Figure 1. Marlon Brando as Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now (1979)
Please answer the following 5 questions in a full paragraph or two [a "full" paragraph being something like 5-7 sentences], and always be sure to be as concrete, specific, and detailed as possible in your answers, even including direct quotations if that helps. Be sure to consult links on the Syllabus for help with these, and you may also use material beyond what I provide on the Syllabus if you think that would help -- just always be sure to properly attribute your sources and give credit for other person's ideas and writing.
1. What are the 5 "points" of Gawain'' pentangle on his shield, and how might you briefly describe the values and/or morals they stand for? [See Part II, Sections 6-7: these are the 5 things that describe Gawain's character and also the values he is supposed to uphold.]
2. What are the three hunts that Sir Bertilak [i.e., the Green Knight] engages in over three days while Gawain lies in bed and rests, and how do they relate to what is happening to Gawain in the bedroom?
3. Why did the Green Knight test Gawain and how does Gawain react to that?
4. What did you learn from the Wikipedia entry on Chivalry that seems relevant to the story of Sir Gawain? [There are a lot of things you could say here, but just choose a few.]
5. What did you learn from the BBC radio program on The Fisher King that seems relevant to Francis Ford Coppola's film Apocalypse Now? [Keep in mind that Coppola was influenced, when making this film, by Jessie Weston's scholarly study of Grail Quest and Fisher King legends in medieval literature, From Ritual to Romance.]
Please respond to the following 2 prompts with at least TWO to THREE full paragraphs, and BE SURE to include in your responses very specific details from the works under discussion [specific scene and plot details, direct quotations of the text, etc.]. There are no right or wrong responses to the prompts below, but whatever your interpretation(s) of the narrative(s) you discuss, you MUST ground that interpretation in a very CLOSE attention to the small details and language of the work(s) under consideration.
1. Does Gawain succeed in his quest, and why or why not?
2. How would you compare and contrast Capt. Willard and Sir Gawain in their respective quests, especially in relation to the obstacles they encounter away from their more familiar homes?