Boethius to Sir Gawain and the Monkey King

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on Boethius, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and the Monkey King.

Philosophy

The systematic study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language, often seeking to understand the nature of reality and human experience through critical inquiry and argument.

Boethius

A Roman philosopher and statesman imprisoned for treason in the 6th century who wrote 'The Consolation of Philosophy', a dialogue exploring the nature of happiness, evil, and divine providence while he awaited execution.

Lady Philosophy

The allegorical figure and wise guide in Boethius's 'The Consolation of Philosophy', she appears to him in his prison cell to offer solace and lead him through logical arguments to understand the true nature of happiness, God, and the universe.

Fortune

Personified as a powerful and capricious goddess with a turning wheel in 'The Consolation of Philosophy', symbolizing the unpredictable and transient nature of worldly success, wealth, and status, over which humans have no ultimate control.

Providence

In Boethius's thought, it is God's eternal, unified, and unchanging divine plan that governs all things from creation to eternity, residing in the divine mind and distinct from the temporal execution of events.

Fate

The temporal, sequential unfolding of Providence in time, experienced by humans as a chain of cause and effect and the series of events in the created world, operating under the directive of Providence.

Chivalry

The complex medieval knightly code of conduct, emphasizing virtues such as honor, courage, loyalty, justice, generosity, and respect for women, often incorporating Christian ideals and influencing literature like 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'.

Green Knight

A mysterious, formidable, and magically endowed figure in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', whose green skin and attire symbolize nature and the unknown. He challenges King Arthur's court with the Beheading Game to test their courage and the truth of their chivalric vows.

Ruyi Jingu Bang

The legendary magical golden-banded staff wielded by Sun Wukong (the Monkey King), capable of incredibly rapid changes in size, weight, and length, from a tiny needle hidden behind his ear to a massive pillar that can reach heaven.

Tripitaka

The revered Buddhist monk (also known as Tang Sanzang or Xuanzang) in 'Journey to the West', chosen by the Buddha to journey to the West (India) to retrieve sacred Buddhist scriptures (sutras), embodying piety, perseverance, and often requiring the protection of his disciples like Sun Wukong.

Temptation

A recurring ethical and psychological struggle where the desire for immediate sensory pleasure or personal gain conflicts with long-term moral principles or spiritual goals, serving as a crucial thematic element that tests the character and integrity of figures like Sir Gawain and Sun Wukong.

Girdle

A green silken sash given to Sir Gawain by Lady Bertilak, which she claims has magical protective powers. Gawain accepts it out of fear for his life, thereby violating a promise and symbolizing his momentary lapse in chivalric honesty and his succumbing to temptation.

The Consolation of Philosophy

Boethius's philosophical work, written while imprisoned, exploring happiness and divine providence.

Sir Gawain

A loyal knight of King Arthur's Round Table, known for his chivalry, who accepts the Green Knight's challenge.

Beheading Game

A challenge proposed by the Green Knight, involving an exchange of axe-strikes on two different New Year's Days.

Sun Wukong

Also known as the Monkey King, a powerful immortal who is a main disciple of Tripitaka in 'Journey to the West'.

Journey to the West

A classic Chinese novel detailing the pilgrimage of the Buddhist monk Tripitaka and his disciples to obtain sacred scriptures.