Quote 1
"See, Gawain, that you carry out your promise exactly,
And search for me truly, sir, until I am found,
As you have sworn in the hall in the hearing of these knights."
(448 - 450)
The Green Knight reminds Gawain of his knightly duty to keep his promise. The fact that Gawain has sworn to do this in the hearing of all the other knights means that his reputation will be damaged if he fails to carry it out - it’s a matter of knightly honor.
Quote 2
"Everything I ever promised you I shall readily give."
(1970)
This is Lord Bertilak’s response to Gawain’s request for a man to lead him to the Green Chapel. It becomes ironic in light of the ending, when we learn that Sir Bertilak is also the Green Knight. Lord Bertilak might also be referring to his promise to return the stroke Gawain gave him in Arthur’s court one year ago.
Quote 3
"Let us repeat our agreement before going further,
First I entreat you, sir, that what is your name
You shall tell me truly, that I may believe you."
"In good faith," said that virtuous knight, "I am called Gawain,
Who deals you this blow, whatever happens after,
On this day next year to accept another from you
With what weapon you choose, and from no other person
on earth."
(377 - 384)
It’s important to the Green Knight to learn Gawain’s name so that he knows who to hold accountable to their agreement. This provides Gawain with an incentive to keep their agreement, too, because he knows his reputation will be sullied should he default on it. The Knight also insists that Gawain repeat the terms of the agreement, probably so that Gawain can’t claim ignorance as an excuse after the fact.
Quote 4
. . . "You have fully repeated, in exact terms,
Without omission the whole covenant I put to the king;
Except that you shall assure me, sir, on your word,
That you will seek me yourself, wherever you think
I may be found upon earth, to accept such payment
As you deal me today before this noble gathering."
(392 - 397)
The Green Knight further invokes the rules of chivalry when he asks for Gawain’s word that he will seek him out in one year to receive his "payment." The Middle English term translated as "word" here is "trawthe," or troth, a loaded term that refers to a knight’s oath, or promise, which he must keep as a matter of honor. Also important in this passage is the Knight’s reference to the blow he will give Gawain as "such payment as you deal me today." This characterizes their game as an exchange of payments, a concept that will become very important later on in the tale.
Quote 5
"Yet further," said the man, "let us make an agreement:
Whatever I catch in the wood shall become yours,
And whatever mishap comes your way give me in exchange.
Dear sir, let us swap so, swear me that truly,
Whatever falls to our lot, worthless or better."
"By God," said the good Gawain, "I agree to that,
And your love of amusement pleases me much."
"If someone brings us a drink, it will be an agreement,"
Said the lord of that company.
(1105 - 1113)
In this scene, Gawain gets roped into another game. As in the exchange of blows he has agreed to with the Green Knight, according to the terms of Lord Bertilak’s proposal, the two men will exchange their "winnings" at the end of each day. Lord Bertilak will yield whatever he has hunted in the woods to Gawain in exchange for whatever Gawain has won in the hall. The two men seal their agreement with a drink.
Quote 6
"First I threatened you playfully with a pretence,
And avoided giving you a gash, doing so rightly
Because of the agreement we made on the first night,
When you faithfully and truly kept you pledged word,
Gave me all your winnings, as an honest man should.
That other feint, sir, I gave you for the next day,
When you kissed my lovely wife and gave me those kisses.
For both occasions I aimed at you two mere mock blows
without harm.
True man must pay back truly,
Then he need nothing fear;
You failed me the third time
And took that blow therefore."
(2345 - 2356)
Here the Green Knight reveals that he is also Lord Bertilak, and that he has combined the two games between himself and Gawain into one. The results of the beheading game are dependent upon Gawain’s behavior in the exchange-of-winnings game. Technically, the Green Knight fulfills the terms of the beheading game because he does strike Gawain with his axe – it’s just that he chooses only to wound him rather than sever his head completely. This is important because the Knight states that "true man must pay back truly."
Quote 7
"If you are as courageous as everyone says,
You will graciously grant me the game that I ask for
by right."
(272 - 274)
This is the Green Knight’s first reference to Arthur’s knights’ reputation for great bravery. He will use these references to great effect to goad the knights into playing his game, for if they refuse, they risk throwing that reputation in doubt.
Quote 8
"What, is this Arthur’s house?" said the man then,
"That everyone talks of in so many kingdoms?
Where are now your arrogance and your victories,
Your fierceness and wrath and your great speeches?
Now the revelry and repute of the Round Table
Are overthrown with a word from one man’s mouth,
For you all cower in fear before a blow has been struck!"
(309 - 315)
With this speech, the Green Knight goads Arthur’s court into playing his game or risk having their reputation for bravery besmirched. Yet he also reminds his audience of the fragility of a reputation if it can, in truth, be "overthrown with a word from one man’s mouth." Although what the Green Knight is referring to here is the way his challenge threatens their reputation, we can’t help but think of the way that other words from men’s mouths - for example, rumors - can have the same effect.
Quote 9
"Truly, God has been gracious to us indeed,
In allowing us to receive such a guest as Gawain,
Whose birth men will happily sit down and celebrate
in song.
In knowledge of fine manners
This man has expertise;
I think that those who hear him,
Will learn what love-talk is."
(920 - 927)
The court of Lord Bertilak praises Gawain not only by remarking upon his excellent reputation, but also by suggesting that this reputation will only grow in time - that "men will happily sit down and celebrate" his birth "in song." Interestingly, it’s Gawain’s reputed skill at "love-talk" about which everyone is most excited, rather than his reputation as a skilled knight.
Quote 10
"She sent me in this shape to your splendid hall
To make trial of your pride, and to judge the truth
Of the great reputation attached to the Round Table."
(2456 - 2458)
The Green Knight explains that part of Morgan le Fay’s motivation for sending him to Arthur’s court was her desire to judge the truth of the Round Table’s great reputation. Morgan le Fay sits apart from other characters in the tale because of her unwillingness to accept a reputation as fact without judging it for herself. Although to us this seems like a pretty reasonable policy, we can’t help but wonder what it means that Morgan le Fay also seems kind of sinister and evil in this story. In other words, maybe Sir Gawain and the Green Knight portrays the willingness to believe in collective opinion as a virtue, and its opposite - skepticism - as something that can only lead to trouble.