ISBN-13: 9783639162752 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 76 str.
This work examines the psychomachia, or battle of the soul, as it occurs in the 14th century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Based on an analysis of the Gawain-poet's earlier work, as well as contemporary analogs in chivalric manuals, Arthurian romances and mystical literature such as The Cloud of Unknowing, it argues that Sir Gawain's quest into the Otherworld is a tragedy of limited, human perception pitted against a mysterious Infinite that "deigns to destroy" the mortal protagonist's delusion of knowing. The fault of Sir Gawain, therefore, occurs after his ordeal at the chopping block, arising from excessive pride in his own chivalric self-conception. As such, the Gawain poet's final work is a masterful culmination to his life-long exploration of the themes of purity, confession, and unclouded spiritual perception.
This work examines the psychomachia, or battle of thesoul, as it occurs in the 14th century poem, SirGawain and the Green Knight. Based on an analysis ofthe Gawain-poets earlier work, as well ascontemporary analogs in chivalric manuals, Arthurianromances and mystical literature such as The Cloud ofUnknowing, it argues that Sir Gawains quest into theOtherworld is a tragedy of limited, humanperception pitted against a mysterious Infinite that"deigns to destroy" the mortal protagonists delusionof knowing. The fault of Sir Gawain, therefore,occurs after his ordeal at the chopping block,arising from excessive pride in his own chivalricself-conception. As such, the Gawain poets finalwork is a masterful culmination to his life-longexploration of the themes of purity, confession, andunclouded spiritual perception.