Sir Gawain and the Green KnightAn Arthurian Romance

Arthurian Romance Legend of King Arthur Romance Poetry

Knights Idealized behavior

EX: courtly love (The love within the King’s court or assemblage)

Fantasy Supernatural creatures Challenge/Test -> Test Heroism Moral Lesson

Other Medieval Genres Religious prose Narrative Prose Romance In the High Middle Ages, the transition

towards Renaissance (Shakespeare’s time) began.

After Shakespeare’s time we see the emergence of the novel.

Feudal Social Institutions Chivalry- knightly code of behavior

Truth Honesty Respect for women Courage Obedience to the King Humility

Chivalry Replaces the Anglo-Saxon comitatus

(commitment) Knight obeys the King because he’s the

King One-way relationship

Kholberg’s Stages of Moral DevelopmentLevel 1: Pre-conventional

Obedience: Punishment Avoidance

Self –Interest Orientation

How can I avoid punishment? What’s in it for me?

Level 2:Conventional

Conformity to Societal Norms

Following Authority

What is good behavior? What does the law say?

Level 3: Post-conventional

Democratic Expectations

Martyrdom: Do the greatest good

How will it affect the world?

Challenge/Test Sir Gawain is a Chivalrous Knight, so he

must live up to the standards of Chivalry. The test ensures that Gawain sticks to his morals and convictions as a Knight.

Through the beheading game, the Green Knight aims to reveal the true nature of knighthood and that there is corruption in the Knightly Code.

Why read this today? Moral Lesson

14th Century- Knights had to make choices; these choices reflect the acceptance or denial of the Chivalric Code.

Modern Day- we have to make choices in life based upon our belief system.

Beliefs are the way in which we measure our actions; our believes are the way in which we decide if our actions are good or bad.

Courtly Love in Romance Poetry Audience- most likely women

In Romance, we see that women play a larger role than they did in Anglo-Saxon or Ancient Greek Literature

The courtly love consisted of a relationship between a knight and the liege lady. (It was not always inappropriate)

Who is the author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? WE don’t know! He is called the Gawain poet or the Pearl

Poet because he gives his readers “pearls of knowledge” about good behavior.

Pearl Poet’s special technique: The eyewitness technique Tale is told in the 3rd person except when

the narrator describes events from his own perspective.

As we read… Pay attention to the numbers 3 and 5 Pay attention to Sir Gawain’s

challenges/tests and how he overcomes/succumbs to them

Pay attention to Chivalrous Actions and Courtly Love

Calendar of Events…

18 19 20Reading Check

21Hw:

“Chivalric Oaths” Article

22 

“Chivalry” Article

23   

HW: Part One Study

Guide

 

24

25 26No Class

27No Class

28No Class

29Part One

Notes

30Quarter

Two Ends 

HW: Part Two Study

Guide

  

31

Calendar of Events…February1 2

Part Two Notes

3

“Chivalry and Courtly

Love” Article

4 

Part Three Study Guide

5 

Part Three Study Guide

6

Part Four Study Guide 

HW: Understanding Medieval Romances

7

8 9 10 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Essential Themes

11 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Essential Themes

12

Test13

Critical Essay #2

14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 

Meet in Room 109 to type

essays 

Hw: Dante’s Inferno

Cantos 1-10

24 25 26 27 

Critical Essay #2 Due

28