Sir Gawain and the
Green Knight
Cultural and character backgrounds
The Author
 The author of the poem is known only as
“The Pearl Poet.”
 Written in northwestern England around
1370
 The language and topics indicate that the
author was most likely familiar with
French, Latin, the aristocracy, and the
medieval romance genre.
Medieval Romance
Characteristics
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embody the ideals of chivalry
set in a remote time or place
emphasize rank and social distinctions
convey sense of supernatural
hero engaged in pure adventure
include love-courtly love
feature spontaneous fighting
Stages of a Medieval
Romance
1. Undertaking of a dangerous quest
2. Facing a test of honor or courage
3. A return to the point from which the
quest began
Poetic Devices
 Heavy alliteration
 Bob and Wheel verse: each section
ends with a short line called a bob,
followed by the wheel, which are longer
lines that rhyme.
Theme Topics
 Tests of character
 The power of nature to revive or destroy
man
 Games to prove worthiness
 Male/female opposition
Characters
 Sir Gawain: A young knight ready for
challenge
 The Green Knight: A mysterious figure
who proposes a quest
 Lord Bercilak: Allows Gawain to stay at
his castle during his quest
 Lady Bercilak: Tempts Gawain
 King Arthur: Leader of Camelot
Sir Gawain
 Sir Gawain is a Knight of the Round
Table in the legends of King Arthur.
 He is depicted as both a ruthless
warrior and a noble and courageous
man.
 As a knight, Sir Gawain would have had
to uphold the code of chivalry.
Code for Knights
 Sir Gawain would have been expected to adhere to
physical and nonphysical ideals.
 Physical ideals for knights:
- strength
- skill at arms
- horsemanship
 Nonphysical ideals for knights:
- courage
- humility
- courtesy
- loyalty
Theories on the Meaning of
the Color Green
 fertility and rebirth
 love
 the devil or evil (from
early English
folklore)
 death
All are seen in Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight, which could suggest a focus on the
cycle of life or the transitions from good to
evil.