Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Questions and Answers
by Pearl-Poet

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What are some of the complex ways in which Sir Gawain and the Green Knight represents the intersection between sexual desire and social class through different social and/or sexual triangles of people?
  The potential erotic situation between Gawain and Lady Bertilak is complicated by social rank. Gawain cannot sleep with Lady Bertilak as that would be adultery, both a sin and a slight against his...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What are some examples of supernatural elements in Sir Gawain and the Green Knights?
  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight predominantly features the supernatural in the character of the Green Knight himself. The Green Knight is able to survive having his head cut off and uses magic to...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Help me understand the Christian allegory in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Describe the Christian allegory in more detail. How do these ideas have to do with the allegory? Gawain's travails reflect Jesus's travails since both are tempted....
  There are many Christian allusions, symbols, and allegorical threads throughout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Firstly, the qualities of humility, self-sacrifice, and honor that Sir Gawain...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, how does Camelot represent good and the Green Chapel evil?
  Camelot is introduced as a charming and civilized space. Set during Christmastime, a period of merrymaking and community, the author describes Camelot as bustling with activity and youth: This...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Place is important in literature and in life. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, discuss the ways in which the author uses symbolic space to develop a theme explored in the text.  
  The places and settings in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are important in terms of both the plot and themes. The tale begins and ends in King Arthur’s court, Camelot, which represents harmonious,...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  How do Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight continue to influence modern British culture?
  The ideals of courage, chivalry, and heroism depicted in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight still influence British culture to some extent, though the influence has been steadily lessening...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What is the Code of Chivalry, and how does it influence Sir Gawain? In what ways does the Code of Chivalry remain influential today?  
  The Code of Chivalry is an unwritten and informal set of standards which arose towards the end of the twelfth century, though it has much earlier roots that reach back to the Homeric Code. The word...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, discuss how the author explores symbolism within the setting. Compare Arthur's Court with the Green Chapel to develop the themes explored in the text. Give a clear thesis, two topic sentences, and clear conclusion.
  In regard to the meaning attached to the setting, King Arthur’s Court and the Green Chapel are presented as direct opposites but also mutually dependent. The court, Camelot, represents good: a...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  How does Sir Gawain and the Green Knight relate to old medieval ideals of chivalry and courtly love, and what does that tell you about the people or the culture of the time?
  Chivalry and courtly love are important components of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The tale is set within the Arthurian world, a world in which knights adhere to a code of conduct that includes...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  compare and contrast the characterization of beowulf and sir gawain in the excerpts
  Beowulf and Sir Gawain are characters from different stories, but they share many similarities. Before we dive in, keep in mind that each character is truly a reflection of the cultures in which...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What are the temptations of Sir Gawain in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"?
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain is tempted throughout the action of the text. By far, the most important temptation of Gawain's is that of his own desire to live. Gawain knows that the...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  As seen in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, does Sir Gawain successfully display the five virtues of the Pentangle? I had trouble distinguishing the virtues. I read two different versions, and I'm getting alternate virtues for each. I personally...
  According to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain should successfully display the five different virtues as seen on the Pentagle displayed upon one side of his shield (the other side showed...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Will Sir Gawain pass or fail the test? What are hardships in terms of loyalty, honesty, and mortality Gawain faces?
  Despite being initially presented as a noble knight, Sir Gawain does in fact fail the test. He does not lose every battle, but he does, so to speak, lose the war. Gawain's first test deals with...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What is Sir Gawain's quest in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? How is he a near-perfect hero, and is Gawain a good or a bad knight?
  Sir Gawain's quest is to find the Green Knight in the Green Chapel. It is not a quest which he really wants to embark on. The Green Knight had visited Arthur's court on New Years Eve and had...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  How does the court react to Sir Gawain's decision to leave?
  The challenge that Gawain accepted from the Green Knight was simple: the Green Knight would submit to a blow from Gawain, if Gawain agrees to submit to a similar blow in a year and a day. Gawain's...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What is the morality of Sir Gawain when he is on his journey in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? 
