AE Project Preliminaries

Introduction:

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the ideal representation of the warrior chivalry aspect of the chivalric code. Warrior chivalry contains virtues of mercy, courage, valor, fairness, protection of the weak and the poor, the servant-hood of the knight to his lord, and the willingness to give your life for a poor man or your lord. Sir Gawain can be seen as the embodiment of that aspect of the chivalric code. The games that the Green Knight challenges Gawain with, even if they are violent in nature, also adhere to that chivalric code. The temptation that Bertilak’s wife imposes on Sir Gawain plays on the courtly love aspect of the chivalric code and Sir Gawain responds accordingly to the seduction of Bertilak’s wife in accordance to the warrior chivalry aspect of the chivalric code. Because of all of these representations of warrior chivalry Sir Gawain and the Green Knight can be seen as the ultimate guidebook of warrior chivalry in its era.

Quote Analysis:
“Time after time, in tournaments of joust, / they had lunged at each other with leveled lances / then returned to the castle to carry on their caroling” (41-43).
Having tournaments of joust where it is fine to attack each other with lances is seen as a normal affair to these chivalric knights of King Arthur’s court and so the game that the Green Knight proposes can be seen as being just as chivalric.

“if a person here present, within these premises, / is big or bold or red-blooded enough, / to strike me one stroke and be struck in return, / I shall give him as a gift this gigantic cleaver / and the axe shall be his to handle how he likes” (285-289).
The Green Knight issues a challenge with clear and precise rules and he is willing to abide by these set of rules in accordance to the chivalric code.

“I stake my claim. / This melee must be mine” (342).
Sir Gawain tells his lord, King Arthur, that he must be the one to accept the challenge of the Green Knight instead of Arthur. Because Sir Gawain is willing to risk his life in place of his lord, it is an example of warrior chivalry.

“For Gawain was as good as the purest gold--- / devoid of vices but virtuous, loyal and kind” (634-635).
This is a testament to Sir Gawain’s virtuous nature, which is an important part of the chivalric code.

“He was careful to be courteous and avoid uncouthness, / and more so for the sake of his soul should he sin / and be counted a betrayer by the keeper of the castle” (1773-1775).
As Sir Gawain was being tempted by Bertilak’s wife he is able to uphold the chivalric code of honoring his lord, which in this case is the keeper of the castle that he is staying in. Sir Gawain was able to turn down the queen politely and uphold the chivalric code by accepting only a mere kiss from the queen.

Critical Analysis:

The Cipher of Chivalry: Violence as Courtly Play in the World of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Carl Grey Martin, defends the violent games in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by explaining them in a chivalric sense. Martin begins by saying, “The dominant act of the Middle English romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the grotesque physical breaking and disfigurement of one knight by another” (311). He goes on to explain how this act of violence goes against the Christmas festivities that are going on during the time of the Green Knight’s challenge. Martin says, “The Green Knight’s proposal to endure a decapitating stroke in return for the chance to deal one himself appears to subvert the tenets of courtly civility and of Christian fellowship” (311). Then he backs up the knight’s chivalry by saying, “Yet he pursues this contest with a true knight’s obligatory magnanimity and finesse” (311). I agree with Martin and his idea of violence as courtly play. It kind of goes against each other but they work together so well in this sense. The Green Knight issues the challenge of having someone take an axe to his neck and in a years time that person would have to seek out the Green Knight so that the Green Knight can return the blow back. The challenge contains honor and the risk of bodily harm to each person involved, much like any other “games” that knights would play, such as jousting and sword fighting. In fact, in the beginning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Arthur refuses to eat unless he would be entertained by a duel between two knights. So even the extreme act of violence of Sir Gawain lopping of the Green Knight’s head contains a certain chivalric aspect to it.

Martin also goes on to explain certain aspects of chivalry and honor in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Martin shows the humanity and also the courage of Sir Gawain: “He is prepared for death, but in the end declines to accelerate or ensure it. Like the Green Knight, Gawain has a trick up his sleeve. And just as the Green Knight arched his body to bare his neck to the ax, so Gawain, conquering his instinct to shrink or shun the blow” (320). He also compares and contrasts the Green Knight and Sir Gawain’s courage and honor to the game that they play. Martin viewed the Green Knight as not being honest to the rules of the game: “Beheaded yet alive, the Green Knight would instead evade restrictions, defy definition, and erode the difference that renders play meaningful—a privileged sphere of action” (325). Martin had a more favorable view of Sir Gawain, in terms of honoring the rules of the game: “Untouched by magic, he truly exhibits the warrior-noble’s vulnerability to courtly-chivalric mystification; he has rationalized his relation to physical suffering” (325).

Martin, Carl Grey. "The Cipher Of Chivalry: Violence As Courtly Play In The World Of "Sir Gawain And The Green Knight.." Chaucer Review 43.3 (2009): 311-329. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.

