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Source: Burrows, J.A.

A
Reading of Sir Gawain
and the Green
Knight. New York:
Barnes and Noble,
1966.
The Character

 Courageous and brave

Flawless example of Christian


chivalry

Flawed everyman
Element of Romance
Set in a remote place and time
Incorporates the marvelous and
miracles
Hero is superior to other men and his
environment
May involve “Testing Plot”
Testing Plot
Tester is unrealistic and remote
Test is extreme
Hero follows the higher of conflicting
virtues
Tester relents and allows hero to fulfill
lower virtue
Departs from Romance
Calendar time/ real places
Hero is one of us, not superior
Tester is split: Morgan and Bercilak
Gawain fails the test because he is
human and sinful
Mixture of romance and realism
Main Characters
 Arthur: King of Camelot
Sir Gawain: Representative, not elect
Green Knight: Ambiguous nature

Green body-supernatural
Green and gold equipment-courtly
youth
Holly bob-life and peace
Axe-war
The Game
Governed by rules
Tests important
knightly virtues
Involves seemingly
inevitable death
Code of Chivalry
Posses faith in God
Loyal to people, principles, and
promises
Without deceit
Upright and Virtuous
The Five Virtues
Generosity
Companionableness
Courtesy
Pure mind
Compassion
Recognition

The Green Knight

The exchange game was the real test


Confession
Shame and mortification
Statement of Sin: Gawain admits
cowardice, covetousness, and
untruth
Request for penance
Condemnation

Gawain did sin


Sin was from love of life, not malice
Problem of shifting blame to women
Thematic Points

Openness and ambiguity


Combination of romance and realism
Gawain is human/sinful
Sir Gawain’s “human experience”

Social living
Alienation
Self-discovery
Desolation
Recovery and Restoration

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