  Sir Gawain works to maintain a knightly approach to morality during his quest in the story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The world that the story takes place in is heavily governed by ideas of...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In what ways can the characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain be compared and contrasted?  1 image
  While romantic heroes are full of the admirable attributes of bravery, loyalty, humility, courage, honesty, and virtue, epic heroes exist, perhaps, on a grander scale: brave and noble characters...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  How does Sir Gawain show loyalty and display courage in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
  Gawain is arguably the loyalest and most courageous knight in King Arthur's court in this incarnation. At the beginning of the story, the mysterious Green Knight comes to Camelot and asks for a...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What are the 3 temptations in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
  The three temptations in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are represented by the three days of the game that Gawain plays at the behest of his holiday host. The game that they play is a...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What is the theme of the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as a whole?
  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the story of how Sir Gawain encounters the Green Knight and his subsequent adventures. It is a coming of age story, in a sense. Sir Gawain as he appears at the...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the themes of courtly love and chivalry are pivotal to the plot of the story, as Sir Gawain’s character is constantly tested. What forms of love do you see shared between the characters throughout the text? How...
  Gawain is noted for being a chaste gentleman; however, his time with Lord and Lady Bertilak challenges his honor. Since courtly love is part of the knighthood tradition, Gawain must walk a fine...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Why do you think King Arthur allow Sir Gawain to take up the challenge?
  The main reason is that King Arthur doesn't want to look weak in front of his guests. He's not just the king; he's also a brave warrior, the protector of his people. So when the Green Knight throws...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What colors are stressed in the story? Why?
  Even beyond its mention in the work's title, the color green is prominent in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Green Knight is all garbed in green and rides a green horse. He is closely tied to...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, why does the Green Knight refer to the challenge as a "game"? Why does he call something so cruel a game?
  We have to consider the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the context of history. This is one of the famous stories belonging to King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, who are...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  How are the heroes Sir Gawain (in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) and Beowulf (in Beowulf) similar and different?
  In his own way, each hero represents the values of his culture. Beowulf represents the warrior colde of the Anglo Saxons: bravery, loyalty, physical strength. Gawain represents the chivalric...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What do the various actions of Gawain (good and bad) tell us about his character?  Is he still a hero because he gave in to a weakness?
  Gawain is a hero because he gave in to a weakness--and recognized it, and asked forgiveness for it, and took measures to ensure it didn't happen again. He is humble in his contrition, but those...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Where in the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, does Gawain show chastity? I am doing a project and need to show how Gawain exhibits chastity, where in the story, exactly.
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain holds to his vows of chastity when Lady Bertilak tries to seduce him. In Book III, section 49, Lady Bertilak makes her first move on Gawain. I have...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What passages describe or discuss any of the attributes of chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
  There are a number of characteristics attributed to chivalric behavior found in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. A knight was to adhere to certain rules. Wikipedia.com notes that these included:...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What is the hidden symbol for the number five in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"?
  In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," numbers are of crucial importance to the story. Numbers often had significance during medieval times, mostly due to the liturgical calendar and Catholic church...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In Gawain and the Green Knight, what happens between the time Gawain leaves Arthur's court & when he arrives at Bertilak's castle?
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain takes his leave of Arthur's court so that he will not be late for the meeting with the Green Knight as he had promised a year before. Though everyone at...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  “A man who’s true to his word, / there’s nothing he needs to fear. “ The Green Knight says this to Gawain after he reveals how Gawain has been tricked.  What do you think of this idea?
  Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a medieval romance. It is escapist in nature. It's not supposed to be realistic. It is anything but. The work is idealistic, filled with the imaginary,...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  How does Sir Gawain fulfill the role of the Romantic Hero in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
  Romantic heroes are full of positive, valiant attributes of bravery, loyalty, humility, courage, honesty, virtue, and valiane. Gawain possesses all of these traits. He is loyal to the king as he...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Green Knight claims that his wife was Sir Gawain's "fierce foe." In what ways might the lady be considered Sir Gawain's foe?
