Final Paper for British Literature

The Supernatural in British Literature
Nicolette Lovell

A portion of the history of British literature covers three time periods: Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern, and the Restoration. Through reading works from each of these periods, one can clearly witness the existence of supernatural elements. British literature can be read on many different levels and approached from a variation of angles. The supernatural usually stands for something else, often, the author of the piece wishes to make a social commentary through the utilization of unusual occurrences and characters in their works. The three time periods that largely define a portion of the history of British literature include four major works of supernatural subject matter – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Dr. Faustus, The Duchess of Malfi, and Paradise Lost. These pieces of literature illustrate the prevalent existence of the supernatural in literature through their use of the paranormal to reflect ideas on the flaws from which society suffers and the nature of mankind.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an excellent example of supernatural literature in the medieval period. It is a romantic poem and has a comic feel with playful rhythm and alliteration throughout. However, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains deep implications regarding pride and honesty. The poem’s author is only referred to as the “Gawain poet” and wrote this masterpiece around enchanting Camelot with a young King Arthur at the head of the court (161). Sir Gawain is the main character and his ongoing battle with the Green Knight encompasses the tale. The Green Knight enters the court on Christmas Eve and challenges an opponent to a “Christmas Game” (168). The Green Knight explains that he will allow his opponent to deal him one strike, after, the Knight will have the right to hand his opponent the same blow exactly one year later. Enraged at the Green Knight’s swagger and audacity, Gawain stands and accepts his
challenge. Sir Gawain cut the Green Knight’s head of with a single stroke of an ax. The head rolled to the ground but the body of the Knight remained standing. The Green Knight picked up his head and mounted his horse and spoke, “Sir Gawain, forget not to go as agreed, and cease not to seek till me, sir, you find, as you promised in the presence of these proud knights. To the Green Chapel come, I charge you, to take such a dint as you have dealt – you have well deserved.” (171).

Gawain sets off on his quest to find the Green Knight and accept his fate a year later. It is on his quest that the reader witnesses how supernatural literature is capable of possessing a more realistic message. Gawain is set up as a hero figure. His bravery and his placement as a protagonist in the story make him a positive character. He also epitomizes the idea of Arthurian chivalry with his bravery and willingness to go proudly to his certain death (assuming that his head remains decapitated unlike the Green Knight’s). On his journey, Gawain encounters Bertilak, a lord of the castle in which Gawain spends Christmas. During his stay, Gawain is tempted by Bertilak’s wife. Though Gawain refuses her, he accepts her magical green girdle that will keep its wearer from harm. Gawain’s acceptance of the girdle represents a flaw in his chivalric character. Rather than accept his fate, he wishes to preserve his own life with the safety of the girdle. This is a commentary of the weakness of humanity as a selfish and cowardly race. The poem also highlights the importance of honesty. Bertilak told Gawain that he must share everything with him and be honest with him during his stay at the castle. Gawain went against Bertilak’s command when he did not inform him of his wife’s promiscuity. When Gawain finds out that Bertilak is, in fact, the Green Knight, he is humiliated. The Green Knight further demotes Gawain by taking three small swings at his neck. For his petty crime he pays a small penance and is portrayed as a coward. Gawain and the Green Knight is a prime example of supernatural literature with deeper implications regarding the flaws of man in society. The poet comments on man’s moral fragility, a result of human nature.

Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus falls among the tragedies of Renaissance literature. The Renaissance was a time of new ideas and lofty ambitions. Dr. Faustus greatly reflects the time period with its theme that mankind constantly reaches for greatness through knowledge; some men, however, reach too high with sinful ambition. One such man was Dr. Faustus, a doctor of theology whose sinful ambition leads to his pact with the devil. Many of the supernatural elements that Marlowe employs reflect sin and corruption in society. The story begins with Faustus, an ambitious man who turns to the demon Mephastophilis to forge a pact with the devil. Faustus must sell his soul in order to live a life of gluttony and sin. Faustus wishes to be great, to attain great knowledge, and experience great pleasure in life. Faustus moves throughout the play being torn back and forth by the forces of good and evil. In the end, his sins earn him a one way ticket to the Hell in which he must eternally burn.

