sir gawian and the green knight compare and contrast essay
Compare Gawain’s performance at meeting the different responsibilities/obligations that he has. Choose
two of the expectations placed on him (as a knight, vassal, guest, Christian, courtly lover, etc.) and compare
how well he accomplishes each.
Citations for the actual text:
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Translated by Brian Stone, edited by J. B. Trapp. The Oxford Anthology of
English Literature, vol 1, edited by Frank Kermode and John Hollander, Oxford UP, 1973, pp. 286-348.
Intro to be added onto:
The immortal Arthurian legend “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” depicts Sir Gawain, one of King
Arthur’s most faithful knights, on a journey filled with temptation and hardship. The Green Knight dares
the members of King Arthur’s court to accept a dangerous contract that the colored knight suggested, and
here is where Gawain’s adventure starts. The Green Knight said that anyone in the court who agreed to his
deal might try to cut off his head as long as the Green Knight could return the favor a year and a day later.
Accepting the task, Gawain demonstrates his grit as he travels, fulfilling his knightly duties to courtly
love and the chivalric code