Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Chaucer, "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale"
Directions: After reading the lecture, answer one of the two questions below. This question is due no later than Thursday, July 28.
Your responses to other students' answers are due by midnight on Friday, July 29. Remember: in order to get the full 20 points, you MUST respond thoughtfully to at least 2 other people's postings.
This set of discussion questions is worth a possible 20 points. Late answers receive 0 points, so post early :)
We will be using the Canvas Discussion Board for this class. Click on the link below to get to the LACCD portal, sign in, and then click on the link for Canvas in the right column. This will take you to the Canvas dashboard. From there, click on the square with the name of our class. Once you've entered the class, you will find the "Discussions" link on the left side of the screen:
Just answer one of the following questions.
1. Critics differ on how to interpret the Green Knight. Some see him as the Devil; others see him as God. Still others have different interpretations. How do you interpret him? Be sure to explain your answer, and give supporting evidence (quotes and examples) from the poem.
2. What symbolic and metaphoric role is played by Nature (the seasons, the wilderness, the animals, etc.) in this poem?
3. In the Tale told by the Wife of Bath, how do the Knight's actions and values differ from the actions and values of Sir Gawain, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
4. The Wife of Bath is a controversial character. In your opinion, are readers intended to perceive her as a positive character who is making valid points about the inequities in the laws governing marriage; or is the reader intended to see her as an immoral, irreligious woman?
For further information on these works, see the Links page.