Afternoon of Alterity - Nazareth College

here at thys ones?’ ‘Ye, sir, for sothe,’ sayd the segge trwe,‘Whyl I byde in yowre borghe, be bayn to yowre hest.’(Armitage 1088-1992)Then speaking to Gawain, he suddenly shouted: ‘Youhave sworn to serve me, whatever I instruct. Will youhold to that oath right here and now? ‘You may trust mytongue,’ said Gawain, in truth, ‘for within these walls Iam servant to your will.’ (Armitage 1088-1092).Gawain swears on his allegiance to the code of chivalry in a desperateattempt to maintain a connection with the physical space of KingArthur’s court. Gawain constantly tries to uphold the chivalric codethroughout the game, attempting to hold onto his identity. Withoutthe chivalric code Gawin will lose his identity and his connection tothe physical space completely.Throughout the medieval texts confusion exists. Grettir, Grendel,and Sir Gawain are all in search of an identity through a connectionwith a physical space. This presents the idea that home was themedium of how one gained an identity during the medieval timeperiod. Each character experiences an identity crisis because ofthe lack of a physical space to connect with. Grettir is constantlywandering in search of a home. Grendel desperately wants to becomeapart of the physical space where the humans live, and becausethey do not embrace him, he acts out in violence. Sir Gawain triesdesperately to hold onto the chivalric code because he believes thatit connects him to the castle, his physical home, which shapes hisidentity. Each of these characters uses the physical structure of ahome to obtain or to hold on to an identity.The modern-day view of the home is vastly different than it wasduring the medieval time period. Home is no longer the physicalstructure in which one resides, but rather, home is within the150 afternoons of alterity