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
feature spontaneous fighting
Stages of a Medieval
Romance
1. Undertaking 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.
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Example:
That never should another know of it, the noble swore
Outright
Then often his thanks gave he
With all his heart and might,
And thrice by then had she
Kissed the constant knight.
Themes
 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.