Sir Gawain And The Green Knight: Summary

On New Years Day, Gawain puts on his armour and goes with the guide to find the green chapel. When the two get to the edge of the forest, the guide says he will not tell anyone if Gawain does not fulfill the quest and runs off. Gawain refuses, wanting to not be a coward. Eventually, he comes to a kind of crevice in a rock, visible through the tall grasses. He hears a weapon being sharpened, which confirms his thought that the location is the Green Chapel. Gawain calls, and the Green Knight comes out to meet him. Gawain presents his neck to the Green Knight, and the knight fakes two blows. On the first one, Gawain flinches, and the knight makes fun of him for it. Gawain swears he will not flinch when the next blow is given. The Green Knight swings again and stops when Gawain doesn’t flinch to compliment his bravery. When the knight swings for the third time, he nicks Gawain on the neck and barely draws blood. Gawain yells that the contract has been fulfilled, but the Green Knight just laughs. …show more content…
Gawain did not honestly exchange all of his earnings from the third day (the girdle), so Bertilak drew blood when he swung his axe for the third time. Regardless, Gawain has proven himself to be the most worthy out of King Arthur’s court. Bertilak also says that the older woman from the castle is really Morgan le Faye. She is Gawain’s aunt and King Arthur’s half sister. She sent Bertilak as the Green Knight to scare Guineverre to death. Although he is glad to be alive, Gawain is ashamed that he did not tell the truth on the third day. He wears the girdle on his arm to remind him of his failure. He arrives in Camelot and all of the other knights in King Arthur’s court wear girdles on their arms to support