Influence of Sophisticated Corruption in The Duchess of Malfi

The early 1600s was known as the Jocobean era. During this time Roman Catholic Italy was known as a “land of sophisticated corruption” (1571). The Duchess of Malfi was influenced by the politics of that time. The characters, especially, were influenced by that sort of “sophisticated corruption.” You can see that sort of corruption being expressed in the characters of the Cardinal and Ferdinand.

Corruption is clearly evident in the characters of the Cardinal and Ferdinand. In the beginning of the play Bosola expresses his distaste for the Cardinal and Ferdinand saying, “He and his brother are like plum trees that grow crooked over standing pools” (1.1.46-47). Bosola reveals that the Cardinal and Ferdinand are dishonest and devious in the very beginning of the play. The politics of the time has an apparent influence in these two characters since they are of the highest social standing in the play and they are introduced in the beginning of the play as being corrupt.

The Cardinal is a corrupt official in the Roman Catholic Church. In the beginning of the play we even learn that he had convinced Bosola to kill someone for him. Delio tells Antonio that he knew Bosola from the galleys and that he was sent there “For a notorious murder” (1.1.64) and it was thought “The cardinal suborned it” (1.1.65). Having someone killed is not typical behavior for an upstanding cardinal. In the beginning of the play we see the corruption of the Cardinal and that he would be willing to use someone to kill someone else for some kind of gain.

Ferdinand is the second corrupt character in The Duchess of Malfi. In the beginning of the play Antonio describes Ferdinand as, “A most perverse and turbulent nature” (1.2.76). Ferdinand is already characterized as being corrupt and unstable. These characteristics have been evident throughout the play as well. He would become unstable and erupt in anger when he hears about the Duchess’s (his sister) pregnancy and birth of her child, which he vows to find out who impregnated her. Ferdinand says, “Till I know who leaps my sister, I’ll not stir” (2.4.78). He then finds out that Antonio is the father and he has the Duchess killed by Bosola. After her death Ferdinand reveals his true intentions: “Only I must confess I had a hope, / Had she continued widow, to have gained / An infinite mass of treasure by her death” (4.2.260-262). Because he revealed that the only reason that he was so fervently against her remarrying was so that he could inherit her fortune shows his corrupt nature.

The Duchess of Malfi was affected by the corrupt politics of the time period that it was written. The influence of the corruption in politics shows through the characters of the Cardinal and Ferdinand. These two characters are of high social standing and are the most corrupt characters in the play which is much like the way it was during the time that the play was written.

Twelfth Night / The Duchess of Malfi Comparative Analysis

“The Duchess of Malfi” is very polarized from “Twelfth Night.” One obvious difference is the genre of each play. “Twelfth Night” is a comedy, which involves having a happy ending which resolves in marriages. “The Duchess of Malfi,” however, is a tragedy, which has a sad ending which resolves in death. There is an interesting subject that these two plays share, however, and that  is marriage. Although “Twelfth Night” and “The Duchess of Malfi” use the subject of marriage in extremely different ways. In “Twelfth Night” marriage is the thing that is sought out throughout the entire play and it is only through marriage that the characters will be happy. Also In “The Duchess of Malfi” marriage is what begins the events that will lead to the tragic ending of the characters. Gender and societal norms are challenged in each of these plays as well. Women are shown taking the lead in relationship matters in both, “Twelfth Night” and “The Duchess of Malfi.” Although in “The Duchess of Malfi” societal norms are challenged with The Duchess marrying outside of her station, which began the series of events that leads to the tragic ending. “Twelfth Night” and “The Duchess of Malfi” share some of the same subjects, such as marriage, and going against gender and societal norms, but each play employs the subject matter in very different ways.

The glaring difference that “Twelfth Night” and “The Duchess of Malfi” is the genre. The former play is a Shakespearean Comedy, which is classified as having a light hearted tone and having a happy ending, that involves having marriages between unmarried characters that match up together. The latter play is a tragedy, which is classified as having an ominous tone and having a tragic ending with all the main characters dying.

Although “Twelfth Night” and “The Duchess of Malfi” are from completely different genres, they share marriage as a main subject in both of the stories. In “Twelfth Night” each of the characters are seeking marriage. Orsino is trying to marry Olivia: “O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first” (I.i.28), Viola is trying to marry Orsino: “Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife” (I.iv.41), and Olivia is trying to marry Viola: “Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind” (I.v.296). In the end each character ends up with a person that matches them well. Olivia and Orsino are married, Viola and Sebastian are married, and Maria and Sir Toby are married. Unlike in “The Duchess of Malfi,” The Duchess marries Antonio who is well below her station, “Bless, heaven, this sacred gordian, which let violence / Never untwine!” (I.iii.180-181), and this marriage is what sets the tragic events of this play into motion.

