Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Part One with Colons

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Colons

​This is a quick review about using colons. Be sure to examine the rules and examples before you answer questions!

Four Rules

• Use a colon to introduce a list, especially after a statement that uses words such as these: the following, as follows, or such as these.

• Do not use a colon to introduce a list (or item) if the list (or item) immediately follows a verb or a preposition.

• Use a colon to introduce material that illustrates, explains, or restates the preceding material. The complete sentence after the colon is generally lowercased.

• Use a colon to introduce a long or formal quotation. A formal quotation is often preceded by words such as this, these, the following, or as follows.

Four Examples

• The new parents considered these names for their daughter: Guinevere, Morgan, and Penelope.

• The meal at Medieval Times includes a salad, soup, a turkey leg, and garlic bread.

• Bernard O’Donoghue decided to translate this poem in a different way than others: he abandoned the rhyme scheme but kept the format.

• O’Donoghue begins his introduction with the following bold statement: “It has often been said that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the two great long poems in Middle English…” (ix).

Multiple Choice

In the first stanza, several literary characters are alluded to, such as these men Brutus, Ticius, and Langobard.

• Colon after "characters"

• Colon after "such as"

• Colon after "men"

• NO COLON

Significance

Beginning the epic poem by alluding to the Trojan War and some of its main characters highlights how the Britains are a warlike people, and this story will probably have plenty of violence.

Multiple Choice

Immediately, the narrator sets up England as a dangerous place with the following quotation “War, reprisal, exploit / have happened here at times” (16-17).

• Colon after "England"

• Colon after "dangerous place"

• Colon after the word "quotation"

• NO COLON

Our First Bob and Wheel

"War, reprisal, and exploit

have happened here at times.

Joy and disaster

have often taken turns" (16-19)

​

Behold the original:

Where werre and wrake and wonder

Bi syþez hatz wont þerinne,

And oft boþe blysse and blunder

Ful skete hatz skyfted synne.​

Multiple Choice

Other famous allusions present in the poem include Troy, Tuscany, and Langobard.

• Colon after "allusions"

• Colon after "poem"

• Colon after "include"

• NO COLON IS NEEDED BECAUSE WE DO NOT PUT ONE WHERE WE CANNOT PUT A PERIOD

The adventures of the legendary King Arthur, with his Round Table Fellowship of Knights based in the mythical city of Camelot, were told and retold between the 11th and 15th centuries in hundreds of manuscripts in at least a dozen languages

Multiple Choice

Of all the notable kings of England, the narrator proclaims that one is the most famous Arthur.

• Colon after "famous"

• Colon after "one"

• Colon after "kings"

• NO COLON

Multiple Choice

There are many ways the lords and ladies are celebrating in Camelot, like the following activities jousting, dancing, feasting, and gift-giving.

• Colon after "Camelot"

• Colon after "activities"

• Colon after "ways"

• NO COLON

Multiple Choice

King Arthur has an odd, playful tradition about major feasts no one can eat until a marvelous story is told or until one knight battles another.

• Colon after "tradition"

• Colon after "feasts"

• Colon after "story"

• NO COLON

Multiple Choice

One metaphorical quote highlights how old (or young, rather) the people of Camelot are “For these were people in the flower of life” (54).

• Colon after "are"

• Colon after "People"

• Colon after "metaphorical quote"

• NO COLON

Multiple Choice

The character described as “too beautiful to describe” is Guinevere (81).

• Colon after "character"

• Colon after "as"

• Colon after "is"

• NO COLON

The Green Knight has been connected to the Pagan deity, the Green Man, who is kind of like a Father Nature figure.

It's also what the monster in A Monster Calls is based on, if you've read or seen that one.

Multiple Choice

The strangest thing about the “monstrous apparition” that invaded the party at Camelot was his color “he was green from head to toe!” (136; 150).

• Colon after "thing"

• Colon after "was"

• Colon after "color"

• NO COLON

Multiple Choice

The Green Knight carries a massive axe in one hand and a holly bough in the other.

• Colon after "carries"

• Colon after "axe"

• Colon after "hand"

• NO COLON