Summary Before dawn, the hunting party prepares to leave. The lord hears Mass, and then sets off with his hounds and men. The lord hunts deer in the forest all day long, with great joy. In the castle, Gawain is in bed. The host’s wife comes and sits on his […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 1,126–1,411 (Stanzas 46–56)Summary and Analysis Lines 763–1,125 (Stanzas 33–45)
Summary After making the sign of the cross three times, Gawain sees a great castle nearby, where he is welcomed as a guest by the lord of the house. After the Christmas Eve feast, the court goes to the evening Mass, and Gawain encounters the beautiful lady of the castle, […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 763–1,125 (Stanzas 33–45)Summary and Analysis Lines 491–619 (Stanzas 22–28)
Summary The seasons change — winter, spring, and summer — until fall arrives. Gawain begins to think of leaving. The king holds a feast for him on All Saints’ Day. The court makes merry, but they are sad, thinking of Gawain’s fate. The next day, he dresses in his armor […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 491–619 (Stanzas 22–28)Summary and Analysis Lines 250–490 (Stanzas 12–21)
Summary Arthur greets the strange rider, inviting him to stay. The knight says he has not come to visit, but to test Arthur’s knights, who are famed as the best on earth. He asks instead for a Christmas game: He will trade a blow for a blow. If any man […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 250–490 (Stanzas 12–21)Summary and Analysis Lines 37–249 (Stanzas 3–11)
Summary King Arthur is at Camelot during the Christmas season with his knights of the Round Table and his other lords and ladies. They feast merrily, sing carols, and dance. For New Year’s Day, they exchange gifts and sit down for a wonderful feast. Arthur customarily does not eat at […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 37–249 (Stanzas 3–11)Summary and Analysis Lines 1–36 (Stanzas 1–2)
Summary The poet describes how, after the fall of Troy, Aeneas and his kin founded countries in the west. Brutus founded Britain, where joy and sorrow alternate. Of all the great heroes of Britain, King Arthur is the greatest. The poet says he will tell, if his audience will hear […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Lines 1–36 (Stanzas 1–2)Character List
Gawain The main character of the story, the bravest of King Arthur’s knights, famed for his “courtesy.” He takes the Green Knight’s challenge on behalf of Arthur and Camelot. The Green Knight Fantastic creature who appears at King Arthur’s Christmas feast. He is also Bertilak of Hautdesert. Bertilak (or Bercilak) […]
Read more Character ListAbout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Introduction Like most medieval literature, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight participates in several important literary traditions that its original audience would have instantly recognized. Medieval poets were expected to re-use established source materials in their own works. Modern readers sometimes mistakenly take this as evidence of how lacking in […]
Read more About Sir Gawain and the Green KnightPoem Summary
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight follows a classic quest formula, with a knight receiving a challenge, going out on a journey to meet that challenge, and returning home to report on his quest. At Christmas, a knight who is completely green rides into King Arthur’s hall. The Green Knight […]
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