With the use of supernatural elements and the portrayal of Dr. Faustus, Marlowe succeeds in portraying serious social issues and human fallacies. Faustus is presented as a tragic hero, one that God himself is conspiring against. He is also portrayed as one who can’t grasp the abstract elements of life, he only believes in what he can see and touch. It is for this reason that Faustus is so entranced by the “bells and whistles” associated with the devil. While Satan is bold and present in the tragedy, God remains distant and faint to test Faustus’s faith which he so readily renounced. Throughout the play, Faustus focused only on rewards that would come from his pact with Lucifer, he did not truly consider the loss of his soul and the eternal punishment he was sure to endure for his sins. The rash behavior of Faustus is a negative portrayal and reflects human weakness and greed. With his negative depiction of Faustus, Marlowe succeeds in criticizing humanity’s sinful greed that is a result of utter weakness. Faustus is also overly focused on sex and gluttonous desire throughout the play. When first introduced to Mephastophilis he expressed that he wanted to “live in all voluptuousness” (1031). Through Faustus’s gluttony and flesh-driven desires, Marlowe openly criticizes sinful sexuality in society and highlights man’s fragility. Dr. Faustus is clearly designed to highlight the weakness and gullibility of mankind, through the supernatural plot of one man’s deal with the devil, Marlowe created a great work with deep implications of social issues within society.

John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi is a piece of early modern literature that was written in the Jacobean period. This time period was characterized by dark literature with a focus on death and gore. Webster is known for his macabre style, his dark and tragic play focuses on its heroine, the Duchess of Malfi. Though she is a political figure who is not given a personal name, she remains a very private character throughout the play. The Duchess is a symbol of wholeness and purity; she contrasts with the corrupted and twisted society in which she is trapped. The basic plotline follows the Duchess and her constant battle with her brothers: the Cardinal and her twin brother Ferdinand. She had been recently widowed and her brothers urged her not to marry again. Though the Duchess assured her brothers that she would not, she marries her servant Antonio with whom she has several children. Ferdinand is inappropriately obsessed with his twin sister’s sexuality throughout the play. His obsession eventually leads to the Duchess’s death that is brought on with Ferdinand’s discovery of her marriage and children that she kept so well hidden. The play contains a bleak end with the vast majority of the characters dying, the Duchess, however is a strong female character who lived and died honorably.

Webster makes a strong social commentary on the corrupt nature of authority and humanity through his use of characters and his employment of the supernatural in his play. The lack of morality in the society depicted within The Duchess of Malfi is astounding. A tool villain in the plot, Bosola, depicts the corruption of the Duchess’s brothers quite vividly, “He and his brother are like plum trees that grow crooked over stagnant pools; they are rich and o’erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies, and caterpillars feed on them.” (1463). This image artfully depicts the disgusting stagnant society that is depicted in the play. The two brothers are authority figures and represent a corrupted government in a stagnant society in which they thrive. Webster delves further into human corruption with his use of the supernatural idea of lycanthropy when Ferdinand believes himself to be a werewolf. When stricken with lycanthropy, Ferdinand asserts that he is a werewolf; he states that though he retains his human form, he is still a werewolf and his hair is on his inside. Throughout the play, the Duchess was depicted as a wholesome character from the inside out; Ferdinand’s explanation on his current state as a werewolf reflects the fact that he is not whole and twisted. His corrupted nature is seen through his constant obsession with his twin sister. He takes their connection as twins and makes it something perverse and disgusting. Through Webster’s utilization of lycanthropy, the reader understands his assertion that mankind is a corrupted race and many individuals are truly tainted on the inside. The evil in the play comes from the inner workings of society – its people. Webster makes this societal flaw clear through his depiction of the characters of The Duchess of Malfi.

John Milton’s Paradise Lost is associated with the Restoration period in British literature. Milton’s well-known epic covers the fall of the arch angel Lucifer into Hell and the fall of man from the Garden of Eden. A main focus in the epic is Lucifer’s fall from grace. The reader views Satan as a character of heroic value, he is a superhuman fighter who is not bound to God and relies on himself for success. Lucifer does not succeed, however. Instead, he is thrown from heaven by God, “Against the throne and monarchy of God raised impious war in Heav’n and battle proud with vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power hurled headlong flaming from th’ ethereal sky with hideous ruin and combustion down to bottomless perdition, there to dwell in adamantine chains and penal fire” (42-48). Lucifer is portrayed as one who stood against a tyrant and was brutally defeated. Through reading Paradise Lost the reader is lured into feeling sympathy for the devil’s character. Many thought that Milton a cocky and presumptuous author for placing Satan in such a high and positive position and portraying God as an almighty cruel tyrant. Milton’s intentions went much deeper than superficial reading revealed. His goal was to make readers see the alluring nature of Satan. He wanted the reader to understand how easily the words of the devil could ensnare their victims.

