To the extent that this performance is characteristic of how ChatGPT summarizes long texts, those summaries cannot be trusted. Yes, this is only one case, and, yes, it’s a medieval romance, hardly typical of contemporary long texts. For all I know, it may do fine with, for example, trial transcripts, or long briefings, but...I’m going to need some pretty strong reassurances – evidence that it is well able to summarize this kind of text – before I trust it with anything important.
Note: Summarizing text is an important and difficult skill. I’ve seen many botched plot summaries in Wikipedia.
With that said, here’s my session with ChatGPT on Sir Gawain:
Are you familiar with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?
Yes, I am familiar with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It is a 14th-century Middle English romance poem that tells the story of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's court, and his encounter with a mysterious green-skinned knight who challenges him to a game. The poem is written in a Middle English dialect known as West Midlands and is one of the best-known Arthurian stories. It is notable for its use of alliteration, its moral themes, and its depiction of the chivalrous code of conduct that was followed by knights in medieval times. Do you have any specific questions about the poem?
The poem is divided into four main sections. Would you summarize the third section.
Certainly! The third section of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is called "The Return of the Green Knight." It begins with Sir Gawain setting out on horseback to keep his promise to the Green Knight and meet him at the Green Chapel one year later. Along the way, Gawain encounters a series of temptations and tests of his courage and honor. He is offered food and shelter by a lord and lady, but he refuses to accept any gifts from them, as he has vowed to accept nothing from anyone until he has fulfilled his promise to the Green Knight.
Eventually, Gawain reaches the Green Chapel and finds the Green Knight waiting for him. The Green Knight taunts Gawain, reminding him of his promise to receive a blow from the Green Knight's axe in return for the blow that Gawain had struck a year earlier. Gawain prepares himself for the blow, but at the last moment, the Green Knight reveals that he was actually testing Gawain's courage and honor. The Green Knight is actually Sir Bertilak, the lord who had offered Gawain food and shelter along the way, and the lady who had tried to seduce Gawain was his wife.
The Green Knight reveals that Gawain had passed all of the tests, and he reveals the gift that Gawain had received from the lady: a girdle that had the power to protect the wearer from injury. The Green Knight tells Gawain that he had been proud to host such a noble and chivalrous knight in his home and that he had learned much from Gawain's example. Gawain, in turn, is relieved and grateful to the Green Knight for revealing the truth and sparing his life. The third section of the poem ends with Gawain returning to King Arthur's court, where he is praised for his bravery and honor.
No, that sounds mostly like the fourth section. The third section takes place at the castle of that lord and lady you mention in your first paragraph. The Lord in names Sir Bercilak and Gawain stays with him for three days. What happens on those three days?
I apologize for the misunderstanding. You are correct that the third section of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight takes place at the castle of Lord Bertilak, also known as the Green Knight. On the first day, Gawain and Lord Bertilak go hunting, and Bertilak gives Gawain the game that they catch as a gift. Gawain reluctantly accepts the gift, but he makes a point of not accepting any more gifts from Bertilak until he has fulfilled his promise to the Green Knight.
On the second day, Bertilak's wife tries to seduce Gawain, offering him gifts and promising to be his lover. Gawain resists her advances and refuses to accept any of the gifts she offers him.
On the third day, Bertilak and Gawain go hunting again, and Bertilak gives Gawain the game that they catch as a gift. Gawain again reluctantly accepts the gift, but he makes a point of not accepting any more gifts from Bertilak until he has fulfilled his promise to the Green Knight.
That evening, Gawain sets out for the Green Chapel, where he will keep his promise to the Green Knight and receive a blow from his axe. The third section of the poem ends with Gawain leaving Bertilak's castle and setting out on the final leg of his journey to the Green Chapel.
This is confused. On the first day Bertilak goes deer hunting while Gawain stays at the castle. What happens there and what happens when Bertilak returns?
I apologize for the confusion. You are correct that on the first day of Gawain's visit to Lord Bertilak's castle, Bertilak goes hunting while Gawain stays at the castle. While Bertilak is out hunting, Gawain is visited by Bertilak's wife, who tries to seduce him and offers him gifts in an attempt to persuade him to be her lover. Gawain resists her advances and refuses to accept any of the gifts she offers him.
When Bertilak returns from hunting, he gives Gawain the game that he has caught as a gift. Gawain reluctantly accepts the gift, but he makes a point of not accepting any more gifts from Bertilak until he has fulfilled his promise to the Green Knight. The first day ends with Gawain and Bertilak eating a meal together and retiring for the night.
OK. But doesn’t the lady kiss Gawain and Gawain in turn kisses Bertilak in exchange for the deer Bertilak killed?
Yes, you are correct. In the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the lady of the castle does indeed try to seduce Gawain and offers him gifts in an attempt to persuade him to be her lover. When Gawain resists her advances, she kisses him and gives him a gift of a gold ring. Gawain, in turn, kisses Bertilak in exchange for the deer that Bertilak has given him as a gift.
However, it is important to note that Gawain does not succumb to the lady's advances and remains faithful to his vows of chivalry and to his host, Lord Bertilak. Gawain's acceptance of the gifts and kisses is a test of his honesty and honor, and he ultimately proves himself to be a noble and chivalrous knight.
Where did that gold ring come from?
System crashes while ChatGPT is defending its mention of a gold ring. It’s overloaded just now, Sunday morning, Jan. 8, 2023. There is no gold ring in the text. I logged out at this point.
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