Emmanuel R. Dalere B.S.Ed.

English 3A

M-Activity2

1. What challenge does the Green Knight make to King Arthur and his knights?

 Green Knight's challenge to King Arthur and his Knights is that whoever attempts to
remove Green Knight's head will be rewarded with a green axe, and after a year it
will be Green Knight's turn to do the same, removing a head of a Knight of King
Arthur.

2. What happens when Sir Gawain meets the Green knight New Year’s Day?

 Sir Gawain is the knight who accepts the challenge. He is King Arthur's nephew and
one of the most valiant knights. Sir Gawain did the Green Knights challenge, and
the Green Knights stated that they would meet again and fight for the second time
in a year.

3. At the end of the poem, what is the Green Knight’s opinion of Sir Gawain?

 Sir Gawain knelt, ashamed of what he had done, but Green Knight told him that he
needed to stand up and not blame himself. Regardless of what happened, he
stated that he is a great knight. He tells him to go home and wear the green belt as
a symbol of defeat.

4. In medieval romances, there is often a character whose identity is hidden or mistaken.

Explain how this characteristic affects the outcome of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?

 Yes, it is true that there are characters whose identities are hidden or misunderstood,
which affects the outcome of Sir Gawain because of betrayal, cheating, and lying,
which resulted in Sir Gawain's failure. The character that used to hide the truth is a
clever trick in this story that resulted in the plot of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

5. Situational irony is a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs.
What is ironic about Sir Gawain's acceptance of the sash from the lady of the castle?

 The irony of Sir Gawain accepting the sash from the lady of the castle is that he
accepted the sash to protect him from being defeated by the Green Knight. The
reader will witness irony if they realize that Gawain came to fight because he is
strong, as shown in the first part, but what actually happens is that he accepts the
sash to protect him, which is a sign of being strong but a hypocrite.

6. Why does Gawain decline the Green Knight's invitation to celebrate the New Year at
the end of the poem?

 Because he is ashamed of what he did and showed him during his stay in the castle.
If we put ourselves in Sir Gawain's shoes, we will all feel the same way and we will
decline the invitation.
7. Which character shows greater courage, Sir Gawain or the Green Knight? Support your
answer with evidence from the text.

 Sir Gawain is my preferred choice because he attempted to defeat the Green

Knight and was the only Knight of King Arthur to accept the challenge. However, I
found this story to be extremely unjust to man. Temptation is one of a man's
weaknesses; whoever tries to seduce man will fall, and to add to that, Sir Gawain
has no idea that it's all a trick, so I believe that the Green Knight is the real cheater
here; he only cares about King Arthur's to see the flaws in his kingdom and his
knights. For me, he does not deserve to be called a defeated knight; instead, he is
a courageous knight who demonstrated that man will not move or do anything
unless someone moves them.

8. It is believed that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in the late 1300s, as the
age of chivalry began to wane. Though legend has it that Gawain was one of Arthur's
finest and most loyal knights, the Gawain Poet depicts him as flawed. Why might the
Gawain poet have portrayed Gawain this way?

 Because they want us to see that no one is perfect. We can be strong, brave, and
undefeated, but there will always be things in life that make us feel so wrong. They
show that no matter how brave or loyal we are, we are still flawed people. It
portrayed that no one is perfect, that we all make mistakes, but what they want us
to learn from the story is to accept defeat in life. We may achieve great things, but
our failures are always the result of our own choices.

9. King Arthur's knights devote themselves to following the code of chivalry. Trying to live
up to such high ideals can be a double-edged sword. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of having such high ideals?

 The benefits are that the knights will feel that in the kingdom, they are all equal in
terms of being rewarded to celebrate and fight. It is a way for King Arthur to show
his appreciation for his knights' efforts and devotion to the kingdom. King Arthur is a
great king who understands how to value his knights equally and fairly. The
disadvantages, I believe, will be if they exploit the code of chivalry in such a way
that they regard themselves as higher than the king.