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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Part 4, Lines 2479 - 2530 Summary

  • Gawain rides back through the wild country toward Camelot. He has plenty of adventures along the way, including vanquishing many foes, of course.
  • His neck wound heals, but he wears the green girdle as a baldric (kind of like a sash that holds a sword) as a symbol that he was dishonored by his failure.
  • When he reaches Arthur's court, everyone greets him warmly, probably because they never expected to see him again.
  • Everyone is eager to hear about his adventure, so he shares all the details. Even the embarrassing ones. He blushes and even cries remembering his failure.
  • He shows Arthur the green girdle and declares that he'll wear if for the rest of his life, as a reminder of how he's dishonored himself.
  • King Arthur and everyone else just laugh at Gawain and try to comfort him.
  • The lords and ladies of the Round Table agree that each man shall wear a green baldric like Gawain’s, for his sake.
  • The Round Table becomes renowned for that symbol, and any man who wears it is honored.
  • The narrator circles back to the beginning, and says that this adventure happened in Arthur's day, which came after Brutus settled Britain following the Trojan War.
  • He ends by praising Jesus.