Sir Gawain and the
Green Knight
Not the latest blockbuster
 Combines the elements of traditional
Middle English literature with colorful,
descriptive language, a compelling plot,
and violence enough to please even a
modern audience of teens reared on
Avatar and The Avengers.
Themes
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Pride
Bravery
Honor
Humility
Focus on archetypes
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What is an archetype?
The hero
The trickster
The temptress
The journey or quest
The temptation or test.
List of characters
 King Arthur: young and
beardless; knows nothing
of fear; stresses
entertainment before
food; holds an opulent
court in which excess
seems to be common and
the knights have no need
to fight for territory or
defense
Characters…cont.
 Sir Gawain:
humble,
thoughtful, and
courageous;
gallantly
volunteers to take
the challenge of
the Green Knight
in Arthur’s place
Characters…cont.
 Green Knight: huge,
square, thick, and, at
the same time, graceful;
a big, green mystical
knight on a big, green
mystical horse;
revealed to be Bercilak
in disguise (Gawain’s
host) doing Morgana Le
Fay’s bidding
Characters…cont.
 Bercilak (the Lord of the
House): Gawain’s
accommodating and
cheerful host at the
castle before he meets
the Green Knight at the
Chapel; tall and strong
with a beard the color of
a beaver and a fiery red
face
Characters…cont.
 Bercilak’s Wife (the
Lady of the House):
stunningly beautiful,
smart, and demure;
tempts Gawain three
times to kiss her and to
seduce her while her
husband is otherwise
occupied; presents
Gawain with the green
silk girdle he believes
will save his life
Characters…cont.
 Morgana Le Fay:
Arthur’s half sister and
Gawain’s aunt; concocts
the challenge in hopes
of scaring Queen
Guinevere to death and
bringing shame on
Camelot; may be the old
woman who
accompanies Bercilak’s
wife
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 a-llllllllllll-iteration
 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
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. Why not money??
The Quest
 •Caerleon (Geoffrey of Monmouth thought this
to be the basis for Camelot)
 Anglesey Islands (mentioned in line 698)
•Holywell (line 700)
 Wirral (lines 700-701)•
 Other locations: the River Dee, River Mersey,
Peak District, Roaches, and Lud’s Church in
Staffordshire (thought to be the location of the
Green Knight’s Chapel)
Pride vs. Humility
 Proverbs 16:18 from
the Bible: “Pride
goes before
destruction, a
haughty spirit before
a fall.”
 What does this
mean?
 http://www.
aesopfables.com/cgi/
aesop1.cgi?2&TheFi
ght
ingCocksandtheEagl
e.
Discussion
 What is pride?
 What is the difference between pride and
humility?
 When is pride an appropriate human feeling
and when is it excessive or misguided?
 When people fall from excessive pride, how
might they redeem themselves or regain what
they have lost?