SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
ESSAY TOPICS
1. The Powerful Female Figure : The Role of Women in Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight
o The female characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (just as in the case with
other works of medieval literature featuring women characters) are endowed with
powers that seem to be supernatural; Bertilak’s wife and the old lady (Morgan le
Fay). At first, Bertilak’s wife seems to be simply coquettish and clever in her ploys
to wrangle kisses out of Gawain. Over time, however, it is revealed that she is
working with Morgan le Fay and provides Gawain with the green girdle, the object
that will save his life. In this essay, you will argue that Morgan le Fay is the most
powerful character in the tale, an argument that you will build with textual
evidence.
2. Gawain’s Likeability : A Character Analysis of Gawain
o Gawain must undergo a journey to find the Green Knight, and true to the epic
tale, Gawain’s journey is filled with obstacles and challenges. The reader can
easily get caught up in Gawain’s dramatic adventures and should find him to be a
likeable character. Although Gawain tells a lie through omission, he remains a
likeable character, and one who, at the same time, can teach the reader an
important lesson about the value of truth telling. In this essay, you will discuss
Gawain’s likeability as a character and how that influences the lesson this story
intends to teach the readers.
3. The Role of Games in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
o Much of the action in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight revolves around games
that involve challenges between competitors. These games serve to propel the plot
forward, creating both intrigue and conflict in order to engage the reader. In this
essay, you will explore the different types of games that are played in the story
and the ways in which they are used to promote specific ideas and actions.
SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
ESSAY TOPICS
4. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as a Morality Tale
o Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is, at its heart, a morality tale. Sir Gawain is a
chivalrous and mostly upstanding character who is concerned about the protection
and promotion of his honor as a knight. However, because he is embarrassed or
ashamed about having attained the girdle of Bertilak’s wife, he suppresses this
information from his host. This omission of the truth violates the rules and spirit
of the terms of the game as the two men established and agreed upon, and as such,
slightly tarnishes Sir Gawain’s character. In the end, Sir Gawain is injured slightly
because of this omission of the truth, though prevented from the worse fate—
death. In this essay, explain how this story functions as a morality tale as it
applies to Medieval literature.
5. Symbolism of the Color Green
o Color plays an important symbolic function in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
One of the most important colors is, of course, the color green. There is the green
knight and the green girdle. Both the knight and the girdle have magical powers:
one to threaten to take life, and the other to protect life. In this essay, you will
examine the use of the color green in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight while
describing how this color functions symbolically to reinforce the value of life.