Sir Gawain and the Green Knight By The Pearl Poet…..or The Gawain Poet

Rising action Gawain accepts the Green Knight's covenant and chops off the Green Knight's head, but he survives the blow. Two months before he is due to meet the knight for his own decapitation, Gawain sets out through the wilderness in search of the Green Chapel. He happens upon a castle, where he stays until he must leave for his challenge. At the castle, Gawain's courtesy, chastity, and honesty are all tempted. Gawain then journeys to confront the Green Knight at the Green Chapel.

This particular piece of poetry only has one extant manuscript, housed in the British Library and illustrated with scenes from the tale. It is a key part of the medieval Arthurian legend, as it details the background to the courtly existence at Camelot, and as such extends the range of the legend instead of merely rehashing a previous tale. It was written by an anonymous poet in a style peculiar to the Middle English of a Northern tradition, as it has been crafted with much emphasis on alliteration. It is written in 'fits', and each verse has a 'bob-and-wheel' structure. This means that each stanza ends with one short line (the 'bob') and four slightly longer ones (the 'wheel').

FINDING A HERO Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the great works of medieval literature. It was written around 1375, at a time when the old ideals of knightly conduct-courage, loyalty, and courtesy-were beginning to erode.

The romance Romances are still being written today. They take the form of novels, movies, even comic strips. A romance is a narrative set in a world of pure wish fulfillment, where the ordinary laws of nature are suspended and where idealized and superhuman heroes fight and almost always conquer the forces of evil.

The romance The romance has a simple, inevitable plot: A hero battles an evil enemy and ultimately wins. As part of the story, the hero undertakes a quest. The quest usually has three stages: a dangerous journey, a central test or ordeal to determine if the hero truly has the qualities of a hero, and a return to the point from which the journey began.

The romance In Gawain we have the model of the chivalric hero whose honor is being tested. This is a serious romance whose purpose is clearly to teach a moral lesson. Yet the hero does not have unlimited powers. Gawain is a human being who, like all of us, is limited in his moral and physical strength.

Elements of romance A near perfect hero An evil enemy A quest A test of the hero Supernatural elements Good vs. evil Female figures who are usually maidens, (in need of rescue), mothers, or crones

themes Themes are the universal ideas explored in a literary work. Codes of Chivalric, Christian, and Courtly Values Law or Covenant

motifs Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes. The Seasons Games

symbols Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. The Pentangle Numbers Green vs. Gold The Green Girdle

GAWAIN’S SHIELD According to the Gawain-poet, King Solomon originally designed the five-pointed star as his own magic seal. A symbol of truth, the star has five points that link and lock with each other, forming what is called the endless knot. Each line of the pentangle passes over one line and under one line, and joins the other two lines at its ends. The pentangle symbolizes the virtues to which Gawain aspires: to be faultless in his five senses; never to fail in his five fingers; to be faithful to the five wounds that Christ received on the cross; to be strengthened by the five joys that the Virgin Mary had in Jesus (the Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and Assumption); and to possess brotherly love, courtesy, piety, and chastity. The side of the shield facing Gawain contains an image of the Virgin Mary to make sure that Gawain never loses heart.

Christian interpretations of the story Gawain as a type or symbol of “Adam” Gawain as the embodiment of human weakness and fallibility who can only be redeemed by God.

setting The mythical past of King Arthur's court Camelot; the wilderness; Bertilak's castle; the Green Chapel  

Foreshadowing The Green Knight's retelling of Gawain's promise to allow the knight’s blow to Gawain’s neck as he leaves Camelot foreshadows Gawain's future encounter with the knight. The detailed description of the changing seasons at the beginning of Part 2 foreshadows Gawain's emotional state in the following parts. The strange, hallucinatory appearance of Bertilak's castle foreshadows the untrustworthy nature of its dwellers. The lady's offer of a green girdle foreshadows Gawain's ability to cheat death.

conflict The major conflict is largely Gawain's struggle to decide whether his knightly virtues are more significant than his life. Before he is aware that the Green Knight has supernatural abilities, Gawain accepts the Green Knight's challenge to an exchange of blows. After the Green Knight survives the blow, Gawain has one year and a day before he has to locate the Green Knight to receive the return blow, which will almost surely mean his own death. Once he has found the castle of Lord Bertilak who promises to show him the way to the Green Chapel, he struggles to protect and keep his knightly virtues while remaining courteous to his host's wife (who tries to seduce him), and he struggles to keep his covenants with the Green Knight and his host, regardless of his fear of death.

The Plot A Festive Challenge The Quest The Hunts and Seductions The Green Chapel

Rising action Gawain accepts the Green Knight's agreement and chops off the Green Knight's head, but he survives the blow. In November, two months before he is due to meet the knight for his own decapitation, Gawain sets out through the wilderness in search of the Green Chapel. He stumbles upon a castle, where he stays until he must has to leave for his challenge. At the castle, Gawain's courtesy, chastity, and honesty are all tempted by Lord Bertilak’s wife (Lady). Gawain then travels to confront the Green Knight at the Green Chapel.

climax Gawain confronts the Green Knight at the Green Chapel. After feinting with his axe twice, the Green Knight strikes Gawain on the third swing, but only nicks his neck.

Falling action The Green Knight explains all the mysteries of the story. He and Gawain's host at the castle are the same man, named Bertilak. Morgan le Faye, the old woman at the castle, is actually behind all the events of the story. Gawain admits his breach of contract in having kept the green girdle and swears to wear the girdle as a reminder of his weakness.

More Literary Elements Type of work Genre Tone Point of View Protagonist Antagonist Narrator Tense