Preview

Sir Gawain And The Green Knight: Summary

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
346 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sir Gawain And The Green Knight: Summary
On New Years Day, Gawain puts on his armour and goes with the guide to find the green chapel. When the two get to the edge of the forest, the guide says he will not tell anyone if Gawain does not fulfill the quest and runs off. Gawain refuses, wanting to not be a coward. Eventually, he comes to a kind of crevice in a rock, visible through the tall grasses. He hears a weapon being sharpened, which confirms his thought that the location is the Green Chapel. Gawain calls, and the Green Knight comes out to meet him. Gawain presents his neck to the Green Knight, and the knight fakes two blows. On the first one, Gawain flinches, and the knight makes fun of him for it. Gawain swears he will not flinch when the next blow is given. The Green Knight swings again and stops when Gawain doesn’t flinch to compliment his bravery. When the knight swings for the third time, he nicks Gawain on the neck and barely draws blood. Gawain yells that the contract has been fulfilled, but the Green Knight just laughs. …show more content…
Gawain did not honestly exchange all of his earnings from the third day (the girdle), so Bertilak drew blood when he swung his axe for the third time. Regardless, Gawain has proven himself to be the most worthy out of King Arthur’s court. Bertilak also says that the older woman from the castle is really Morgan le Faye. She is Gawain’s aunt and King Arthur’s half sister. She sent Bertilak as the Green Knight to scare Guineverre to death. Although he is glad to be alive, Gawain is ashamed that he did not tell the truth on the third day. He wears the girdle on his arm to remind him of his failure. He arrives in Camelot and all of the other knights in King Arthur’s court wear girdles on their arms to support
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Analytical Paper
    • 1649 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Analytical Paper

    When autumn arrives, Sir Gawain departs on his journey to seek out the Green Knight. Around Christmastime, after spending several months in the woods, he discovers a castle. The lord of the castle welcomes him to stay through the holidays. For sport, the host and Sir Gawain strike a deal: the host and his men will go hunting for three days and each day they will bring back whatever they catch and give it to Sir Gawain in return for what Sir Gawain gains while staying in the castle. On the first day, the host and his men catch a doe and Sir Gawain receives a kiss from the lady of the host when tries to seduce him. On the second day, the host and his men catch a wild boar and Sir Gawain receives two kisses from the lady of the host. On the third day, the host and his men catch a fox and Sir Gawain receives not only three kisses, but also the lady’s green girdle. He does not mention that he received her girdle to the host –he only kisses him three times…

    • 1649 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Literary Analysis
    • 2416 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Literary Analysis

    The English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a significant piece in Arthurian Literature. The story approaches Gawain’s character much differently than in Sir Thomas Malory’s well-known Le Morte d’Arthur. Unlike Malory’s version of the Arthurian legend where Sir Lancelot is known as the Round Table’s finest Knight, the author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight chose, instead, to have Sir Gawain play the role of Camelot’s most noble gentleman. In staying true to the theme of chivalry and virtue, the Gawain Poet tells a captivating story of a knights struggle to uphold the chivalric code in the face of temptation and danger.…

    • 2416 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Sir Gawain the Green Knight Parallel Story
    • 1161 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sir Gawain the Green Knight Parallel Story

    There once was a noble young man who was renowned for his awe-inspiring abilities in the goal box. He laughed in the face of evil and smiled with mirth when given any challenge. Any challenge, but one. The fated Penalty Kick is one of the toughest things to save from going in the goal. You see, this young man's name was Sir Stephen the Red and he was the goalkeeper for his kingdom of Nolnia. All the citizens throughout the land knew him to be the greatest goalkeeper to have ever lived but, in the depths of Stephen's heart, he constantly quelled his terror at failing on a PK. However, Stephen still knew that he was the greatest at goalkeeping in all the land so he shirked the fear on his heart and continued as though all was well. During a rainy training session a few weeks later, an unknown player showed up to practice and announced himself as Sir Strikes-a-lot The Wicked. Now Stephen wasn't one to be impressed by smack talk, but the player walked straight over to the team and said he would let somebody attempt to humiliate him by shooting a Penalty Kick against him in front of the whole team. Taken aback, Stephen asked what the man's terms were. The man replied with the counter that he would be allowed to shoot a PK exactly one year after if Sir Stephen missed. Stephen laughed and immediately took him up on the challenge since he reckoned that if anyone were to stand a chance against the Wicked man's shot it would be him. Granted that he had to miss first, which simply wasn't an option.…

