What is the 'Exchange of Winnings' agreement between Gawain and Bertilak in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: Whatever Bertilak hunts, Gawain gets it; whatever Gawain receives in the castle, Bertilak gets it
This exchange pact tests Gawain's honesty and courtly conduct. Bertilak provides game animals from his hunts, while Gawain must return the kisses he receives from Bertilak's wife — ultimately failing the test by withholding the protective green girdle.
Keep practicing
More Middle English Romance questions
- The 'Alliterative Morte Arthure' differs from other Arthurian romances by focusing heavily on which aspect of Arthur's life?
- Which character in Malory’s 'Le Morte d’Arthur' is the only knight permitted to fully achieve the Holy Grail due to his perfect purity?
- What linguistic feature defines the 'Gawain-Poet's' work, distinguishing it from the London dialect of Chaucer?
- In 'King Horn,' the protagonist is set adrift in a boat as a child. This motif is common in which type of romance?
- The term 'Fin'Amors' (Courtly Love) in Middle English romance typically involves which of the following dynamics?
- In 'The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle,' Gawain must answer a riddle to save Arthur's life. What is the answer?