Written by an unknown author in the late fourteenth century, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight continues to entertain and teach its audiences through a combination of fantasy, realism, satire, and romance. In this tale Sir Gawain, the best of Arthur's knights, is not flawless. He falls. However, his fall is fortunate because it will bring him to a greater level of nobility, as he is able to learn and grow from his mistakes. Two plots are found in this tale, masterfully blended into one. The beheading contest and the temptation are combined to produce one of the greatest tales in Middle English literature. The first of the two is examined here.
 
 
 

Passage Analysis