SPOILER ALERT: the following article contains massive spoilers, including the ending. If you have not yet seen the movie, proceed at your own risk, or better, come back to this article later!
An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger. From visionary filmmaker David Lowery comes a fresh and bold spin on a classic tale from the knights of the round table.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The Green Knight Plot Summary and Synopsis
Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur, awakens on Christmas Day in a brothel, having spent the night with his lover, the commoner Essel. He returns home to Camelot and, after being rebuked for his conduct by his mother, goes to King Arthur’s court to attend a feast.
Arthur gives Gawain the prince’s seat and voices regret at not becoming better acquainted with Gawain.
The king asks Gawain to tell him a story about himself, so that he might know his nephew better, to which an embarrassed Gawain replies that he has none to tell. In an isolated tower, Gawain’s mother and her associates perform an unknown ritual. Shortly afterward, the mysterious Green Knight barges in and challenges Arthur’s court to a “game”: if anyone can land a blow on him, they will win his ax; however, they must come to the Green Chapel next Christmas and receive an equal wound in return.
Gawain brashly takes up the challenge; as the Green Knight kneels and shows his neck, Gawain, unsure of what to do next, becomes frustrated with the Knight’s actions. He foolishly chops off the Knight’s head. The Knight then picks up his own head, reminds a shocked Gawain of the game’s rules, and rides off laughing.
For the next year, Gawain drowns his worries in sex and drink. When Christmastime approaches again, Arthur confronts Gawain and insists he upholds his end of the oath.
Reluctantly, Gawain agrees and departs for the Green Chapel, taking with him the ax of the Green Knight and a green girdle made by his mother’s coven, who claims that no harm will come to him so long as he wears it. During his travels, Gawain crosses a battlefield where a scavenger helpfully points Gawain to a stream that will lead him to the Green Chapel.
Taking his directions, Gawain is instead ambushed, robbed, and left to die by the scavenger’s bandit friends, as the scavenger takes Gawain’s ax, girdle, and horse. Eventually, Gawain cuts himself free with his sword and, pursuing his assailants, comes to an abandoned cottage.
Sleeping there, he is awakened by a young woman named Winifred who tells Gawain to retrieve her “head” from a nearby spring. Diving in, he finds a skull; on the surfacing, the girl has vanished, but in the cottage’s bedroom, he finds a skeleton in the bed, to which he adds the skull.
The next morning, Gawain awakens to find his ax returned to him.
As Gawain’s quest continues, he encounters a friendly fox that follows him and watches a horde of giants passing through a valley. Eventually, he reaches a castle inhabited by a friendly lord who informs him that the Green Chapel is one day away. Overjoyed, Gawain accepts the lord’s invitation to rest and recuperate.
The castle is also occupied by a blindfolded old woman and the hunter’s alluring wife, who makes many advances towards Gawain, and even takes off a small bell that Gawain wears as a token of Essel’s affection.
On Gawain’s last day at the castle, the lord proposes a game: he will present Gawain with the greatest prize he obtains during that day’s hunt, while Gawain will trade it for the greatest prize that he wins at the castle. The next morning, the wife, hinting that she is a witch, hands Gawain the stolen green girdle, and Gawain, at last, gives in to her advances.
Noticing the old woman’s presence, Gawain panics and leaves for the Green Chapel but runs into the lord out in the forest, who reminds him of their game and returns his wife’s “gift” by kissing Gawain before gifting him his hunting spoils: the same fox that has been following Gawain, kept alive in a sack.
Gawain reaches a stream where an empty boat is waiting for him. Suddenly, the fox speaks and warns that the Green Knight shall not show mercy and tells Gawain to go home. Gawain refuses and insists on finishing his quest, but the fox rebukes him for being dishonest before being driven away.
Using the boat, Gawain reaches the chapel where the Green Knight slumbers. After waiting the night, the Green Knight awakens on Christmas Day. Resolving the game, the Knight twice tries to swing the ax, but Gawain flinches both times.
On the third swing, Gawain flees and shamefully rushes back to Camelot. He is received by his mother and Essel, is made a knight at last, and is named Arthur’s successor, becoming king.
Essel bears his son, but Gawain tearfully abandons her and marries a noblewoman.
As an adult, his son dies in battle, and after many years, Gawain becomes a reviled king. With Camelot under siege and the rest of his family gone, a distressed and grey-haired Gawain stares into the distance and slowly removes the green girdle, which he has refused to take off after all these years. As he does so, his head falls off.
The Green Knight Ending
This entire future is revealed to be a vision: Gawain is still knelt on the ground, waiting to receive the third swing of the Green Knight’s ax.
Realizing that his cowardice will lead him down a life of pain and regret, Gawain suddenly stops the Knight; he removes the girdle and bravely prepares for death.
The Knight reveals the game was a test and praises Gawain for passing it. He caresses Gawain’s face, drags his finger across Gawain’s throat, and teasingly says, “Now, off with your head.”
The Green Knight Post-Credits Scene
A young girl finds the King’s crown and puts it on her head.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).