9th Grade Homework

In the comments section of this post, I have put the answers for the comprehension questions for The Story of King Arthur and His Knights pages 123-151.



Chapter 3
Who are the knights that accompanied Arthur to Cameliard?
Sir Gawaine, Sir Ewaine, Sir Pellias, and Sir Geraint went with Arthur to Cameliard. (125)
When Arthur is traveling in the countryside near Cameliard, he comes upon a tower. Describe what he sees at that tower.
When Arthur sees the tower, he sees three beautiful ladies at the top of the tower. He also sees a knight on the road in front of the tower. This knight was sitting on his horse and singing to the ladies with a lute. (125)
Who is the knight outside the tower? How does Arthur recognize him? When he sees the White Champion approaching, what does this man ask the maiden’s permission to do?
The knight was Sir Geraint. Arthur recognizes him by his armor and his coat of arms. When Sir Geraint sees the White Knight approaching, he asks the ladies if he can fight in their honor. (126)
When Sir Geraint challenges King Arthur, does he know that he is challenging his King? Why or why not? Does Arthur agree to fight with him? What is the condition that Arthur demands for the fight?
No, he does not know that he is challenging the King, because Arthur is wearing armor that doesn’t have any markings on it. Arthur says that he will fight only if Geraint agrees to serve his lady for seven days if Geraint loses. (127)
When the two knights fight, who is overthrown? When Geraint wants to fight with swords, does Arthur agree?
Sir Geraint is knocked off his horse, so he wants to fight with swords, but Arthur does not agree. (128)
Who does Arthur want Geraint to go see after the fight? What does he tell him to say to her?
He wants Geraint to go to Lady Guinevere, and he wants Geraint to tell her that he was overthrown by the man that Lady Guinevere gave her pearl necklace to, and he wants him to tell her that he is there to serve her for one week. (128, 129)
Describe the second place that Arthur comes to after he defeats Geraint. Who does he see there? What are they doing?
Arthur then comes to a marsh that has many windmills. He sees two knights having a picnic near a windmill. These two knights are Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewaine. (129,130)
How does Arthur know that these two knights are Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewaine?
He knows that they are Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewaine because he recognizes their coat of arms on their armor. (130)
Why do Sir Gawaine and Arthur fight? What is the condition that Arthur demands? Who wins the contest?
Sir Gawaine tells Arthur that he cannot pass this territory until he fights him. Arthur says that he will fight Gawaine if he agrees to serve Arthur’s lady for seven days if he loses. Arthur wins the contest. (130)
Why does Sir Ewaine fight Arthur? What are the conditions that Sir Ewaine demands?
He fights against Arthur in order to win his cousin Gawaine’s freedom. He demands that if he wins, Gawaine goes free. He says that if he loses, he will serve Arthur’s lady just as Gawaine will. (130-131)
Who does Arthur send these two knights to? What does he tell them to say to her?
Arthur sends the two knights to Lady Guinevere. They have to tell her that they were sent by the knight that she gave her necklace to, and that they are there to serve her for seven days. (131-132)
After Sir Gawaine tells Arthur that he wants to fight again in seven days, how does Arthur respond?
Arthur says that he thinks that after those seven days, Gawaine will have changed his mind and not have such a great desire to fight with him. (132)
Describe the third place that Arthur comes to after his fight with Sir Ewaine and Sir Gawaine. What other place is it similar to?
He comes to a forest, and there is an oak tree with a shield hanging on it. On that shield there is a warning that says “Whoever hits the shield will put themselves in danger.” This place is similar to the apple tree that was covered in shields outside of the Black Knight’s castle. (p.133)

When Arthur hits the shield, who comes out of the forest? How does Arthur recognize him?

When Arthur hits the shield, Sir Pellias comes out of the forest. Arthur recognizes Sir Pellias by the coat of arms on his shield and armor. (133)

When Arthur and Sir Pellias fight, who wins? After the battle, what does Sir Pellias say to Arthur and want to know about him? How does Arthur respond?

Arthur defeats Sir Pellias. After the battle, Sir Pellias tells Arthur that there are only a few men who could defeat him, so he wants to know who the White Knight is. Arthur tells him that someday, Sir Pellias will know, but at that moment, it was a secret. (134-135)
When the four knights come to Guinevere and tell her why they are there, how does she respond? What does she think about her champion?
Guinevere is really impressed because she knows that those four knights are truly amazing knights on their own. She thinks that the White Knight must really be extraordinary since he defeated five men in one day. (135)

After Arthur wins these contests, where does he go and how does he change his appearance?
He first goes to the woodcutter’s house and leaves his horse and armor there. Then he puts back on his cap so that he is disguised as the gardener’s boy. (p.136)
Chapter 4

When Arthur returns to the gardener, how does the gardener react? Why is he angry?
When Arthur returns, the gardener is really angry, because Arthur had disappeared and hadn’t been working for three days. He is angry because he thinks Arthur is not taking his work seriously. (137)
When the gardener is about to beat Arthur, how does he respond and what does he say to him, do to him, and warn him?
When the gardener is about to beat Arthur, Arthur gets angry, and he tells him “How dare you touch me!” He then grabs the gardener and hits the gardener with a stick—he doesn’t hit him hard, but it humiliates the gardener. He warns him that if he bothers him more, he will “serve” him in a way that doesn’t make him happy. (139)
When the gardener goes to Guinevere to complain about the gardener boy’s rude behavior, what is Guinevere’s reply?
Guinevere agrees that the gardener’s boy is strangely bold, but also tells the gardener not to bother him any longer and tells him not to pay attention to when the gardener’s boy goes and comes, and she tells him that SHE will be responsible for treating the gardener’s boy in the way he deserves. (139)

