Intro notes for

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The manuscript:

• One story out of four in a single manuscript

Pearl, Patience, and Cleanness are the others

• Composed in the late 1300s around Chaucer’s time

most likely written by a priest or a monk

• Not as well known as The Canterbury Tales

found referenced in many other texts

• Original manuscript was “lost” in the 1600s in a fire

• Found in 1839 among other manuscripts

story gains its fame in scholarship

• Now kept in the British Museum

The predominant characters:

• Sir Gawain – youngest of Arthur’s knights

• King Arthur – Sir Gawain’s uncle

• Queen Guenevere – wife of Arthur

• The Green Knight – Gawain’s challenger

• Lord Bercilak – assist’s Gawain toward the end of

his quest

• Lady Bercilak – wife of Bercilak

The story:

Medieval Romance – quest to test a person

Different dialect of Middle English than Canterbury Tales - more poetic and great use of alliteration

Challenge of Sir Gawain’s knightly qualities

Gawain’s symbol on his shield - pentangle

Symbolism: five wounds of Christ

His side

Left footRight foot

Left handRight hand

Symbolism: five joys of the Virgin Mary

Annunciation

ResurrectionAscension

NativityAssumption

Symbolism: five virtues of knighthood

generosity

chastitychivalry

fidelitypiety

Generosity – giving nature, kindness

Fidelity – brotherly love, loyalty, truthfulness

Chastity – purity, integrity

Chivalry – honor, courtesy, valor

Piety – holiness, dignity, humility

Setting of Sir Gawain

and the Green Knight

Snowdonia in North Wales

Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey in Wales

Caernarfon Castle in Wales

Possible site of Bercilak’s castle in Wales

This is one possibility for the Green Chapel…

This is a close up of the previous picture…

St. Seirol’s Well… another possibility

The most likely candidate for the Green Chapel