full title · Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. author · Anonymous; referred to as the Gawain-poet or the Pearl-poet. type of work · Alliterative poem. genre · Romance, Arthurian legend. language · Middle English (translated into modern English). time and place written · Ca. 1340–1400, West Midlands, England. read more
Only a single copy of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has been preserved from the Middle Ages. The manuscript also contains three other poems, Pearl, Patience, and Purity. Pearl is about the death of the author's daughter, but the other two pieces are Biblical in nature. read more
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Middle English: Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyȝt) is a late 14th-century Middle English chivalric romance. It is one of the best known Arthurian stories, with its plot combining two types of folklore motifs, the beheading game and the exchange of winnings. read more
protagonist · Sir Gawain. major conflict · The major conflict is largely Gawain’s struggle to decide whether his knightly virtues are more important than his life. Before he knows that the Green Knight has supernatural abilities, Gawain accepts the Green Knight’s challenge to an exchange of blows. read more
Sir Gawain - The story’s protagonist, Arthur’s nephew and one of his most loyal knights. Although he modestly disclaims it, Gawain has the reputation of being a great knight and courtly lover. He prides himself on his observance of the five points of chivalry in every aspect of his life. read more