Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Allusion Essay

Allusion Exercise 2 Kennedy Kappenman

Source: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Anonymous

Allusion #1: "’ See, my lord,’ said the man, and held up the girdle,

"This belt caused the scar that I bear on my neck;

This is the injury and damage that I have suffered

For the cowardice and covetousness that seized me there;

This is the token of the dishonesty I was caught committing,

And now I must wear it as long as I live.

For a man may hide his misdeed, but never erase it,

For where once it takes root the stain can never be lifted"

(Lines 2505 - 2512).

Allusion Identification: The author alludes to the Story of Troy and the falling of the empire. In the poem, the character of Sir Gawain is glorified throughout the piece, with the public speaking

By showing the downfall of Sir Gawain’s character to the public, it demonstrates selfishness due to an obsession with his life. In the Story of Troy, the Trojan Empire was seen as the greatest of its time, but due to a foul relationship with the Greeks, it entirely collapsed. The author creates the allusion to emphasize the character development of Sir Gawain although ill-mannered; demonstrating that Sir Gawain could have achieved his life goal of becoming legendary, but his focus to remain on himself led to

But there is no lack of ladies who would love,” (Lines 1247-1253).

Allusion Identification: The author creates an allusion to Adam in the biblical tale of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Although Sir Gawain is aware that Lady Bertilak is a married woman, he is tempted to have her to himself. These temptations can be connected with Adam in the Garden of Eden. In the bible, Adam chooses the forbidden fruit, and Eve, not following the orders of the Lord. The author appeals to this by demonstrating the temptation of Lady Bertilak romantically, although knowingly aware that she was married.

Source Citation: Galbi, Author Douglas. “Fighting Temptation: Gawain and the Green Knight’s Lessons for Men.” Purple Motes, 4 July 2021,