Name:
Date:
THREE LEVEL STUDY GUIDE: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Directions: Answer each question with specific examples/proof from the text.
Part 1 (PAGES 171-177)
1. What insult is insinuated when in lines 9-10 the Green Knight “halted, as if in doubt / Who in
that hall held sway”?
2. What are the three main points of the Green Knight’s speech in lines 34-51?
3. What aspect of medieval romances does the Green Knight’s appearance illustrate?
4. How is Arthur feeling in lines 94-97 when it describes him as having a “face flushed red”? Why
is he feeling this way?
5. How are Gawain’s words in lines 128-134 and the court’s decision consistent with the ideals of
chivalry?
6. What two characteristics of medieval romance are reflected in lines 214-231?
Part 2 (supplemental section)
7. What is a pentangle?(remember those footnotes!)
8. What did each of the 5 points on the pentangle represent?
9. What archetype and medieval romance characteristic is contained in lines 763-770? Why is this
archetype significant in Gawain’s situation?
10. What is the bargain the Lord of the Castle makes with Gawain?
11. What elements of Arthurian romance AND rules of courtly love & chivalry occur during Gawain’s
stay at the castle?
12. What does the Lady of the Castle give to Gawain? What is special about it?
13. Does Gawain keep up his end of the bargain with the Lord of the Castle? Explain.
Part 3 (pages 178-183)
14. Describe the location where Gawain finds the Green night.
15. Why would the Green Knight make him wait when Gawain arrives at the Chapel?
16. What is the Green Knight doing when Gain arrives at the castle?
17. How do Gawain’s actions in lines 359-387 reflect or depart from the ideals of knighthood?
18. How many times does the Green Knight take up his axe (to take his “swipe”)? This is an example of
what literary device and what elements of Arthurian romances?
19. What is the reason the Green Knight only “nicks” Sir Gawain’s neck?
20. Who does the Green Knight turns out to be? What literary device is illustrated by this fact?
21. How would you characterize Gawain’s response to the Green Knight in lines 459-477?
22. How would you characterize the Green Knight’s final thoughts to Gawain in lines 478-490?
23. What has Sir Gawain learned from his second encounter with the Green Knight?
24. Identify 3 characteristics of Gawain that make him an ideal hero for a medieval romance.
25. Identify a shortcoming of Gawain. Explain what this suggests about the theme of human
weakness in medieval romance.
26. How did this story fall under the prerequisites of a romance (that we discussed earlier)?