#wait im on mobile give me a sec to link these posts

[pendraegon]

So ive read sgatgk and i JUST watched tgk and im interested in bertilak but i dont think i get his role in the story? I thought he and his wife were an illusion to distract gawain from completeing his quest, but im seeing takes that imply bertilak IS the green knight?? Im not sure that i have a specific question here but if you have thoughts on bertilak id be interested in hearing them

I haven’t watched The Green Knight yet so I personally don’t know how they’re handling the Bertilaks (although I pretty much know everything that happens bc I don’t care for spoilers but I don’t want to make a blanket statement without me experiencing the movie myself) so this will be more in line with the text itself!

Lord and Lady Bertilak are pretty much friends of Morgan Le Fay — Gawain’s aunt and Arthur’s sister (although in TGK it seems like she’s his mom??? Why???? Morgause exists akskdkdkdkd) and this entire scheme is brought up for one reason and one reason only: Morgan wants to scare Guinevere. Seriously. It’s because she wants to scare Guinevere that she goes to the Bertilaks and is like “hey Lord Bertilak, do you remember you owe me a favor? Well, can you go in your magical guise to scare Guinevere for me? Idc which knight answers your challenge, PLEASE just scare Guinevere please please please.”

I’ve always taken this to mean that Morgan couldn’t have been sure WHO would answer The Green Knight’s/Bertilak’s challenge (remember, Arthur is the one who steps up! And Gawain only steps up because that’s his UNCLE, the KING, and he can’t go on this quest and DIE — and this is Gawain’s first quest, he’s young, he’s still enamored by honor and sacrifice and fealty, and as of yet he still hasn’t grown into being Arthur’s most trusted advisor — and so he pleads with Arthur to take his place, to swing at the Green Knight, and to take on the challenge to keep Arthur safe.) Actually poor Morgan now having to deal with the fact that her most annoying nephew is now on the quest and if HE dies both Morgause and Arthur would be INSUFFERABLE.

The Bertilaks are so so interesting — Bertilak forgives Gawain’s deceit with the sash almost instantly due to the fact that Gawain actually showed up to the chapel and didn’t further dishonor and disgrace himself by running away, thus Bertilak can trust him again. Furthermore it’s interesting because it’s genuinely debatable if the sash actually COULD save Gawain’s life — Lady Bertilak mentions that the sash protects the wearer from all harm and that’s what makes Gawain “lose” his honor, he gives in to temptation and takes it when it is not his TO take — and yet Bertilak still nicks Gawain’s neck after Gawain flinches and a magical sash should have prevented that injury from occuring in the first place which is why Gawain’s deceit is two-fold: [1] he gave up his honor for a sash that isn’t even REAL and [2] he placed his life above that of his word and above that of his honor and thus, of that above his king’s. Lady Bertilak is playing a “game” with him from the start — as soon as Gawain takes the sash, she leaves with the statement saying that her games with him are done because he succumbed into temptation. I genuinely have no idea why they made the sash in the movie be one that his mother/movie-Morgan gave him like…why….

I have no idea if I answered your question at all but in the text at least, the Bertilaks ARE real and Bertilak is the Green Knight (one of these days I’ll do a post on the Green Knight and nature and Bertilak hunting Renard/the fox I promise alsndkdjdk) but I guess it’s up to interpretation for the movie? Aksndkd

I do have an entire post here on honor and Gawain and the Bertilaks! (: