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The Green Knight
The king of Camelot and husband of Guinevere. He is the model of a good knight and the uncle of Sir Gawain. At the outset of the poem, he is compared to the noble, mythological Trojan founders of Britain and is described as the most youthful, healthy, and bold of men. He is a true believer in chivalry, and he is loving to his nephew Gawain, who risks his own life to spare his king. When Gawain returns at the end, Arthur recognizes his heroism and the wisdom he has earned and orders the entire court to wear green bands in recognition of their own humility.
King Arthur Quotes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Sir Gawain and the Green Knight quotes below are all either spoken by King Arthur or refer to King Arthur. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 1-490
Quotes
By Guenivere, Gawain
now to his king inclines
and says, "I stake my claim.
This moment must be mine.
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Lines 1998-2531
Quotes
"Call yourself good Sir Gawain?" he goaded,
"who faced down every foe in the field of battle
but now flinches with fear at the foretaste of harm.
Never have I known such a namby-pamby knight.
Did I budge or even blink when you aimed the axe,
or carp or quibble in King Arthur's castle?
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King Arthur Quotes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Sir Gawain and the Green Knight quotes below are all either spoken by King Arthur or refer to King Arthur. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Lines 1-490
Quotes
By Guenivere, Gawain
now to his king inclines
and says, "I stake my claim.
This moment must be mine.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Lines 1998-2531
Quotes
"Call yourself good Sir Gawain?" he goaded,
"who faced down every foe in the field of battle
but now flinches with fear at the foretaste of harm.
Never have I known such a namby-pamby knight.
Did I budge or even blink when you aimed the axe,
or carp or quibble in King Arthur's castle?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
