Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:The First Swing :: Arthurian Legends English Literature Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:The First Swing In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a stranger rides into King Arthur's court with a challenge. This stranger, green in color from head to toe, proposes to play a game with a member of King Arthur's court. This game will be played by each participant taking a blow from a weapon at the hands of the opponent. The person that dies from the hit is obviously the loser. On top of this, the Green Knight offers to let his opponent take the first swing. This sets up the action in the passage beginning with line 366 and ending with line 443. Sir Gawain steps in to take the challenge after King Arthur first agrees to participate himself. Sir Gawain wants to bring honor to Arthur and asks permission to take his place. Gawain knows that he is not the strongest, smartest knight but the loss of his life would not be as bad as if King Arthur loses his life. King Arthur agrees to let him enter this game and gives him a weapon to use against this Green Knight. King Arthur says to Sir Gawain, "Keep, cousin what you cut with this day, and if you rule it aright, then readily, I know you shall stand the stroke it will strike after." (372-374) Gawain, with his weapon in his hand, is now ready to take part in the game. Before the contest starts, the Green Knight goes over the rules of the game again. He says that if he survives the hit from Gawain's ax, Gawain must search out where he lives so that he can take his hit from the Green Knight. When the Green Knight tells Gawain he must find the place where he lives, Gawain quickly asks, "What is the way there? Where do you dwell?" (398) The Green Knight refuses to tell, as this is part of the game. If the stranger survives Sir Gawain's blow from the ax, he will tell Gawain his name and the name of his dwelling.