View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What kind of gems does the girl have on her majestic robes in "Pearl"?

2. What takes Lady Heurodis from the tree the knights are guarding?

3. What does the Green Knight say Sir Gawain wears of his?

4. Why does the narrator of "Pearl" say that "I dared not wade"?

5. What does the Green Knight gather in his limbs as he lifts the axe?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does "the lord" say regarding his refusal to accompany Sir Gawain to the chapel?

2. What is Sir Orfeo known for?

3. Why is the narrator of "Pearl" concerned with resigning to die?

4. Describe the gown worn by Pearl.

5. What happens when the Green Knight finally delivers his one blow to Sir Gawain?

6. Why does the Green Knight get angry at Sir Gawain when he delivers his first blow to Sir Gawain?

7. Why is the Green Knight green?

8. What does Pearl say will happen if the narrator accepts God's plan for him?

9. How is the narrator's pearl compared to Jerusalem's Lamb?

10. What does Lady Heurodis say happens while she is sleeping under a tree in the orchard?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" there is an overwhelming sense of the importance of imagery in its relation to constraint. The girdle, armor, and even food cause feelings of constraint. Discuss three specific constraints as detailed in the text. What is the object? Why is it considered a constraint? How does Sir Gawain succeed at destroying the constraint that the object produces?

Essay Topic 2

Although the games played in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" offer engagement for the reader, the message of the games is much deeper. What purpose do the games played serve? Through the descriptions of the games, what is learned about specific ideas and the actions of the players?

Essay Topic 3

In both "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Pearl" religious belief can be seen as important to survival. In what ways do both texts illustrate the importance of religious faith? Find at least three examples from each text and compare how each is illustrated in the texts.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 783 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample