1. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight & Le Morte D’Arthur
Medieval Romances
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight & Le Morte D’Arthur

2. Characteristics of a Medieval Romance
Convey a sense of the supernatural
Mystery and suspense
Glamorous portrayal of castle life
Chivalric ideals: character guided by bravery, honor, courtesy, fairness to enemies, respect for women

3. Characteristics of a Medieval Romance
Heroic adventures
Setting is often imaginary/vague
Concealed identities/disguises
Damsels in distress

4. The Romantic Hero Birth is often mysterious
Either away from his true home or does not know his parents
True identity is often unknown at first
Faces extraordinary challenges
Triumphs and victories benefit a nation or group

5. Romantic Heroes vs. Epic Heroes
Supernatural elements
Heroic adventures  epic quests
Extraordinary challenges
Victories benefit groups of people/nations

6. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain: king Arthur’s nephew and one of the bravest Knights of the Round Table
Follows the code of chivalry
Story highlights Gawain’s flaw: his fear of death causes him to break the code of chivalry
Appearances vs. reality: Gawain appears to be chivalrous and honest, but is neither when faced with death

8. Background
‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ begins with a New Year’s Eve feast at Camelot
Dinner is interrupted by a giant green knight with an ax
The Green Knight rides into the hall on a green horse and issues a challenge
He will allow whomever accepts the challenge to strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger find him in exactly one year to receive a blow in return