Journey into the World of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Genre and Authorship

• The genre of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a chivalric romance.
• The author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is unknown.

Folk Motifs and Structure

• The plot of the story combines two types of folk motifs: the Beheading Game and the Exchange of Winnings.
• The story is written in alliterative verse, a form that uses repetition of initial consonant sounds.

Chivalric Romance and Hero

• A chivalric romance typically involves a heroic knight as the protagonist.
• In a chivalric romance, the hero is usually idealized and embodies chivalric virtues.

Plot Summary

• The plot of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight revolves around a challenge made by the Green Knight to King Arthur's court.
• The Green Knight proposes a game in which he will allow anyone to strike off his head with an axe, on the condition that the player must seek him out a year later to receive a return blow.
• Sir Gawain takes up the challenge and beheads the Green Knight, but the Green Knight picks up his head and rides away.
• As part of the challenge, Sir Gawain must find the Green Knight a year later to receive a return blow.

Literary Tradition

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight draws on the literary tradition of chivalric romances, which celebrate the values of chivalry and courtly love.