Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has long been studied by students and scholars of English literature as one of the earliest texts ever written in English. The original poem contains no title (the title was given centuries later) and no known author, though scholars tend to attribute the text to the same author of the poems Pearl, Patience, and Cleanness. The poem was originally written in Middle English (14th century), a blend of Germanic and Romance languages that evolved from Old English (12th century) into Modern English (16th century). While Gawain is a staple of Medieval English literature syllabi, it has remained largely absent from popular culture, likely due to questions about its accessibility.
With modern translations, however, Gawain has started to figure prominently in contemporary culture. Not only has it become an important source for scholars of ecocriticism (a relatively new academic field that studies the relationship between literature and the environment), but it has also enjoyed popularity outside of the academy. Part of this rising interest in the text is its tangential portrayal of King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table, a Medieval genre that has long been adapted into films and other folkloric literature for mass consumption.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was made into a film The Green Knight in 1973, starring Murray Head as Gawain and Nigel Green as the Green Knight. In 2021, David Lowery wrote and directed his updated version of the film starring Dev Patel as Gawain. The 2021 film garnered critical acclaim for its use of cinematography, music, and Patel's acting. It was also praised for its dedication to the poem's original plot, and scholars of the text celebrated the film's portrayal of more subtle themes like masculinity, queerness, and the prevalence of myth.
