Animal Symbology in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and...

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Lais of Marie de France, the authors use animals as metaphors for human actions, and as characters. By analyzing the use of these animals, we are able to explore the meaning the authors were trying to communicate through specific scenes. The Book of Beasts, a translation by T.H. White (1984 ed.), provides a medieval standpoint when analyzing the use of animals in the Lais and in Gawain. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, there is specific use of three animals as metaphors for human actions. These animals are the deer, boar, and fox. When Gawain rests with the Lord and Lady on his way to battle with the Green Knight, we see three hunting scenes, which coincide with three seduction, or†¦show more content†¦A fox will feign death in order to snatch up carrion eaters for his food, which is similar, as the author claims, to the devil. The devil snatches up people who live in the flesh, or by the doings of the foxy body (pg 54). In this seduction scene, Gawain is tempted one last time by the Lady, who seems to live in the flesh. Her major role in Gawains visits has been as a temptress trying to make Gawain her lover. By Gawains reaction, it seems that her flirting may be working on him when he states: So faultless her features... / His heart swelled swiftly with surging joys / ...Each joyed in others sight (lines 1761-1767) Yet again, he is able to reject her temptation and the pleasures of the flesh. He states that he has no lover, and will not have one for quite some time. The Lady is disappointed but leaves stating that she must at least give him some token of affection. Gawain accepts the sash, for which he later feels guilty and confesses. In The Lais of Marie de France, there are several animals used as both metaphors and characters. Four lais that include the use of animals are Equitan, Bisclavert, Yonec and Laustic. Whites translation states that equi is the name for a horse in the medieval period, when Marie was writing. The title Equitan is also the name of the king of the story. The king has a great love of hunting and war. According to the Book of Beasts, this is a natural