“Twelfth Night” and “The Duchess of Malfi” also share strong female characters. It seems that in each of these plays the women are wearing the pants (literally, in Viola’s case). Viola takes charge in “Twelfth Night” and dresses up as a man in order to work under the Orsino and she ends up falling in love with him. She then drops hints that she is in love with the duke while he asks her for love advice. She replies to Orsino, “A little, by your favor. [...] Of your complexion. [...] About your years, my lord” (II.iv.23-27). She drops those not so subtle hints to the duke even if she is dressed up as a man. That shows real initiative on her part. In “The Duchess of Malfi,” The Duchess takes initiative by being the one to marry Antonio. She also is portrayed as not being afraid of death when her brother, Ferdinand threatens to kill her. She seems to take everything like a man, so to speak, in “The Duchess of Malfi.”

Although “Twelfth Night” and “The Duchess of Malfi” seem very different, they share the same themes of marriage and strong female roles. “Twelfth Night” has a light-hearted tone, while “The Duchess of Malfi” has a dark tragic tone. Each play share the commonality of marriage as a subject matter. Although in “Twelfth Night” marriage is a happy occasion, unlike “The Duchess of Malfi” where marriage begins the tragic events. Each play also share strong female characters, Viola in “Twelfth Night” and The Duchess in “The Duchess of Malfi.” Each of these plays challenge gender and societal norms in their own way.

Expert For the Day Post #3

Video explaining the origin of "Ring Around the Rosy"

Expert for the Day Post #2

I scrapped the William Shakespeare idea and decided to, instead, do a presentation on the origins of nursery rhymes that have roots in British history. The nursery rhyme that sparked my interest on this subject was "Ring Around the Rosy," which is about the Great Plague of London in 1665. I've found out in my research that "Ring around the rosy" is attributed to the red rash that is a symptom of the plague. Also that "A pocketful of posies" referred to the herbs and spices that people carried in their pockets that were thought protect them from the plague. Finally, the last two lines are attributed to the high death toll of the plague.

Expert For the Day Post #1

I have been doing some research on Shakespeare and I have found out there is quite a lot of controversy surrounding him. I am thinking about doing a presentation or something on that. Here is a Wikipedia article I have found on the controversy surrounding Shakespeare's authorship: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_authorship_question

Twelfth Night Mini-Analysis

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night makes gender and social order topsy-turvy by reversing gender roles and social roles between the characters. Although gender and social order gets placed on its head, by the end of the play there is a semblance of order. In my opinion, Shakespeare makes a critique of the gender and societal norms that are present during his time by showing how things would be if the roles were reversed.
 
Things are made topsy-turvy in the realms of gender and social order by, first, having Viola dress up as a man and take up the identity of Cesario in order to get work with Orsino. Viola decides to dress as a man to serve Orsino: “Conceal me what I am, and be my aid / for such disguise as haply shall become / The form of my intent. I’ll serve this duke” (I.ii.51-53). Since Viola decides to disguise herself as a man, gender is made topsy-turvy. Another way things are made topsy-turvy is by having Malvolio talk down to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew while they were merry-making. Malvolio tells Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, “Have you no wit, manners, nor honesty but to gabble / like tinkers at this time of night? Do ye make an alehouse / of my lady’s house?” (II.iii.82-84). Malvolio is just Olivia’s servant, and yet he talks down to Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, who are knights. Things were also made topsy-turvy by having Olivia fall in love with Cesario, who is really Viola in drag. Olivia first realizes her love for Cesario: “I do I know not what, and fear to find / Mine eye too great a flatterer for my mind” (II.i.295-296). Since Olivia is pursuing Viola, who is a woman and in a lower social class than her, it is turning the realms of gender and social order around.

At the end of the play order is seemingly restored. Olivia marries Sebastian, Viola marries Orsino, and Sir Toby marries Maria. Everyone ends up with the people that they are supposed to end up with. All of these pairings seem like they are what would be considered normal and acceptable during that time. Although, Olivia married Sebastian because she thought that he was Cesario. Olivia thinks Sebastian is Cesario and tells him, “Nay, come, I prithee. Would thou’dst be ruled by me!” (IV.i.61). Olivia is in love with Cesario, not Sebastian, and yet she marries Sebastian. Orsino seems to be in love with Cesario instead of Viola. Orsino tells Viola, “Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times / Thou never shouldst love woman like to me” (V.i.265-266). Orsino seems to have fallen for Viola before he finds out that she is a girl. Sir Toby marries beneath his class by marrying Maria.
 
Shakespeare is definitely making a critique of gender and societal norms during his time in England. I believe that Shakespeare is trying to say that there is no such thing as gender and societal norms. Everyone is going to do as they please, when it comes down to it. Just like the end of the play, everyone has their own special reason for being with who they are with. Even though who they ended up with was “normal,” the reason behind their choice was very unconventional.