The Green Knight(2021) < 2026 >

This paper examines David Lowery’s 2021 film The Green Knight , exploring its themes of chivalry, environmentalism, and the deconstruction of the traditional hero’s journey.

Throughout his quest, Gawain repeatedly fails the traditional tests of knighthood. He is ungenerous to a scavenger, asks for a reward from the ghost of St. Winifred, and breaks the rules of hospitality at the castle of Lord Bertilak. The Green Knight(2021)

Unlike the legendary Sir Gawain, the film's protagonist (Dev Patel) is introduced as a "wastrel" living in a brothel, possessing "no stories to tell" of his own. His acceptance of the Green Knight’s challenge—striking a blow that must be returned a year later—is born of insecurity rather than true courage. This paper examines David Lowery’s 2021 film The