Romance
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CLE 3005.8.1 Demonstrate knowledge of
significant works of British literature from the
Anglo-Saxon period to the present and make
relevant comparisons.
CLE 3005.8.2 Understand the characteristics of
various literary genres (e.g., poetry, novel,
biography, short story, essay, drama).
CLE 3005.8.4 Analyze works of British literature for
what they suggest about the historical period in
which they were written.
CLE 3005.8.5 Know and use appropriate literary
terms to derive meaning and comprehension from
various literary genres.
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Know the characteristics of romance
Know and identify the following literary
terms/devices: romance, hero, quest,
alliteration, caesura, bob and wheel
Understand the ways in which “Sir Gawain
and the Green Knight” represents the era in
which it was written
Be familiar with the characters and places
from “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
Romances are narratives set in a world where
the ordinary laws of nature are suspended,
and where idealized heroes fight the forces of
evil.
The basic narrative pattern of the romance is
the quest, in which a hero undertakes a
perilous journey in search of something of
great value.
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Is near-perfect hero
Is a human with limited moral and physical
strength
Is bound by a code of chivalry that
emphasizes loyalty to his lord and readiness
to serve those in need
Should adhere to the philosophy of courtly
love, an idealized view of relationships in
which a knight performs brave deeds to win
the approval of his lady
The hero’s quest consists of three stages:
1. a dangerous journey
2. a central test or ordeal to determine if
the hero has heroic qualities
3. a return to the place where the journey
began
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Romances often have
- an evil enemy
- supernatural elements
- a theme of good versus evil
- female figures who are often maidens in
need of rescue, temptresses, mothers,
or crones
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To entertain
Romances are tales of adventure, intrigue,
and mystery.
To teach a moral lesson
Romances illustrate how heroes react to
dangerous situations or moral dilemmas.
They reveal what character traits are
valued by society.
Romance has come to mean any story that
presents a world that is happier, more
exciting, or more heroic than the real world.
Romances are stories set in a world of pure
wish fulfillment.
The ordinary laws of nature are suspended.
Idealized and superhuman heroes fight and
almost always conquer the forces of evil.
“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Geoffrey
Chaucer
 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
 Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas
Mallory
 The Faerie Queene by Edmund
Spencer
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The
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Chronicles of Narnia
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Indiana Jones trilogy
Wizard of Oz
In order to achieve variety in the otherwise
somewhat monotonous alliterative verse, the
innovative Gawain poet broke the poem into
stanza-like sections using a technique now
referred to as bob and wheel.
 The “wheels” are groups of short, alternatively
rhymed lines. The “bobs” are lines, or “tags,”
which come before the wheels.
The last word of the bob always rhymes with
the second and fourth lines of the wheel.
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In joy the passed that day until darkness
came in the land.
And now think well, Sir Gawain,
Lest you from terror stand
Betrayer of the bargain
That you have now in hand!
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1. One purpose of a romance is to
a. persuade b. ridicule c. entertain
2. A romance hero’s quest has _____ stages.
a. three b. five c. seven
3. A romance hero is a perfect human with
unlimited moral and physical strength.
a. true b. false