A detailed analysis of the elements which characterize
Gawain's journey towards the Green Chapel has been attempted
with the idea of disclosing the pre-Christian elements inherent in
Gawain's quest. All the objects and facts described by the narrator
are important signs within the thematic fabric of the tale. The
analysis covers the following elements: nature, Gawain's
loneliness, the time of year, the date of departure, the significance
of the land of Virral, the passing through Holy Head, the grove of
oaks, the hawthorn, the hazel and finally the castle itself. Nothing
has been omitted, pertaining to Gawain's journey, without the
necessary analysis. The final conclusion is that the reader is
induced to feel uneasy when the castle appears unexpectedly, a
feeling fully confirmed during the final meeting of Gawain with the
Green knight.
