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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale of chivalric romance dating back to the late 14th century. While the author is unknown, the poem was originally composed in Middle English and is written in alliterative verse. The poem’s meter is also notable for its use of a device called ‘bob and wheel,’ or a group of five rhyming lines at the end of each stanza.

Widely acknowledged as a key example of the Arthurian chivalric tradition, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tells the story of a knight who embarks on a perilous quest testing his bravery and honor.

At a lavish New Year’s celebration, King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and various knights and courtiers are about to enjoy a feast when a stranger bursts into the hall, carrying an enormous battle-axe. Despite his gargantuan form, which is entirely green, the stranger is handsome, well-dressed, and dignified. The Green Knight declares to the court that he has come to play a Christmas game, explaining that whoever volunteers will be permitted to strike one blow to his form. In exchange, the Green Knight will return the blow upon the volunteer in one year and one day.

The court falls silent, and the Green Knight ridicules those present for their cowardice, leaving King Arthur to accept the challenge. But just as Arthur is about to swing the battle-axe, a brave knight called Gawain volunteers to take his place. Espousing his lowly nature as compared to the king, Gawain takes the axe and, in one swift blow, cleaves off the stranger’s head. Miraculously, however, the Green Knight does not die. Instead, he picks up his own severed head and tells Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel next New Year’s morning to receive his exchange blow.

A year passes, and Gawain remembers his agreement with the Green Knight. He bids farewell to Arthur’s court, whose lords and ladies silently bemoan that a knight as worthy as Gawain must die because of a silly game. Dressed in armor, Gawain mounts his steed and sets off for the Green Chapel.

On Christmas Eve, after traversing the harsh landscape for months, Gawain prays to Jesus and the Virgin Mary, asking that they guide him to a place where he can attend mass on Christmas morning. Sure enough, he stumbles upon a beautiful castle, where he is greeted by a tall, dignified lord who welcomes him inside. Delighted to learn that they are in the presence of the chivalrous Gawain, the court spares the knight no luxury. That night at mass, Gawain also meets the beautiful lady of the castle, who is accompanied by a hideous old woman.

On the third day of his stay at the castle, Gawain reluctantly informs the lord that he must continue his quest to the Green Chapel. But the lord insists that the chapel is only two miles away and convinces Gawain to stay for three more days. The lord, who plans to rise at dawn for a hunt the next morning, urges Gawain to relax in bed for the day. The lord then proposes a game: whatever he wins on the hunt will belong to Gawain, while in return, Gawain must bequeath whatever he wins inside the castle to the lord. Sir Gawain agrees.

The next day, while the lord is away hunting, the lady of the castle surprises Gawain by entering his room. Although Gawain diplomatically evades the lady’s advances, he grants her one kiss before she goes. That night, the lord bequeaths his game to Gawain, who, in exchange, passes on the kiss he received earlier in the day but refuses to reveal its source. He and the lord agree to continue their game the next day.

Sure enough, after the lord has departed for the hunt, the lady returns to Gawain’s chamber to seduce him. Again, he politely rebuffs her, accepting only two kisses. That evening, Gawain and the lord reconvene, with the lord offering up the boar he slayed during the hunt. Again, Gawain gives the lord two kisses and agrees to continue the game on the third and final day of his stay.

As usual, the lady waits until the lord has left for his hunt to visit Gawain’s chambers. This time, she offers Gawain not only the expected three kisses but also a green silk girdle protecting its wearer from death, which he accepts. That evening, the lord excitedly presents Gawain with a sly fox he caught, and again, Gawain repays the lord with the three kisses he received in the castle. But Gawain cannot bring himself to give up the powerful green girdle and keeps it a secret from the lord. With a heavy heart, Gawain bids farewell to the court, preparing to face the Green Knight the next day.

Dressing in the green girdle, Gawain is guided to the Green Chapel by a servant from the lord’s court. The servant begs Gawain to reconsider his quest, since it means certain death, but Gawain has accepted his fate.

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