Well, I would argue that what makes the figure of the
Green Knight marvellous is the fact that a) he is green and b) he is apparently
invulnerable to weapons and having various limbs and heads
dismembered!
Critics have hotly debated his origins, but
the fact that he is green suggests that he represents a spirit of rebirth and growth
that is easily spotted in nature. For example, trees have the amazing ability to
recuperate and grow back after being chopped down that we can see in the figrue of the
Green Knight and the way that he treats his decapitation with nonchalance. Note how he
simply picks up his head, which continues to operate normally, even though it is
detached from the rest of his body, and carries on with his life. Interestingly, the
next time he appears it is firmly stuck onto his body again where it
belongs.
These two aspects, to my mind, are what makes this
figure truly marvellous and amazing.
No comments:
Post a Comment