Book I of Paradise Lost is an excellent reflection of Milton’s views on the devil who personifies sin and temptation for mankind. Through his supernatural writing, Milton portrays ideas on the graceful fluidity with which Lucifer creeps into the minds of his victims and conquers them. Through his work, Milton wished to voice the fact that evil is present in every corner of the human mind. Satan whispers to man and attempts to lure him into sin. With his work, Milton illustrates how easily this can be done. Paradise Lost also reflects the idea of the “fortunate fall”. This philosophy asserts that if Lucifer had not defied God, he would have never been cast into Hell to devise his plan to cause the fall of mankind. If Eve had not been tempted by the serpent and eaten the apple from the tree of life, she and Adam would have never been cast from Eden. Mankind would have remained in the Garden, Christ would have never come to Earth and humans would never know God’s love. Through the many supernatural depictions of God, angels, demons, and the devil, the reader witnesses the series of events that led up to the two falls that are a large part of the foundations of Christianity. The idea of the “fortunate fall” can be easily addressed in this work and is a very interesting outlook on the falls of Lucifer and man. Milton causes the reader to ponder the very root of mankind’s existence and the sin which placed them on earth.

British literature is filled with supernatural elements that provide much insight into societal issues and the nature of mankind. Through the analysis of four works over three time periods in literature, one can see the existence of supernatural characters and occurrences that contain deeper implications regarding human beings and the societies in which they live. Often, supernatural subject matter in British literature reflects something negative, dark, or evil that is existent in humanity. The supernatural proves to be an excellent and interesting tool to reflect ideas and opinions regarding deeper and more realistic subject matter. British Literature provides noteworthy pieces that contain thought provoking ideas from which the reader can learn from and draw upon.

Female Pawns of Society

So maybe its the feminist in me that sees the female characters as manipulated pawns of men in society... but its pretty obvious. All of the women are given negative titles because of social expectations in society. Winnifred is automatically a whore because of her relations with Clarington who is all too eager to rid himself of responsibility for her. Clarington pays Frank Thorney to marry her... Thorney, assuming the child is his, leaps at an opportunity to marry a woman he loves and make some money while he's at it, so essentially, Winnifred is being sold like a cow on a auction block. Then there's poor Susan... I honestly felt the worst for her in this play. Her marriage was arranged to Frank Thorney who eventually murdered her. It amazed me that before he murdered her, Frank insulted her and called her a whore... AND SHE AGREED WITH HIM!! Now, maybe its just me, but if a man was about to take my life, I would not allow him to take my dignity as well. Susan was just a poor victim caught in the crossfire of the plotting and scheming of men. Then there's the witch. I felt bad for the poor old woman. Society placed a black mark next to her name because of her title of widow, her elderly status, and sharp tongue. Because she went against the grain and was impoverished, she was deemed a witch. Society told her she was a witch, and so she accepted this sentence. She was eventually executed for her "crime" and became yet another female victim of society's manipulation.

The REAL Witch of Edmonton

So it turns out that the title of this interesting work is quite misleading... if you look at it on a literal level. The actual witch only appears in four out of the thirteen scenes that make up the drama. So why is the play titled after a character who's significance is slight? The witch serves as a metaphor for the evil in the society. The primary culprit of the troubled town is the poverty that plagues the civilization and results from corrupt behavior and cruelty. The play is a strong commentary on the fact that society is driven by money, the very evil that threatens to crumble its foundations.

A Notable Herione: "I am the Duchess of Malfi still."

