“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
A Medieval Romance and a tale
of chivalry
Term: Chivalry
Definition of Chivalry
1.
Prowess:
ability to fight
Definition of Chivalry
2.
Loyalty:
to God, King,
and lady
Definition of Chivalry
3. Generosity:
includes
gift-giving and
hospitality
Definition of Chivalry
4. Franchise:
that "something
special" that
distinguishes a
knight; linked to
birthright
Definition of Chivalry
5. Courtesy:
initially "behavior
at court," the term
emphasizes
behavior towards a
lady
A Few Rules of Chivalry
Include…
Live to serve
King and
Country.
Never use a
weapon on an
opponent not
equal to the
attack.
Exhibit courage in
word and
deed.
Always keep
one's word of
honor.
Avoid deception.
Be respectful of
host, women, and
honor.
Term: Medieval Romance
The basic material of
medieval romance is knightly
activity and adventure; we
might best define medieval
romance as a story of
adventure.
Aspects of a Medieval Romance
Any "love
interest" is likely
to be incidental to
the story
Aspects of a Medieval Romance
The stories were
often woven
around a well
known figure.
Aspects of a Medieval Romance
The hero is
always made to
conform to
medieval
conceptions of a
knight .
Aspects of a Medieval Romance
Often follows the
loose pattern of a
quest.
Aspects of a Medieval Romance
A tale of adventure
in which knights,
kings, or
distressed ladies,
are motivated by
love, religious
faith, or the mere
desire for
adventure.
Aspects of a Medieval Romance
Usually set in
remote times
or places.
Aspects of a Medieval Romance
Involves elements
of the fantastic or
supernatural
Term: Alliteration
Successive words or stressed syllables
begin with the same consonant or
vowel sound in close succession.
Term: Allusion
a brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or
fictitious, or to a work of art. Casual reference to a
famous historical or literary figure or event.
An allusion may be drawn from history,
geography, literature, or religion.
Term: Legend
a tradition or story handed down from earlier times
and popularly accepted as true but actually a mix
of fact and fiction. The term is also applied to any
fictitious tale concerning a real person, event, or
place and is likely to be less concerned with the
supernatural than a myth.
Term: symbol
A person, object, image, word, or event that
evokes a range of additional meaning
beyond and usually more abstract than its
literal significance. Conventional symbols
have meanings that are widely recognized
by a society or culture.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
•Author is known as 1) The Gawain Poet or 2)
The Pearl Poet
•Composed around 1370
Themes in SGGK
•temptation and testing
•hunting and seduction
•games
•time and seasons
•nature and chivalry
Symbolism in SGGK
•the color green
•the green knight
•girdle
•pentangle
•numbers
•wounds
Read handout entitled “A Look at the
Symbolism of the Pentangle in Sir Gawain
and the Green Knight.”
Record what the five points of the
pentangle represent.
Use the handout entitled “A Look at the
Symbolism of the Pentangle in Sir Gawain
and the Green Knight.”
Record what the five knightly virtues are..
The Essay
The Introduction
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It introduces the main idea of your essay. A
good opening paragraph captures the
interest of your reader and tells why your
topic is important.
The main idea of the essay is stated in a
single sentence called the thesis statement.
You must limit your entire essay to the topic
you have introduced in your thesis
statement.
Provide some background information about
your topic. You can use interesting facts,
quotations, or definitions of important terms
you will use later in the essay.
Supporting Paragraphs
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What are supporting paragraphs?
Supporting paragraphs make up the main
body of your essay.
What do they do?
They develop the main idea of your essay.
How do I write them?
1. List the points that develop the main idea
of your essay.
2. Place each supporting point in its own
paragraph.
3. Develop each supporting point with facts,
details, and examples.
Conclusion


What does it do?
It summarizes or restates the main idea of
the essay. You want to leave the reader with
a sense that your essay is complete.
How do I write one?
1. Restate the strongest points of your essay
that support your main idea.
2. Conclude your essay by restating the main
idea in different words.
Things to Keep in Mind
Verb Tense
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Always write about literature in the
present tense
Always write about history in the past
tense
Be sure you do not change tenses in
your writing
Transitions
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Use transitions to give writing a
smooth flow
Use to connect one idea to the next
Avoid transitions like first, second,
third, etc.
Use them between and within
paragraphs
Make sure transitions are being used
properly
Sentence Structure
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Simple
Compound
Complex
Vary your sentence structure, and use
introductory phrases and clauses for
interest.
Diction
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Avoid words like good, bad, things, a
lot
Avoid use of clichés
Use a thesaurus to find more
interesting words
Avoid using the same words over and
over
Prepositions

Avoid ending sentences with a preposition.
Example: In order to uphold the code of
chivalry, Gawain must honor the agreement
he and the Green Knight agreed upon.
Remedy: In order to uphold the code of
chivalry, Gawain must honor the agreement
upon which he and the Green Knight agreed.
Personal Pronouns

You, I, me, we, etc.

Quite simply, do NOT use these in your
essays!!!
Common Grammar Errors
Comma Splices

What is a comma splice?
an error caused by joining two
independent clauses (sentences) with
only a comma
Example: Sir Gawain is not only a knight
of the Round Table but is King Arthur’s
nephew as well, he fights the infamous
Green Knight.
Remedies
SEMICOLON:
Sir Gawain is not only a knight of the Round
Table but is King Arthur’s nephew as well;
he fights the infamous Green Knight.
COORDINATING CONJUNCTION:
Sir Gawain is not only a knight of the Round
Table but is King Arthur’s nephew as well,
and he fights the infamous Green Knight.
Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement

An antecedent is the word, phrase, or
clause to which a pronoun refers,
understood by the context.
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Incorrect

Correct
Although Gawain is Although Gawain is
considered to be
considered to be
one of the most
one of the most
noble knights of
noble knights of
the Round Table,
the Round Table,
he occasionally
they occasionally
falls short of
fall short of
meeting the
meeting the
expectations of
expectations of
the chivalric
the chivalric
code.
code.
Commas/Coordinating
Conjunctions

Only use a commas with a coordinating
conjunction (and, but, or, so) when
connecting two complete sentences.
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Example:
Gawain, a courteous knight of the Round
Table, accepts the Green Knight’s challenge,
and he stays true to the covenant upon
which the two agreed.
Commas with Introductory
Words

Introductory words like however, still,
furthermore, and meanwhile create
continuity from one sentence to the next; use
a comma to set these apart.

Example.
Gawain accepts the terms of the Green
Knight’s game. However, the young knight
must wait a year and a day to search for the
mysterious, headless man.
Proofread!!!
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Do NOT rely on spell check. The
computer does not know the difference
between “there” and “their.”
Print a copy of your final draft, and
proofread it with a pen. You WILL
catch more errors doing this rather
than proofing on a screen.
Read your paper aloud to yourself.
You will usually “HEAR” your mistakes.