Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

1. What does Gawain have in common with Beowulf?

2. What elements in GGK make it resemble the romantic elements in Lanval?

3. There are supposedly three major stories in GGK: The Beheading, The temptation, and the Exchange of Winnings. Describe the first two in one or two sentences, and then tell which you think more central to the story and why.

4. Where does the poet narrator undercut the seriousness of the story? Why might he do this?

5. What elements of magic come through in the poem? Do these undercut the Christian setting? Explain your answer.

6. What relationships are there between the hunt scenes and the temptation scenes?

7. Does Gawain show the virtues ascribed to him in lines 640-655? Where and how?

8. What is the central value of the poem? How do you come to your conclusion?