  When it comes to the rules of knighthood, knights strictly follow them in order to maintain a respectable reputation among the people, other knights, and as representatives of the king for whom...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Courtesy and personal conduct are key in Sir Thomas Wyatt's "Mine Own Jon Poins" and in the Earl of Surrey's "So cruel a prison how could betide. " What are the main differences between the ways Wyatt and Surrey treat these issues and the way they...
  Wyatt may be best known for bringing the Italian sonnet to England; or for false charges against him when Henry VIII decided to execute Anne Boleyn. The King named several men as lovers, among them...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Beowulf vs Sir Gawain.
  Your question is vague so I'm not sure exactly what you're after, but I'll see what I can do. Both the Anglo-Saxon Beowulf and the medieval Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are written in...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  When does Gawain leave Arthur's court in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain leaves the court the following November, almost a year after the Green Knight visits the court. Gawain is under obligation to search out the Green Knight...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What are some themes/symbols in the story "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"?
  There are many different themes throughout the story that you could use. There is the theme of courtly love, where a man "courts" a woman by showing her adoration, affection, and performing heroic...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What is the most likely difference between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the legend that originated it? difference  
  In "Gawain and the Green Knight," Gawain is a young, but impetuous and untried knight of King Arthur's court who accepts the challenge of the Green Knight to do battle. When Gawain loses, he...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What is a good title for a critical paper for "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?"
  Based upon the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I would probably look to the poem for an idea that could inspire a title for a critical paper. Because Bertilak is testing Gawain's...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What conflicts does Gawain face in the castle in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
  Concerning your question about Sir Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I'm not completely sure which castle you're referring to, but I'll assume you mean the Green Knight's castle. The main...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In the third Fitt of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, there is an"exchange game."  How does Gawain fare with Bertilak's wife?
  In the fourteenth-century alliterative poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the different characters, particularly the protagonist Sir Gawain, find themselves involved in a series of bargains, or...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Which one represents interesting symmetry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: the number of presents to the number of kisses, the number of hunting days to the number of days of temptation, or the number of feats to the number of obligations?
  I would say your answer is "B". Since this is a romantic tale, and this genre is based on a combination of myth, legend, and fable, the number three is always popping up. In "B", the host goes...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Explain how Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an example of medieval romance.
  Critics identify several characteristics of a medieval romance, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight fulfills these characteristics in several ways. I would like to focus on the following main...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Background of "Sir Gawain and The Green Knight".
  I am assuming that you are asking for the "pre-story" behind this piece of literature. According to this story, Gawain is one of the knights among Arthur's crew. They are in the midst of a...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What relevance does the pentangle and the green girdle still hold in today’s world (as referenced in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)? Thanks very much for your help!
  Two of the most prevalent symbols in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are the pentangle and the girdle. Like many symbols, the meaning behind each have changed over time. In the tale, the pentangle...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What are some purposes of the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
  The famous medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight seems to have a number of related purposes, including the following: To remind its readers that earthly life is mutable – that nothing...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What were the obstacles that Sir Gawain had to face in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?" During the task
  On his journey to the Green Chapel, it mentions briefly that he has to fight foes all along the way, along with every type of beast imaginable, even dragons and giants. He suffered from sleet and...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  In what ways was the Green Knight's appearance unusual in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
  In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Green Knight first enters into King Arthur's castle during the Christmas/New Year's celebration. Curiously enough, the king will not eat until all of his...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  What do the cluster and the axe that the Green Knight held when he came in Camelot represent?  
  Imagery in the narrative prose "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is very important. The use of color imagery, numerology, and imagery represented by nature all seem to provide very distinctive and...

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• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
  Was the way the Green Knight tested Gawain's virtues at the castle fair?
  I can't tell you whether or not the testing in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was fair. You have to decide that for yourself. All I can do is explain the tests, and give you some details to help...

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