Name ______Date ______
Sir Gawain
Multiple Choice (3 points each)
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Recalling and Interpreting (from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)
1. The initial reaction of Arthur and his knights to the Green Knight is one of
a. / awe. / c. / fascination.b. / disgust. / d. / amusement.
2. When Gawain explains why he, not Arthur, should be allowed to meet the Green Knight's challenge, his tone is one of
a. / awe. / c. / affection.b. / modesty. / d. / amusement.
3. Which of the following is demonstrated by both Gawain and the Green Knight during the feast in Arthur's castle?
a. / daring / c. / clevernessb. / loyalty / d. / horsemanship
4. Which of the following primarily motivates Gawain to seek out the Green Knight a year after their first meeting?
a. / honor / c. / curiosityb. / revenge / d. / adventurousness
5. The lady gives Gawain the green girdle in the hope that it will
a. / give him courage.b. / keep him from harm.
c. / tempt him to do wrong.
d. / cause him to fall in love with her.
6. Which of the following leads Gawain to lie about the green girdle?
a. / love / c. / honorb. / guilt / d. / fearfulness
7. Which of the following is the Green Knight most interested in testing?
a. / his wife's virtueb. / his own physical abilities
c. / the virtue of a knight of the Round Table
d. / the physical abilities of a knight of the Round Table
8. The events of the story suggest that if Gawain hadn't lied about the green girdle, the Green Knight would have
a. / killed his wife.b. / killed Gawain with his first stroke.
c. / kept Gawain in the dark about his identity.
d. / released Gawain, unharmed, from his obligation.
9. The Green Knight urges Gawain to keep the girdle to remind him of
a. / their encounter. / c. / the Green Knight's wife.b. / Gawain's cowardice. / d. / the Green Knight's strength.
10. “And after summer’s soft winds, Zephyrus/ Whistles quietly with seeds and herbs,/ sprouting delightful plants, painted/ wet with dew falling from leaves,/ waiting to be warm in the bright sun.”
All of the following letter-sounds help to create alliteration in lines 515-518 EXCEPT
a. / s / c. / pb. / w / d. / t
11. When the Green Knight picks up his head and leaves Arthur's castle, Arthur's knights are filled with
a. / rage. / c. / disgust.b. / shame. / d. / wonder.
12. In the end, which of the following saves Gawain's life?
a. / his wit / c. / the green girdleb. / his skill at arms / d. / the Green Knight's mercy
13. For which pair of flaws or vices does Gawain find fault with himself?
a. / disloyalty and greedb. / dishonesty and cowardice
c. / impatience and recklessness
d. / excessive pride and discourtesy
14. Which of these is not a feature the Green Knight?
a. Bushy beard
b. Green skin
c. Wearing armor
d. Carrying an axe
15. What does the ladyoffer Gawain?
a. Herself
b. A belt
c. A ring
d. A feast
16. What is Gawain’s emblem in the poem?
a. Bird
b. Knot
c. Belt
d. Pentangle
17.Who is the Green Knight?
a. Bertilak
b. Morgan le Fay
c. Sir Bors
d. Gawain
18. What does the Lady ask Gawain to teach her?
a. Dancing
b. Courtly love
c. Poetry
d. Knot-tying
19. Why does the Green Knight not strike Gawain the first time?
a. His axe slips
b. Gawain tries to run away
c. Gawain fairly repaid him on two days
d. He is not ready
20. The pentangle is a symbol of
a. Mercy
b. Wisdom
c. Love
d. Values
21. Which combination of animals does the host hunt?
a. Deer, birds, boar
b. Deer, boar, fox
c. Bear, deer, fox
d. Boar, birds, fox
Short Answer
Interpreting and Evaluating (6 points each)
Answer the questions about each ax stroke taken by the Green Knight.
1. While in the comfort of Hautdesert, the pentangle slowly deteriorates. Explain how this happens.
2. First Stroke. What effect does it have on Gawain's body? What effect does it have on Gawain's emotions? How does the Green Knight justify it later?
3. Second Stroke. What effect does it have on Gawain's body? What effect does it have on Gawain's emotions? How does the Green Knight justify it later? Consider Gawain’s change in character after his flaws are exposed.
Essay
Evaluating and Connecting (20 points)
How is Gawain similar and different from Beowulf in terms of what makes him a hero?