Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Original Text: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Many people think of Sir Lancelot as the most recognized, heroic Knight of the Round Table; however, Sir Gawain came before Lancelot and was widely known for his adventures and success. The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written by an unknown author, displays the tale of a heroic knight and his adventures. The story begins during the New Year's feast in King Arthur's court. A Green Knight barges in and wants to play a game. The game is that any knight can strike him once but then he will return the strike to the knight a year and a day later at his chapel. The ironic elements and hidden test pose controversy whether Sir Gawain follows the code of chivalry.
Chivalry consists of a balance between courage, loyalty to God and kings, and courtly love. Courage can be defined as the quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger or difficulties without fear. After the Green Knight proposed his game, none of the knights stepped forward to play. King Arthur, “embarrassed by his knights’ lack of response accepted the challenge himself” (Neininger). We see Gawain's courage for the first time when he graciously steps forward to replace Arthur from the Green Knight’s challenge. Sir Gawain, wanting to be the perfect knight, set out on a quest to the Green Chapel. Gawain is faced with different mental and physical challenges on his quest. Although it is briefly mentioned, his courage shines threw when we learn how he “copes with the intense loneliness, bitter weather, and hostile animals” (Johnston).

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Revised Text:

Many people think of Sir Lancelot as the most recognized, heroic knight of the Round Table; however, Sir Gawain came before Lancelot and was widely known for his adventures and success. The poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", written by an unknown author, displays the tale of a heroic knight and his adventures.

The story begins during a New Year's feast at King Arthur's court. A Green Knight barges in and wants to play a game. The game is that any knight can strike him once but then the Green Knight will return to strike the knight a year and a day later in the knight's chapel. The ironic elements and hidden test pose a controversy as to whether Sir Gawain follows the code of chivalry.

Chivalry consists of a balance between courage, loyalty to God and kings, and courtly love. Courage can be defined as the quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger or difficulties without fear. After the Green Knight proposed his game, none of the knights stepped forward to play. King Arthur, “embarrassed by his knights’ lack of response, accepted the challenge himself” (Neininger). We see Gawain's courage for the first time when he graciously steps forward to replace Arthur in the Green Knight’s challenge. Sir Gawain, wanting to be the perfect knight, set out on a quest to the Green Chapel. Gawain is faced with several mental and physical challenges on his quest. Although it is only briefly mentioned, his courage shines through when we learn how he “copes with the intense loneliness, bitter weather, and hostile animals” (Johnston).

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