Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Characters: 

1. Sir Gawain (King Arthur's nephew).

2. King Arthur.

3. Guinevere (King Arthur's wife).

4. The Green Knight.

5. Dignified Lord of the Castle.

6. Beautiful Lady.

7. Morgan La Fay (King Arthur's half-sister).    

 

On Christmas Eve, King Arthur hosts a dinner party at Camelot, his castle. Everyone from the kingdom is invited, except his half-sister Morgan la Fay. Suddenly, through the door of the dining hall enters a towering and gargantuan knight completely green in appearance. He offers to play a game. He asks the bravest warrior present in the room to attack him with his battle axe and chop his head in a blow, in exchange he would return the blow to the same person exactly 1 year and a day from then at the Green Chapel.  

Everyone seem perplexed at the weird offer, but no one seemed to take a step forward. Upon seeing the hesitance among his knights, King Arthur initiates to accept the offer. In that moment, Sir Gawain, King Arthur's nephew and a chief knight proceeds to volunteer on behalf of the king. Hushes and murmurs spread across the room. The Green Knight and Sir Gawain come face to face and in a split moment, Sir Gawain swing his weapon and decapitates the Green Knight. To everyone's surprise, the Green Knight's bloody body picks up its laughing head, and rides away saying to meet Sir Gawain at the decided time period.  

Almost a year passes by, Sir Gawain is given a venerated and a revered farewell from the castle and all the lords and ladies bemoan upon losing such a brave knight to such a silly games. Sir Gawain, travel through harsh weather conditions and unforgiving landscapes. He pray to Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary to guide him to place where he can attend the mass on Christmas day.  

On his way, he stumbles upon a castle who's Lord is very welcoming. He greets Sir Gawain and informs that the Green Chapel is only 2 miles from here. He invites him to rest for the day in his castle. Sir Gawain happily accepts the hospitality. But the lord has one condition. He asks the Sir Gawain to agree upon to give anything he receives at the castle to him, and then the lord will give him anything he finds from his hunting sprees. Gawain obliges. 

On the first day, while the Lord is on his hunting in the wild, the beautiful Lady of the castle enters Sir Gawain's chamber and tries to seduce him. Taken aback by the Lady's advances, Sir Gawain resolves to exchange one kiss. When the Lord returns from his hunt, he asks Sir Gawain to perform the exchange. The Lord gives a hunted deer to Sir Gawain and he gives a kiss to the Lord in return without disclosing it's giver. On the second day, similar events takes place. The Lord goes off for hunting, the Lady visits Sir Gawain's chamber trying to seduce him. He revolves for two kisses. When the Lord returns, he offers a boar to Sir Gawain, and he offer two kisses to the Lord, not revealing it's giver. On the third and the final day, again the Lord goes off for hunting, when the Lady visits Sir Gawain's chamber, this time along with three kisses, she offers him an exceptional green girdle, who's wearer is doesn't die if harmed. When the Lord returns from hunting, he offers a fox to the knight and he gives three kisses to the Lord, though Sir Gawain cannot gather the courage to give away the extraordinary girdle, so he keeps it to himself without mentioning.  

After all these events, the Lord bids farewell to Sir Gawain, who is secretly wearing the green girdle and sends along a servant to guide him to the Green Chapel. On their way, the servant tries to persuade the knight to not walk towards its own death, but for Sir Gawain, it is a matter of loyalty and valor, so he is unshaken from his decision. Upon reaching the Green Chapel, Sir Gawain could hear the sound of blade being sharpened coming from inside the place. In that moment, the Green Knight comes out with his murder weapon. Sir Gawain positions himself to be beheaded.  

Upon the occurrence of the fast blow, Sir Gawain flinches and the Green Knight stops half-way. The same thing happens at the second time, and the Green Knight mock Sir Gawain for it. Feeling humiliated, Sir Gawain accumulates the courage to not flinch this time and accept his fate. Soon to his surprise he realizes that this time the Green Knight had not chop off his head but only given him a small cut on the neck.  

The Green reveals that he is the Lord that he met on his way here. He is an assistant to the sorceress Morgan la Fay, King Arthur's half-sister. She disliked Guinevere and wanted to scare her so she engineered the appearance of the Green Knight. Also she wanted to create a discord or a strife among King Arthur and his knights by giving such an impossible and challenging task. 

Sir Gawain returns to King Arthur and he is welcomed with celebration like a hero, but on the inside he feels incompetent and cowardly for sneaking the green girdle with him and not accepting his fate like a brave man.