After she hears of the boy’s strange behavior, what coincidence concerning the White Champion and the gardener boy does she notice?
Guinevere notices that whenever the White Knight appeared, the gardener’s boy disappeared, and whenever the gardener’s boy disappeared, the White Knight appeared. (p.139-140)
After Guinevere makes a joke about the gardener boy’s rude behavior in front of the four knights, what does Sir Gawaine want to do? Does Guinevere let him?
Sir Gawaine wants to remove the gardener boy’s cap by force. Guinevere does not let him. (p.140)
After Duke Mordaunt recovers and goes out to challenge King Leodegrance’s court again, what is the second challenge he issues and what are the demands that he makes?
Duke Mordaunt wants another battle, but this time, he will have 7 knights fight with him against 7 other knights from Leodegrance’s court. He says that if he wins, he will win the hand of Guinevere, and he will also get to control three castles near the borders of North Umber. He wants the fight to occur on the next day at sunset. (141)

When King Leodegrance hears the second challenge of Mordaunt, how does he respond? Why?
King Leodegrance is very discouraged and sad. He is sad because he thinks it very unlikely that the White Knight will come and defend him again. He has no idea who will come to protect him and his people this time. (142)
What does Guinevere ask the four knights to do for her? What does Sir Gawaine say to her in response?
Guinevere asks them to fight against Duke Mordaunt for her. Sir Gawaine says that he and the other knights cannot fight in a battle because they are not pledged to Guinevere, but instead, are pledged to serve only King Arthur, and they cannot fight against any foreign kings unless King Arthur commands it. (142)
Why do Guinevere and Gawaine become angry with one another?
Guinevere and Gawaine fight because Gawaine refuses to fight Mordaunt, and Guinevere says that he doesn’t want to fight him either because he is exceptionally faithful to Arthur or because he is actually afraid to fight, and this insults Gawaine. (143)
When Arthur hears how Guinevere is upset, what does he have the gardener do for him?

He tells the gardener to go to Guinevere and tell her that the gardener’s boy wants her to have the four knights serve him a nice meal and act as his servants. (143)
What does Arthur want Guinevere to tell the four knights to do?
He wants Guinevere to tell the knights to serve him a nice meal and act as the gardener boy’s servants. (p.143)
Why does the gardener agree to do this for Arthur?
He agrees to do it because he thinks it’s such an insane [H1] idea, and he is sure that Guinevere will punish him once he brings her this message. (p.144)
After the gardener brings the message to Guinevere, how does she respond? Why?
Guinevere is happy and hopeful, because she realizes that the White Champion and the gardener’s boy are the same, so she sees that there is hope for her father’s kingdom still. (145)

31 What is the reason that Guinevere gives the knights for serving the gardener’s boy?
Guinevere tells them that they must fight because when Guinevere asked them to fight against Mordaunt, Sir Gawaine got angry with her and was rude her. He treated her in a way that wasn’t fitting for a knight to treat the daughter of a king. Because of this, they have to serve the gardener’s boy. (145)

32 When the four knights hear what they must do, how do they respond? Why? What does Gawaine want to do after they have done what Guinevere asks them to do?
They are humiliated and angry because the gardener’s boy is a commoner and they are from the upper class. Gawaine wants to kill the gardener’s boy after they serve him. He wants to kill him, cut off his head, put it in a bag, and send it to Guinevere, so that she will be as insulted as she has insulted them. (147)
33. While the knights are serving the gardener’s boy and the boy does not take off his cap, why does Sir Gawaine say it doesn’t matter? How does Arthur respond to this?
Gawaine says it doesn’t matter because he says that this meal will be the last meal that the gardener’s boy will eat on the earth. Arthur is not afraid, and calmly says “Luckily, this is not really your choice, and I will probably eat more meals after this, and you will probably serve more meals to me.” (148)
34. What does the gardener’s boy tell the four knights they must do for him? What is the warning that Gawaine gives him? How does Arthur react?
He wants them to prepare a horse and armor for him, and he wants them to meet him outside of the city, at the gate. He wants them to dress in their armor as well and get ready to travel with him. Gawaine says that this will be a very unlucky journey for him, but Arthur is not scared, he just replies “I don’t think so.” (148)
35. After the knights bring Arthur his horse and meet him at the gate as he requested, what is the warning Gawaine gives him and how does Arthur respond? How do the four knights feel about the way he responds?
Gawaine says that the gardener’s boy should enjoy his honor because it will crush him to death soon. Arthur says that he thinks he won’t die any time soon. The four knights are surprised at how calmly he is responding to these threats (149)
36. After Gawaine tells Arthur that he’s going to kill him in the woodland, what does Arthur finally do and what does he say to his knights? When his knights realize that it is Arthur, what do they do?
He finally takes off his cap and he asks them if they don’t have any words to say hello to their king. The knights bow down to him and apologize when they realize it is Arthur. (150)
37. Where do Arthur and the four knights go after they leave Cameliard? While they are going there, what does Arthur tell them about?
They go to the woodcutter’s house, which is where Arthur left his white horse and white armor. While they are going there, Arthur tells them about his adventures and what had been doing while he was away from them. (150)