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.