Sir Gawain and the Green Knight |
Author |
Anonymous (The Pearl-poet) |
Type |
Alliterative Poem |
Genre |
Medieval Romance, Epic, Adventure, Arthurian Legend |
Written |
West Midlands, 14th century |
Published |
late 14th century |
Tone |
Fantastical, Laudatory |
Tense |
Past |
Point of View |
Third-person Omniscient |
Themes |
Magic and Christianity, The Chivalric Behavior, Fame and Reputation, The Importance of Truth |
Characters |
Bertilak’s Wife, Bertilak of Hautdesert, King Arthur, The Green Knight, Morgan Le Faye Sir Gawain |
Symbols |
The Tap, The Green Belt, Number Three, Gawain’s Shield and Pentangle |
Motifs |
The Color Green, The Seasons, Games |
End |
Gwaine pleads guilty and wears a belt as a banner of his weakness. When he returns to Camelot, the entire yard wears green belts in communion with Gawain. This tradition becomes a symbol of honor |
Extra Facts |
The color green appears throughout the text of the poem 44 times. The scholars to consider it highly symbolic |