STUDY GUIDE: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Directions: Use the following passages/questions as a guide to help you annotate.
Part 1 (PAGES 171-177)1. / What insult is insinuated when in lines 9-10 the Green Knight “halted, as if in doubt / Who in that hall held sway”?
2. / What are the three main points of the Green Knight’s speech in lines 34-51?
3. / What aspect of medieval romances does the Green Knight’s appearance illustrate?
4. / How is Arthur feeling in lines 94-97 when it describes him as having a “face flushed red”? Why is he feeling this way?
5. / How are Gawain’s words in lines 128-134 and the court’s decision consistent with the ideals of chivalry?
6. / What two characteristics of medieval romance are reflected in lines 214-231?
Part 2 (supplemental section)
7. / What is a pentangle?(remember those footnotes!)
8. / What did each of the 5 points on the pentangle represent?
9. / What archetype and medieval romance characteristic is contained in lines 763-770? Why is this archetype significant in Gawain’s situation?
10. / What is the bargain the Lord of the Castle makes with Gawain?
11. / What elements of Arthurian romance AND rules of courtly love & chivalry occur during Gawain’s stay at the castle?
12. / What does the Lady of the Castle give to Gawain? What is special about it?
13. / Does Gawain keep up his end of the bargain with the Lord of the Castle? Explain.
Part 3 (pages 178-183)
14. / Describe the location where Gawain finds the Green night.
15. / Why would the Green Knight make him wait when Gawain arrives at the Chapel?
16. / What is the Green Knight doing when Gain arrives at the castle?
17. / How do Gawain’s actions in lines 359-387 reflect or depart from the ideals of knighthood?
18. / How many times does the Green Knight take up his axe (to take his “swipe”)? This is an example of what literary device and what elements of Arthurian romances?
19. / What is the reason the Green Knight only “nicks” Sir Gawain’s neck?
20. / Who does the Green Knight turns out to be? What literary device is illustrated by this fact?
21. / How would you characterize Gawain’s response to the Green Knight in lines 459-477?
22. / How would you characterize the Green Knight’s final thoughts to Gawain in lines 478-490?
23. / What has Sir Gawain learned from his second encounter with the Green Knight?
24. / Identify 3 characteristics of Gawain that make him an ideal hero for a medieval romance.
25. / Identify a shortcoming of Gawain. Explain what this suggests about the theme of human weakness in medieval romance.
26. / How did this story fall under the prerequisites of a romance (that we discussed earlier)?