Select Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Use a 5-paragraph essay structure:
Introduction: Give a brief summary of the piece. End the paragraph with your thesis statement.
Body 1: Answer this question: which of these works is the most medieval? Why? (There are many possible definitions of most medieval. Define the phrase as you would like to use it, then explain how your chosen text matches that definition.)
Body 2 and body 3: Answer two of the following questions for the piece you have
deemed the most medieval:
Has the definition of a hero changed since Beowulf? How?
What importance does the Church have in this piece?
What is the importance of point of view for this piece?
Are the characters well-developed, or are they stereotypes? Why did the author make this choice?
Conclusion: Restate your thesis, briefly summarize the main points you made in the essay, then finish with a closing remark. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion.
