Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: In Prose and Poetry

Book Overview

While the knights of King Arthur's Round Table are toasting the new year, a colossal stranger clad in green armor bursts in to deliver a formidable challenge: Any of them may strike off the intruder's head as long as he is prepared to receive a similar blow from the Green Knight in one year. Of all the gallant knights in the assembly, only Sir Gawain--brave, gallant, and true to his word--is willing to answer the dare. So begins this gem of medieval English literature, which traces Gawain's adventures as he endeavors to fulfill his pledge. Dating from the late fourteenth century or earlier, the story blends paganistic elements with Christian ethics to celebrate the virtue of forgiveness, thus forming a classic example of the chivalric tradition. This edition presents the legend in two forms: in prose and in verse, both translated by the distinguished scholar Jessie Weston.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486824438
• ISBN13: 9780486824437
• Release Date: July 2018
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Another great Arthurian Legend!

I’ve been wanting a copy of this little book for a while. It arrived in the correct condition, and even a few days early.

Literature for the Ages

Merwin has risen to the challenge, and, unlike Gawain, he has prevailed triumphantly on the first stroke.A new, exciting translation of the Arthurian legend, SIR GAWAIN & THE GREEN KNIGHT reads excitingly crisp and vibrant. A story with equal parts chivalry, temptation, redemption, and romance, Merwin's GAWAIN deserves to be read by a far wider audience or, even better, deserves a touring one-man roadshow presented theatrically. Easily explored in a single sitting, this clever tome should be required reading for any serious explorer of mythology, real or even the realms of pure fantasy.Highest recommendation!

"Hony Soyt Qui Mal Pense"

"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is considered one of the finest Arthurian romances in English. It belongs to the so-called Alliterative Revival: the organizing device of the line is alliteration, the beginning of several words with the same sounds ("foemen fled"). Unlike most Arthurian romances, which deal with the end of Arthur's life and his death, in "Sir Gawain," Arthur is still a youth, and the court is in its springtime. The main plot belongs to a type folklorists classify as the "Beheading Game," in which a supernatural challenger offers to let his head be cut off in exchange for a return blow. The poem is chock-full of games and exchanges.Dr. Borroff studied under E. Talbot Donaldson, who translated "Beowulf" to prose during the same period at Yale. Her translation is a joy and great fun to read.

excellent story, outstanding translation

I love Sir Gawain and The Green Knight; it is interesting not only because of its expansive picture of what chivalry is (and what people pretend it is), but also for the fact that it can be read from many perspectives (try giving it a feminist reading, for instance, and see what you come up with!). I want to commend Borroff's translation in particular; she reproduces the alliterative meter and verse structure superbly, adding much to the reading. This work is captivating and entrancing; I highly recommend it.