Arthurian Romance. Arthurian romances are stories of the exploits of the legendary King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. Most romances involving the King Arthur legend center on a knight’s adventures or his loves. Notice how Sir Gawain and the Green Knight combines the two plot types.
Chivalry. Chivalry was the code of conduct of the medieval knight. According to the code of chivalry, a knight was to be a perfect exemplar of such virtues as bravery, courage, courtesy, honesty, faith, and gentleness.
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Many medieval writings dealt with the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight stands out from other writing of its time because it is the only story that interweaves two common plot devices—the beheading contest and the moral temptation of a knight by a lady. The following selection is a modern English prose translation; the original poem was written in a West Highland dialect, very different from that used in London and very difficult for modern readers to understand without special training.
As you read, keep a chart of ways in which the Green Knight honors the virtues of chivalry.
Write about a time when you attempted to do something that seemed impossible or frightening.
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