Throughout the play, I found the Duchess to be the true reflection of a heroine. Her strength, grace, and bravery against the evils of the world that surrounded her and eventually overtook her was extraordinary. I think that the Duchess's determination to make motherhood a dominant force in her life despite the confines placed on her by society, her position, and her brothers. I also found the death scene of the Duchess to be very heroic. Instead of pleading with her killer, she tells him to go ahead and kill her. She places emphasis on the fact that she is still the Duchess and will not be demoted by Bolsola's foul words towards her. Despite his efforts, he could not break her down. The Duchess of Malfi's tragic death was at the same time, heroic and dramatic. Her presence in literature as a heroine is one that is an extreme rarity and much deserved.

Ferdinand's Obsession

I find Ferdinand's obsession with his sister to be rather creepy and incestuous. He is so fixated on her sexuality that one cannot help but think he is seriously warped. In the beginning of the play, the Duchess's two brothers both urged her not to marry. The cardinal only wishes this for reasons regarding power. Ferdinand, however, does not want her to marry again because he does not want another man to have her. The fact that Ferdinand and the Duchess are twins is significant to his bondage to her. The two share the same blood and are so deeply connected (though Ferdinand seems to be too connected). His obsession with his sister eventually drives him to murder her. His anger at her when he discovers that she has married and had children is quite frightening. His description of what he will do to the Duchess is grotesque and vengeful.

Peace Among Chaos

I found peaceful beauty in the few scenes between the Duchess and Antonio. Their love offers brief relief from the gore, violence, and treachery that fills the play. The Duchess seems to truly love Antonio who is a virtuous and kind man. Their love is a refreshing contrast to the subject matter of the rest of the play. I'm particularly interested in the scene in which the two marry. The Duchess has to take on the male role as one who pursues their love interest because she is of a higher rank than Antonio. I particularly liked the repetition of Antonio "rising up". The Duchess rose him up as her equal as her husband. Their love indeed echoes that of Romeo and Juliet. The classic lovers created their own reality in a world that was crumbling around them. Sadly, as the tragic play demands, the lovers die... the Duchess and her lover, however, reach a sticker end, unfortunately.

What's In A Name??

One's name is their identity. A name gives an individual relatability, particularly in literature. If the Duchess of Malfi was significant enough to score the title of the play, how is it that she couldn't manage to get an actual name? The Duchess has a title to be sure but her actual personal name is withheld from the text. I think that there is a significant reason for the Duchess not having a name. She is a powerful woman figure, not having a name makes her quite elusive. I also think that the Duchess's lack of a name secludes her from the audience, she is less personable. However, as I go on reading the play, I have come to find that she makes herself known to the audience, a contradiction to her secretive title.

The Death of Ophelia

I found the queen's description of Ophelia's watery death to be quite beautiful. It was strange to me that something as disturbing and dark as a drowning could be described so poetically. Ophelia was described as peaceful and submissive before and during her death. As she was a helpless pawn in her life, she was helpless to the water that filled her garments and pulled her to a muddy death (unless of course one reads this as a suicide in which Ophelia would be taking control of her own fate rather than leaving it to the will of men). The nature that surrounds Ophelia was quite beautiful but sad: a willow and the weeping brook were the two elements of the scene that were prominent to me. The weeping willow is a symbol of melancholy sadness and the book is described as weeping. Nature embraces poor Ophelia as it ends her life in this sad scene. I particularly liked the manner in which Ophelia was compared to a mermaid as she drifted deep into the water.

"Get thee to a nunnery."

Hamlet's cruel rejection of poor Ophelia was particularly interesting to me. It is known that a nunnery can either be taken for a convent or a whorehouse. Personally, I think Hamlet is telling Ophelia to go to a whorehouse where she belongs. She has returned his love letters and renounced any relationship that they had. Hamlet knows that she has lied to him when asked about the whereabouts of her father. He seems enraged and betrayed and thinks her a whore. He asks mockingly if she is honest (meaning "chaste"). Questioning her chastity was disrespectful and insulting. The fact that Hamlet's accusations have no merit and are made with no reason leads me to believe that he is losing his grip on reality. As he does so, his world starts to unravel and the community within the castle begins to fall to pieces.

Ghosty in Hamlet: Wandering Spirit or Evil Demon?