    • 1161 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between Sir Gawain And The Green Knight
    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Similarities Between Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    In the Story “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” A green knight appeared to King Arthur an the Knights at the Round Table. The Green Knight then challenged the knights too use his axe and cut of his head, but after they have done the Green Knight will also get the chance to do the same to them. No knight at the took the challenge so Gawain the weakest of the knights took the challenge, knowing he is the weakest took the challenge knowing he would be the least miss. In the story “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” written by the pearl poet Gawain is the more courageous knight.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sir Gawain And The Green Knight: Bertilak
    • 159 Words
    • 1 Page

    Sir Gawain And The Green Knight: Bertilak

    The Green Knight is a character of the 14th-century Arthurian poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the related medieval work The Greene Knight. His true name is revealed to be Bertilak de Hautdesert (an alternate spelling in some translations is "Bertilak" or "Bernlak") in Sir Gawain, while The Greene Knight names him "Bredbeddle".[1] The Green Knight later features as one of Arthur's greatest champions in the fragmentary ballad "King Arthur and King Cornwall", again with the name "Bredbeddle".[2] In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Bercilak is transformed into the Green Knight by Morgan le Fay, a traditional adversary of King Arthur, in order to test his court. In The Green Knight he is transformed by a different woman for the same purpose.…

    • 159 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

    The theme of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is Chivalry. This was written in dialect and said to be written by a monk, but author remains unknown. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Green Knight was a creation by Arthur’s half-sister, Morgan le Fay, the ruler of mysterious Avalon, to embarrass the knights of his court. The Green Knight approaches the court offering beheading games and the winnings game while holding a holly-bundle and an axe in his hands. The holly-bundle symbolizes peace. Sir Gawain speaks up saying that he’s the weakest and should participate because he’d be the least loss to King Arthur’s (governor of Camelot) court. This all takes place around New Year’s Day and they call it Christmas-tide. A description of the Green Knight: All green except for his eyes. They were red. Sir Gawain was supposed to leave on November 1st, All Saints Day. This is a special day for praying to the saints. This day would have been better for Sir Gawain to leave, but he leaves on the 2nd, named All Souls Day. All Souls Day are prayers for deceased held in a place to speed to heaven. Sir Gawain is undergoing a test to prove he’s a Chivalric knight. The castle he visits represents heaven on earth and the guy Porter represents Peter. Gawain was given beautiful clothes as well as food to eat. He comes to the realization that he made a bargain and he has to deal with it. The woman he spoke to at the castle told him if he valued his life he would wear a sash, he was also told it would save his life. A servant accompanying Gawain to the games told him he wouldn’t tell if he chickened. Sir Gawain goes into the Wild West and hears a sound. It’s dark humor, the sound of the Green Knight sharpening his axe. In line 2214, he says he’s leaving, but a voice yells for him to stay. Sir Gawain looks up only to find the Green Knight standing over him and in that moment he knew he would be…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Chivalry In Sir Gawain
    • 373 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of Chivalry In Sir Gawain

    Gawain demonstrates chivalry by honoring the king and taking his place when cutting off the Green Knight’s head. He also shows justice when he makes a deal with Bertilak of Hautdesert, that with whatever Gawain received while in the castle he would have to give to Bertilak and whatever Bertilak received in the woods, would belong to Gawain. Gawain also showed justice by keeping his promise to the Green Knight by showing up to the Green Chapel in exactly…

    • 373 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    • 754 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

    an anonymous West Midlands poet also credited with a lot of other poems written during…

    • 754 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Bertilak's Complications In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight
    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Bertilak's Complications In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    Arthur and Bertilak completely ruled their castles, both ladies were extremely beautiful, and both courts were extravagant (source). However, at Bertilak’s court, the lady was the lover rather than Gawain, and Bertilak drank too much, something Bergner argued Arthur would never do (412). Whereas everything was revealed in Arthur’s court, Bertilak’s was one of “unexpressed truths” (Bergner 412). Morgan and Bertilak’s names were not revealed until the end, and Gawain participated in this concealment when he refused to tell Bertilak where he received the kiss (Bergner 412) text. Bergner did not offer much to the ambiguity of the text, but his idea of the two courts’ demands shed light on Gawain’s dilemma. With such high expectations from two groups of people, it would be difficult to meet them. Plus, taking Bergner’s argument further, one can say Gawain’s character changed when he traveled to a different court, just as he participated in the concealment. He visited another castle with slightly different practices and standards, and he was praised for his manners, not his pentangle values. So, why could Gawain not behave differently? Maybe his “failure” was not a failure after all, but an action aligned with a different court, perhaps one with more faith in magic as Knopp…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between Sir Gawain And The Green Knight
    • 246 Words
    • 1 Page

