Sir Gawain & the Green Knight
Summary
The story starts out at King Arthur’s court with all the knights sitting at the round table when all of a sudden this strange figure known as the Green Knight appears with his large green horse. The Green Knight approaches the knights and asked if they would like to play a game. The Green Knight knew King Arthur’s men enjoyed playing games he knew that would not refuse. He proposed the nobles with a challenge of death, the Green Knight would allow one the knights to attempt to cut of his head in one swift blow with his own axe if in return he could return the favor in a year and a day. At first everyone is stunned and does not respond. Arthur not used to feeling shame makes the abrupt choice of taking on the Green Knights challenge. Immediately Gawain jumps up and asks Arthur for the pleasure of taking on the challenge. Arthur does not refuse Sir Gawain’s proposal. Then Gawain explains why he wanted to do the challenge, he said he wasn’t the strongest, bravest, or smartest of the nobles and it would not be a great lost if he died unlike Arthur because the only reason he is a knight is because he is Arthur’s nephew. Gawain then takes the Green Knight axe and slices the back of his neck which cuts his head clean off. The Green Knight’s body then picks up the head by the hair and carries it to his horse. He then tells Gawain where to go in a year and a day and not to forget the pact. The party goes on and everyone has a good time.
Time goes on and autumn comes around. Gawain gets ready to set off on the challenge that he promised the knight. He rides many days through the dangerous woods of Whales searching and hoping for shelter when finally on Christmas Eve, he stumbles upon a castle. He asks the lord of the castle and his lady if he could rest for a couple of days until he is ready to set back out. The lord does not oppose the idea as long as Sir Gawain agrees to a deal. The deal is that the lord will set out to go...