So is the ghost in Hamlet a demonic spirit or the wandering ghost of Hamlet's father? There is sufficient evidence to suggest both possibilities. The ghost is wearing armor and looks like Hamlet's father. The armor could be representative of the fact that he died as a result of violence. Armor is also a symbol of nobility and bravery; neither are traits of a demonic force. There is more evidence to support the possibility of the "ghost" being a demon. He reveals himself at night at or near the witching hour; this suggests darkness and evil. He also makes several comments when speaking to Hamlet for the first time about the coming of the dawn and his need to depart. This suggests that he cannot prevail in light, another demonic characteristic. Finally, the demon causes Hamlet to change from a thoughtful and good protagonist to a mad and evil villain bent on revenge. Hamlet loses his reason and distinction between right and wrong, it was his "father's ghost" who caused this -- giving the ghost demonic qualities that cannot be ignored.

Dragon Slaying and Such

I found the Red Cross Knight's duel with the dragon to be quite interesting and figuratively abundant. The significance of the three days of the fight parallel with Christ's three day journey after his crucifixion. Christ had to travel into Hell and he rose on the third day (as did the hero of Book I). Red Cross also goes through baptismal cleansing at the end of the first two days of the battle. The first day, he is thrown into a renewing fountain of life that affords him power and replenishes his strength. At the end of the second day he falls under a tree that is a reflection of the Tree of Life, an additional biblical allusion. Red Cross conquers the dragon on the third day, "and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Corinthians 15:4). Red Cross is not meant to be the actual Christ, but a Christ figure. Red Cross kills the dragon by thrusting his sword into the dragon's mouth and down his throat. The dragon's mouth figuratively represents the fiery mouth of Hell. Red Cross conquered his flesh oriented flaws and severed his ties with Hell and sin.

The Lion and the Lamb

I thought of connection between the lion who protected Una and her figurative representation. In the beginning of Book I, Una is described as a virtuous woman in white leading a lamb behind her. Lambs are a symbol of purity, innocence, and sacrifice in the Christian faith. Una is the epitome of purity and wholeness (her name means "one"). I was reminded of a bible verse from Isaiah when reading of Una's journey with the lion, "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together..." -Isaiah 11:6 I think that Una figuratively represents a lamb when considering her relationship with the lion who protects her until death. The mighty lion is her constant companion until the end of his life, their relationship echoes that of the frightening beasts and frail small animals in the Bible.

The House of Pride

As the Red Cross Knight split away from Una and began his separate journey, he began to stray from his original purpose and succumb to sinful pride (an alluring sin that all humans must battle and will most likely fall to at some point in their lives). Duessa leads the knight to the "sinfull house of Pride", a place where nothing is as it seems and humans fall victims to the sin and illusion. The scene is described with hundreds of people lining up to enter the house of Pride, a suggestion that pride is an accessible and desirable sin. The palace is described as a structure "without morter laid, whose wals were high, but nothing strong, nor thick" This image conveys the idea that the house is grand and large but has no true foundation or fortitude. I thought of a house of cards that could be destroyed with the slightest brush of air or flesh. The house is also described to be covered with "golden foile" which is a thin layer of gold. Gold is a symbol of grandeur and wealth, however, this gold is simply a foil that provides an illusion of splendor. Everything about the house of Pride is a contradiction -- its appearance is deceiving and misleading... this connects to the sin of pride. Pride is a sin that allows one to be boastful and conceited, like the house, these negative tendencies have no merit and are easily crushed.

Errour

I was particularly interested in the scene of the knight as he encountered the monster Error. Her description of grotesque: "Halfe like a serpant horribly displaide, but th' other halfe did womans shape retaine, most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine." The description goes on to describe her ill- favored young who, like parasites were "sucking upon her poisonous dugs..." This disgusting creature echoes classical and biblical monsters according to the text. The author explains that she hates the light which is a direct contradiction to the knight because he represents good, truth, and innocence. He fights his foe but is overcome by her strangling grip, when it seems like the knight will lose, his lady companion calls out to him to kill the monster (an example of Una being a voice of reason). The knight then grasps Error's neck and slays her. The end of this scene depicts her parasitic children sucking up her spilled blood and exploding from their gluttony... gross. I wondered if there was any deep significance to Error, the fact that she was half woman, half snake, and her name was error made me wonder if Spenser was addressing some stereotype about women. Or possibly he just thought the idea was an interesting one, who knows?

