Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Although they often include romantic subplots, medieval romances are not romances in the modern sense of the word. Rather, they’re a genre of literature that developed in tandem with the idea of chivalry, which is a set of norms and values associated with knighthood, and with the medieval aristocratic class in general. In depicting the adventures of famous or legendary knights, romances celebrate chivalry in its many different forms: skill in battle, loyalty to one’s king or lord, romantic devotion to one’s lady, faith in the Christian God, etc.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the most famous medieval romances, and certain characteristics of the genre are evident even in its first, relatively short part (or, as it’s sometimes called, its first “fitt”). Despite his own proclamations to the contrary, Gawain is a model knight in his willingness to sacrifice his life for his uncle and king. There are also indications that he is adept in courtly speech and manners, which, as ideas of chivalry evolved, came to be valued alongside bravery and martial prowess. The deference he shows to Queen Guenevere even in the simple act of rising from the table is a good example of his excellent manners. As well, in asking Arthur’s permission to accept the Green Knight’s challenge, Gawain demonstrates his respect by saying, “If I without discourtesy might quit this board, / And if my liege lady misliked it not, / I would come to your counsel before your court noble” (345-347).

Gawain’s courteousness is all the more noticeable given the contrast the Green Knight provides. The latter’s demeanor is brash and at times deliberately provocative, as when he pretends not to know who among the company is king: “He swaggered all about / […] He halted, as if in doubt / Who in that hall held sway” (228-231). His insults only grow more explicit when his challenge goes unanswered, and he calls into question the courage and honor of both Arthur and his knights.

Further underscoring the Green Knight’s apparent lack of culture and civility is his appearance. His green color aligns him with nature, as does his generally “wild” look: “Fair flowing tresses enfold his shoulders; / A beard big as a bush on his breast hangs” (181-182). His greenness also recalls pagan figures like the Green Man, adding a further layer of menace to his sudden arrival at Camelot; his intrusion into the warm, civilized, and Christian world of the court is an unwelcome reminder of both the forces of untamed nature and, relatedly, of Britain’s pre-Christian past (elements of which linger ominously into the present day).

At the same time, there are suggestions that the Green Knight is not in fact a wholly villainous figure. His color evokes not simply nature but, more specifically, the coming of spring; similarly, the sprig of holly he carries symbolizes the persistence of life even in the dead of winter. On the flip side, the poet hints that King Arthur’s court is a place in need of rejuvenation. Sir Gawain is an unusual romance in that it, at times, seems skeptical of the figures and tropes most associated with the chivalric code. Arthur, for instance, comes across not simply as youthful, but as somewhat immature: “His life he liked lively—the less he cared / To be lying for long, or long to sit, / So busy his young blood, his brain so wild” (87-89). The festivities at Camelot likewise have an aura of frivolity to them; the fact that the knights are all initially unwilling to take up the Green Knight’s challenge makes their jousting seem more like play-acting than a true display of martial valor. In other words, the Green Knight may be partially correct in his assessment of Camelot as “puffed up” in reputation, in which case his challenge can be seen as a wake-up call exposing the hollowness of some of the court’s ideals.