readers know that Sir Gawain comes from Arthur’s court—the reason for his wealth. Similarly, they can infer about his identity as a valiant knight. He is dressed in the most expensive clothing because he is a representation of the court; nonetheless, his attire is a direct representation of his identity. As seen in the imagine (below) from an online blog, Sir Gawain’s costume is not overly embellished with unnecessary jewels or pieces, it’s simple and humble like the knight himself. Similarly, the Green Knight is described as wearing “no helmet and no hauberk either,/no armored apparel or plate was apparent,/and he swung no sword nor sported any shield,/but held in one hand a sprig of holly…and in the other hand held the mother of all axes” (1.203-208). Interestingly, he isn’t covered in armor, but sports a more down-to-earth look, which underscores his correlation with nature as opposed to humanity, as he is hidden away in the woods. His weapon, an axe, also relates him to a forester, which further highlights his relationship with nature. Likewise, the photograph makes him appear as though his body is a part of the leaves and trees growing in the background, rather than makes him stand out like Sir Gawain himself.
It’s apparent that descriptions of costumes and appearances play a major role in characterizing both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Questions for the class: Do you believe costume and/or appearance descriptions evident throughout the poem were deliberately incorporated to attribute certain characteristics to the characters? What else can costumes and/or appearances be used to depict or convey within literature? Can these costumes and/or appearances simply be based on fashion seen during the era from which the work was created and nothing else?
Works Cited
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Simon Armitage. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Gen. ed. Martin Puchner. 3rd ed. Vol. B. New York: Norton, 2012. 725-780. Print.
Liz. “Story Seer.” Web log post. Story Seer. N.p., 20 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. <http://storyseer.blogspot.com/>.
This is very well written. I especially appreciate the emphasis on how the green knight is described. I hadn’t put much thought into it before now and because of this new view point, i perceive much of the scene a different way.
Thank you. Analyzing a text more deeply definitely provides additional insight.
Hey V.solonynko,
Thank you for your insightful thoughts! I definitely agree that costumes and appearances play a major role in characterizing the characters of the poem. In the text we also see how Sir Gawain’s shield or the pentangle depicts five characteristics about Gawain: generosity, friendship, chastity, courtesy, and charity. Therefore, like how you said, his armor represents his status, identity, and Camelot itself since he is a knight.
Hi V. Solonynko,
I think you made a good analysis here. Costumes and in overall clothes (put it in simple words) are one of the things that describes people’s identities and differentiate one another. They are the first things through which one person perceive the other. This is the reason why the impression management one makes when showing up to a job interview is not necessarily the same one one makes when going to a club for example. It is also through clothes, that one can make a distinction at first glance between people with different cultures. This also holds true in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’s poem. The costumes ,as you said, i believe are set to respond to the identities of the characters in the poem and give the reader an impression of what the characters truly are and also give more information about their origins. This, i think is what made the nobles and knights in the woods to welcome and house Sir Gawain even though they did not know him before. His costume and pentangle said it all for him before he uttered any word.
Moreover i believe that costumes or clothes are the first things that make a distinction between generations and eras. And as you noticed it, the first thing that helps you know that a television show is from the 1980s and not from 2000s is surely the costumes or the clothes.
I completely agree with the question you’re proposing. I noticed when reading the extensive details put into describing the physical appearance of not just Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but all the other characters as well. I believe we discussed in class about how Guinevere was described in both her appearance and her attire. She described as incredibly beautiful and garnished in the most lavish clothing and jewels. Without this description i believe the readers would not perceive Guinevere as a “prized jewel.” The costumes and descriptions definitely impact the way the reader sees each character, and what the reader’s opinion is about the character.
Hey, V.Solonynko
I agree with what you saying. I believe costume descriptions evident throughout the poem were deliberately incorporated to attribute certain characteristics to the characters. People being identify as the level of high class or lower class through what they dress. In the text, where queen Guinevere dressed in rich costume shows her high status. Also, I believe costume represents a person’s status and who they are.
Hi V.solonynko,
Thank you for sharing your ideas and deep analysis. I believe that costumes definitely played a big role in portraying the characters throughout the text. I agree that Sir Gawain’s uniform represents his nobility and his high status. Likewise, we can see Guinevere’s uniform also represent her high status and it also shows how beautiful she is. Also like we said in class, her appearance shows how she is a trophy prize.