The Faerie Queene

After reading the first Canto of Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed and understood it. We discussed in class how the Red Cross Knight was wearing armor that was not his, "Yet armes till that time did he never wielde..." I found this interesting when I began reading. The knight is young and untested, his innocence is possibly a weakness that will afflict him later in Book I. The description of the knight goes on further to explain that he is fearless and on a quest given to him by the Faerie Queen to slay a terrible dragon. I also found it interesting that the knight had a fair lady companion with him (Una). She rode on a white donkey with a white lamb. The passage explained that she was "so pure an innocent, as that same lamb..." I think that through this journey, Una will serve as a guiding, moral light for the knight. She may be the voice of reason that he needs to make it through his journey unscathed by the foes they encounter along the way.

Satan's New Plan

Near the end of Book I Satan voices his plan for his future endeavors of evil which I found to be particularly interesting. Satan;s words offer foreshadowing of the events to pass later towards the end of the epic. He speaks of a rumor in Heaven of the creation of a new generation, "There went a fame in Heav'n that he ere long intended to create, and therein plant a generation, whom his choice regard should favor equal to the sons of Heaven: thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps our first eruption, thither or elsewhere: for this infernal pit shall never hold Celestial Spirits in bondage..." Satan is talking about the creation of man -- essentially Adam his and Eve who he will corrupt thus leading to the fall of mankind. Satan is making his plans for the future in which he will reek havoc upon the earth and God's precious human kind.

The Fortunate Fall

I was intrigued during the class discussion today by the mentioning of the idea of "the fortunate fall" and its connection to the text. As many know, the idea of the fortunate fall pertains to the idea that the fall of man was a positive occurrence: if Satan had not gone against God then Eve would have never been tempted to eat the apple from the Tree of Life, man would not have fallen, the world would never have known Jesus, and therefore the world would never know the extent of God's love. It's all a bit of a catch-22 when you think about it. I also found it interesting that Milton suggests that the only reason Satan is allowed to rule in Hell is because God willed it to be so, "And high permission of all-ruling Heaven left him at large to his own dark designs..." This proves that God is much greater and more powerful and shrinks Satan's character substantially. It is for this reason and others that I disagree with the theory that Milton was "in league with the devil" while dictating his great epic.

Milton: A Cocky Author

I got the sense that Milton is a rather prideful author due to many of his assertions made in the beginning of Book I of Paradise Lost. This is supposed to be a Christian epic, however, Milton's lack of humility is contradictory to a common Christian demeanor. He states that "with no middle flight intends to soar above th' Aonian mount, while in pursues things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme." Milton will to something never done before, in the footnotes, the text explains that he desires to surpass Homer and Virgil. These are all rather presumptuous claims Milton is making. Paradise Lost is one of the greatest written works ever created, so maybe Milton deserved to be a little cocky. As a reader, I couldn't help but be slightly annoyed at his boldness... after finishing Book I, I wondered why someone didn't serve him up a nice big slice of humble pie as he was dictating his great epic.

Paradise Lost: Is Satan the Hero??

In reading the beginning of Book I of Milton's Paradise Lost I noticed the strange portrayal of the devil as an almost heroic figure. The picture is painted of Lucifer's fall from grace as he was plunged into the depths of hell for his disobedience; instead of seeing a traitorous demon, the reader sees a rebellious angel who stood against a tyrant. It was odd to me that God was portrayed as a tyrant, this negative portrayal highlights Lucifer and elevates him as a heroic figure. "Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heav'n." These powerful words, spoken by "the hero" are a testament to his defiance of the Almighty and make God seem even more a tyrant since his fallen angel would rather burn in fire eternally than serve him.

Helen of Troy

The entrance of Helen of Troy was quite interesting in the play. She is a beautiful woman and represents sexual desire for Faustus. She is symbolic of Faustus' pact with the devil -- alluring, tempting, and exciting. It is known that when Faustus kisses Helen, he renounces any hope for salvation and is doomed to burn in hell eternally. So why Helen of Troy, the "face that launched a thousand ships"? She is the most beautiful woman in the world, it was Helen and the Trojan prince Paris's love that caused the city of Troy to burn (but of course it was mostly Helen, the temptress, who seduced Paris because men can do no wrong.) I found it interesting that Helen caused Troy to burn and her kiss will cause Faustus to burn. Of course we poor females are always responsible for the downfall of men; maybe if we weren't so sinful, beautiful, and tempting, the world would be a better place.

