... It is clear that the accounts in this story have become the inspiration for the acts of hypnotism and manipulation performed by today's contemporary entertainment magicians. In the Arthurian romance "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," by James J. Wilhelm, the Green Knight provides an air of mysterious trickery so intriguing and beguiling, that modern magicians cannot help but see inspiration for their ... , such as sawing a person in half, or decapitating an animal, only to restore its life. Not only do modern magicians derive their inspiration form past literature, but literature like "S...

• Word Count: 2173
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Through all its complicated twists, redefinings and renamings, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" consistently develops the theme of chivalry. The author uses Camelot, the epitome of chivalric myth, to ground his story and ... chivalrous and on the exact requirements of the title. As we examine the characters, their position within the context of the story and their eventual verdict on Gawain, the author's own prejudices emerge and lead this reader to side with Bertilak in his final judgment of chivalry. The first introduction to the concept of ... even more so on the individual knights who ...

• Word Count: 1568
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate