A mysterious, verdant stranger interrupts the festivities at Camelot, challenging King Arthur’s court to a lethal game of exchange. Sir Gawain, a knight of the Round Table, accepts the challenge to uphold the honor of his king, setting out on a quest that tests his physical prowess and moral integrity. The narrative follows his encounter with the Green Knight and his subsequent stay at a remote castle, where he must navigate complex social and romantic pressures. Written in the tradition of alliterative verse, the story examines the tension between chivalric ideals and human fallibility. The framework is a third-person narrative that emphasizes the psychological state of the protagonist as he faces an inevitable confrontation.

Discussion often centers on the symbolic significance of the color green and the complex moral dilemmas faced by the protagonist. Readers frequently highlight the contrast between the rigid expectations of the chivalric code and the reality of Gawain's internal fears. Critics often analyze the poem's structural precision, noting how the bob and wheel sections heighten the tension of the narrative. The work remains a primary subject for those interested in the evolution of Arthurian mythology and the nuances of Middle English verse. Many find the interplay between the external quest and the internal psychological struggle to be the most compelling aspect of the text.