he manuscript of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the last of four poems in the unique Cotton MS, Nero A.x. Article 3, Pearl, cleanness,
the motto of the Order of the Garter
T
and Patience precede Gawain in the quarto volume of vellum
measuring about 7 x 5 inches. The writing is by one hand -
small, sharp, and irregular - resembling printing rather than penmanship. The manuscript is dated around the 15th century.
The poem is a Romance with anti-romantic elements, it calls
up from the mythic past the shadows of archetypal figures
and entertains while teaching a moral-religious lesson. The
poet has fulfilled the twofold purpose of medieval literature;
to entertain and teach. The poem is a romance with all the
elements such a genre comprises, and probing beneath the
surface, you cannot miss the message, the lesson of humility
Sir Gawain learns.
EVIL BE TO HIM WHO EVIL THINKS