Summary of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:
● King Arthur and his round table is challenged by a green knight at a New Year’s party in
Camelot
● Someone must cut him with his green axe but in a year the same will happen to the
person
● Sir Gawain agrees so that King Arthur’s house is not humiliated
● The Knight’s head is cut off but he picks it up and tells Gawain where to find him next
year
● A year passes and near Christmas time Gawain leaves to find the knight
● He goes on a long journey and encounters some trials (annoying to him but overall
minor)
● He finds a castle where the king claims to know the green knight
● The castle also has a creepy old lady and the king’s wife, the queen
● The king invites Gawain to stay until he must find the knight
● Gawain agrees and they become good friends
● They make an agreement; the king goes hunting and gives Gawain whatever he finds. In
exchange, Gawain gives the king whatever he finds that day
● The king’s wife becomes fond of Gawain
● While Gawain likes her and her beauty he respects the king so he does not make an
advance on her
● Gawain’s knightly duties state he cannot offend a lady
● The queen asks Gawain for a kiss twice and he accepts both times
● Gawain gives the king the kisses in exchange for the meat he hunts
● The queen gives Gawain a green girdle which is supposed to save him from any death
● Gawain doesn’t give it to the king
● Gawain leaves to the green knight’s lair
● It is revealed that the green knight has done this scheme before
● Gawain finds the green knight but is not killed with the axe, but sliced his neck
● The green knight reveals himself to be the king, Lord Bertilak
● The old lady is Morgan le Fay, a sorceress who is King Arthur’s half sister and hates
King Arthur and Queen Guinevere
● Lord Bertilak owed Morgan le Fay so she had him use the ruse to try and kill Guinevere
or Arthur
● The queen knew about the ruse and seduced Gawain as a test
● He sliced Gawain’s neck because he did not tell him about the green girdle
● Gawain begs for forgiveness for his cowardice and dishonesty
● Lord Bertilak grants him absolution
● Sir Gawain returns to King Arthur’s house
● Gawain is consumed by guilt and shame because of his moral failure but Camelot accepts
him with love and joy
● King Arthur and his round table is challenged by a green knight at a New Year’s party in
Camelot
● Someone must cut him with his green axe but in a year the same will happen to the
person
● Sir Gawain agrees so that King Arthur’s house is not humiliated
● The Knight’s head is cut off but he picks it up and tells Gawain where to find him next
year
● A year passes and near Christmas time Gawain leaves to find the knight
● He goes on a long journey and encounters some trials (annoying to him but overall
minor)
● He finds a castle where the king claims to know the green knight
● The castle also has a creepy old lady and the king’s wife, the queen
● The king invites Gawain to stay until he must find the knight
● Gawain agrees and they become good friends
● They make an agreement; the king goes hunting and gives Gawain whatever he finds. In
exchange, Gawain gives the king whatever he finds that day
● The king’s wife becomes fond of Gawain
● While Gawain likes her and her beauty he respects the king so he does not make an
advance on her
● Gawain’s knightly duties state he cannot offend a lady
● The queen asks Gawain for a kiss twice and he accepts both times
● Gawain gives the king the kisses in exchange for the meat he hunts
● The queen gives Gawain a green girdle which is supposed to save him from any death
● Gawain doesn’t give it to the king
● Gawain leaves to the green knight’s lair
● It is revealed that the green knight has done this scheme before
● Gawain finds the green knight but is not killed with the axe, but sliced his neck
● The green knight reveals himself to be the king, Lord Bertilak
● The old lady is Morgan le Fay, a sorceress who is King Arthur’s half sister and hates
King Arthur and Queen Guinevere
● Lord Bertilak owed Morgan le Fay so she had him use the ruse to try and kill Guinevere
or Arthur
● The queen knew about the ruse and seduced Gawain as a test
● He sliced Gawain’s neck because he did not tell him about the green girdle
● Gawain begs for forgiveness for his cowardice and dishonesty
● Lord Bertilak grants him absolution
● Sir Gawain returns to King Arthur’s house
● Gawain is consumed by guilt and shame because of his moral failure but Camelot accepts
him with love and joy