The Seven Deadly Sins

I was wondering what the significance of the seven deadly sins is in the play; they enter with the devil when Faustus is doubting his decision to sell his soul. My first thought was that the addition of these seven demons was to add to the dark and sinister mood of the play (though some would argue that the mood is comic, and it is in some places) but as I read through the scene, I realized that they were meant to lure Faustus back into his dark path to destruction. Before the entrance of the sins, Faustus was doubting his pact with Lucifer, he was contemplating repenting to Christ and saving his soul. It was at this moment of strength against evil that the devil enters and ropes him back in by assuring him that Christ cannot save his soul. It is now that the sins (pride, avarice, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth) enter the play to entrance Faustus to return to his twisted path. They each introduced themselves and delighted Faustus.

What's so great about selling your soul to the devil???

I don't understand the appeal in selling one's soul. The whole making a deal, living a couple of years and then burning in the pits of hell just doesn't sound so great in my opinion. In my past reading experiences with the supernatural, I've come across some dealings with demons, but most of these people wanted to save a loved one or buy more time for themselves with a loved one; Faustus wants neither, which makes me feel little remorse for him as a character. He does say that he wants to live a life of voluptuousness which suggests sexual desire or possibly appetite. So I suppose he'll live for twenty-four years being a glutton and forsaking any moral fiber or religious faith he had and then be incinerated in a world of fire and torment... great plan.

A Pact With the Devil: Dr. Faustus

I found it interesting when Mephastophilis entered the play, Dr. Faustus to change his shape and come back as a "Franciscan Friar"... in doing this, Faustus mocks Christianity which he has rejected. Mephastophilis soon tries to tempt Faustus to sell his soul to the devil by warning him against the eternal damnation he is doomed for if he makes the evil and dark pact with Lucifer. At first I thought he was really trying to warn him but then I thought, hey, this guy is a demon, why would he want to help out poor Faustus? Like a child, Faustus gravitates towards that which he is told not to and makes the deal. Mephastophilis tells him that he must "write a deed of gift with thine own blood". The doctor's blood clots as he is trying to sign the deed, possibly a warning from God or his inner good. Faustus also sees the words homo fuge, which translates as "o man fly", yet another warning.

The Three Hunts

I found several parallels to Gawain, the lord's wife, and the Green Knight in the three hunt scenes of the poem. The deer hunt portrays the hunting and slaughter of does. The boar hunt reveals the pursuit of a courageous and dangerous brute that only the lord can overcome in the end. The last hunt is that of a fox. Fox's by nature are cunning and sly, the hunting of one suggests intellectual skill and challenge. I saw a reflection of Gawain and the hunted animals in the first two hunt scenes. The doe is a timid and easily frightened prey, they hide from predators and flee when necessary. In the first bedroom scene Gawain is quite wary of the lord's wife, he hides under his covers once he realizes that she has entered his chamber. The boar hunt is quite different from that of the deer; the boar is known as a fierce fighter and difficult prey to kill. I saw Gawain in the boar and the lord (who is later revealed as the Green Knight) in this hunt scene. The boar puts up a brave fight, but the lord finishes him in the end. This could be seen as foreshadowing of future events in the poem (even though the Green Knight does not kill Gawain). I saw the lord's wife in the hunt of the fox; foxes are known as intelligent and stealthy creatures. Throughout the poem she establishes herself as a sly and cunning character as she tries to tempt Gawain in the bedroom.

Gawain and the Green Knight

I've really enjoyed reading this poem, I love the idea of Camelot and the brave knights with their chivalric code. I find the story quite enticing and love the symbols presented throughout. One symbol that I payed aprticular attention to was the usage of the seasons as symbols. The seasons are parallel with the mood of the poem, happy warm weather reflects a cheerful mood and cold dark weather suggests a somber mood in the poem.

I was also interested in the symbolism of the pentangle

on Gawain's shield. The pentangle had five points and is unbreakable and constant (not unlike the infinity symbol) I think that the pentangle on Gawain's sword represents a protective shield that he'll need as he faces the Green Knight as well as the trials that await him before his meeting with certain death. It is quite ironic that Gawain did not need the shield when he was tested before his meeting with the knight, he had to depend his knightly virtues and not a protective shield.