    Similarities Between Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    Sir Gawain is the nephew of King Arthur and he shows his loyalty by taking his place to challenge the Green Knight. “Only you as my uncle have I any honor.” Sir Gawain respects his uncle so much so that he’ll put his life on the line for him. Sir Gawain is capable…

    • 246 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
    • 1688 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

    “Every beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” (Closing time by Semisonic). In The Confessions by St. Augustine and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by W.S. Merwin, St. Augustine and Sir Gawain embark on journeys to find the best way to live their lives and then begin a new journey of spreading the lessons they learned and the people they have become to the people around them. Although sir Gawain knows he is on a journey to the Green Chapel, he does not realize that it will lead to him testing his virtues as well as making him a better knight. Similarly, St. Augustine does not realize that all along he was meant to become exactly what his mother urged and hoped he would become. If he had listened to his mother and followed God in the first place, he may not have been as strong of a leader and certainly would not have been as influential of a person as he is known for. The lessons they learn are ones that ultimately change their outlooks and persuade them to better their lives.…

    • 1688 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Bravery In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight
    • 91 Words
    • 1 Page

    Bravery In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    Although Gawain called himself weak, he showed bravery when he protected his uncle, King Arthur, when he was being challenged by the Green Knight. With great boldness, Gawain called himself weak in stanza sixteen just to protect King Arthur. Gawain also managed to gruesomely behead the Green Knight after taking up his challenge in stanza nineteen. Doing this action, sealed the deal for the challenge that the Green Knight asked to be completed of the castle court. This is how Sir Gawain showed his bravery to his uncle and his…

    • 91 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Truth In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight
    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Truth In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    It all starts with the game presented by the Green Knight; "You will grant me gladly the little game that I ask as my right"(Poet 56). Being a king, Arthur cannot express fear because he is the protector of the society. Therefore, the King accepts the challenge but Gawain steps forward to take the king's place; "Let this game be mine"(24). As the game progresses, one can identify that the game was a test to see how true Gawain is to his code of chivalry. The game was not fair for Gawain because the Green Knight held superpowers(167). As it stated,"He held his head by the hair, high, in his hand; and the stranger sat there as steadily in his saddle"(167-168). The Green Knight had the ability to live without his head attached to his body. Even though he knows that he will die if he pursues the Green Knight, "Sir Gawain sets off on his quest to find the Green Knight and fulfill his part of the challenge"(183). Gawain went to face the Green Knight because of his Knight's code of chivalry. In addition, for a second time, Gawain holds his truth to the code in the game inside the castle. As Poet states, "determined not to deceive his host or violate the agreement, Gawain accepts only two kisses from the lady, which he (tells) to the lord at night"(p 183). Gawain could take advantage of the situation by committing adultery. Although tempted, he holds…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Virtue In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight
    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Virtue In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    Sir Gawain 's honor is greatly tested during multiple situations. At the beginning, when he accepts the Green Knights challenge, Gawain is seen as an honorable man because of his refusal to back down from his agreement, even if it did seem as if the Green Knight had the upper hand. The real test of Gawain 's honor were all at the castle of Lord Bertilak, who is also known as the Green Knight, which Gawain was unaware of. Lord Bertilak and Sir Gawain come to an agreement called an exchange of winnings: Bertilak was to give all of the game that he caught during his hunt to Gawain, in return Gawain was to give his host all the gifts he received during his stay. One of the better test is the one that was carried out by Lady Bertilak. Gawain 's hosts ' wife continuously attempts to seduce him, but because of Gawain 's nobility and honor, he resist each and every time. The one and only time that Gawain 's honor seems to fail is when the hosts ' wife offers him a green girdle, Gawain feels that it could protect him from any harm so he takes it and in not giving Lord Bertilak everything he received in the castle he failed in keeping…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbolism in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

    To start off I will discuss what the green girdle means in the story and will investigate upon this. The girdle was accepted by Gawain, which shows how he has failed the test on temptation for earthy desires since, back at that time, a girdle was seen as a sexual item, thus Gawain accepting the girdle shows his sexual weakness. Also he failed because, as the story says the girdle supposedly grants eternal life and by Gawain accepting this he fails and shows that he focuses more on preserving his own life. I researched this topic more and found that girdles in literature are, “…portrayed as magical, giving power and strength if worn by men, and protection if worn by women.” I also found that the men where the girdles because it gives them more freedom to fight and also it is a way to hold their weapons. For women, on the other hand, it symbolizes virginity and sometimes even seduction.…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More