Cooper, Helen. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Welcome to the Court of King Arthur, Knightly chivalry, Holy quests, tests of love and loyalty, and of course the climax of this tale which is possibly history's worst kept secret. In case you don't know the twist to this narrative it wont be mentioned here, and students would benefit from discovering it by reading the work itself (and not simply skipping to end of the book).
A 14th century C.E. poem originally composed in the Middle English and Welsh dialects, the entire composition would have been recited by bards in the traditionally courtly manner of the medieval and middle ages of England. Although containing strong ties to ancient Celtic and Brittany mythology, it is however a Christian romance by genre, yet also an adventure. The language used in the tale is rich with different forms of expression, and students should seek to identify the literary devices used which give this tale its momentum and ability to build climatological contextualization. One such device is that of the "Bob and Wheel" and students would benefit from hearing the traditional recitation of the work in order to grasp how the device works to reveal the tale's vivid and colourful imagery.
The tale begins with the intrusion into the Court of King Arthur of a demonic man-The Green Knight who, on testing the Court's bravery on the bequest of Morgan La Fey, offers a challenge which is met by Sir Gawain, King Arthur's loyal Knight who cuts off the Green Knight's head. Surviving the beheading, the Green Knight gives Sir Gawain 12 months to find him and let his neck be challenged to a courageous beheading. Sir Gawain ends up going on several tests and trials throughout his adventure to meet the Green Knight whom he finally fulfills his destiny with. . The lessons of this tale have been hypothesized by feminists, Christian advocates and scholars of pagan mythology alike. The following extra-readings will give students some insight into the history behind and contained in this text:
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