Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Question 1

main ideas

Answer 1

Chivalry and Knightly Honor
Temptation and Moral Testing
Human Fallibility
Nature vs. Civilization
The Role of Fate and the Supernatural
Truth and Integrity
Reputation vs. Reality
Courage in Facing Death
legend and reputation
natural world
Christianity
games/rules/order

Question 2

ideas about gawain

Answer 2

Chivalry and Knightly Honor
Courtesy and Courtly Manners
Courage and Bravery
Humility and Honesty
Loyalty and Fidelity
Testing and Temptation
Human Fallibility and Redemption
Reputation and Identity
Nature and the Supernatural
Christian Virtues vs. Pagan Challenges

Question 3

ideas about further

Answer 3

Legitimacy and Rightful Rule
Chivalry and Justice
Unification of Britain
The Round Table and Equality
Quest for the Holy Grail
Mentorship by Merlin
Ideal of Camelot
Loyalty and Betrayal
Tragic Downfall
Mythic Symbolism of the “Once and Future King”

Question 4

deep ideas

Answer 4

The Illusion of Perfection
The Mirror of Nature
Test as Transformation
The Ambiguity of the Supernatural
Courtly Honor vs. Personal Survival

Question 5

back ground infomation

Answer 5

Authorship and Date
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was composed in Middle English in the late 14th century by an anonymous author often called the “Gawain Poet” or “Pearl Poet.” The same poet is credited with three other works—Pearl, Patience, and Cleanness—all notable for their polished alliterative verse and rich symbolism.

Manuscript and Transmission
The poem survives in a single manuscript, the Thornton Manuscript (c. 1400–1410), now held at the British Library (MS Cotton Nero A.x). This manuscript preserves all four of the Gawain Poet’s works, suggesting they were valued as a set even in the early 15th century.

Historical and Cultural Context
Set against the backdrop of Arthurian legend, the poem reflects late medieval concerns with chivalry, courtly behavior, and Christian morality. It was written during a time of political upheaval in England—just after the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381—and likely served both to entertain and to reaffirm social ideals.

Literary Tradition
Drawing on French Arthurian romances and Celtic folklore, the poem blends the conventions of courtly love and knightly quests with more pagan elements—symbolized by the Green Knight and the wild, otherworldly forest. Its alliterative revival style also connects it to earlier Old English poetry, such as Beowulf.

Structure and Style
The narrative unfolds in four parts—Beheading Game, The Exchange of Winnings, The Temptation Scene, and The Conclusion—totaling some 2,530 lines. It employs strict alliterative verse and the “Bob and Wheel” device—a short line (the bob) followed by a rhymed quatrain (the wheel)—to punctuate key moments and heighten suspense.

Themes and Significance
The poem interrogates the ideals of honor, honesty, and human fallibility. Its enduring power lies in the way it stages a spiritual and psychological trial: Sir Gawain’s encounter with the Green Knight becomes a universal meditation on the tension between social codes and self-preservation. Over centuries, it has inspired countless adaptations in literature, drama, and film, securing its place as a masterpiece of medieval English literature.