Sir Gawain: The Perfectly Chivalrous Knight

This paper is an analytical essay, I examined the writing “Sir Gawain and the Green knight” and showed how it fits into the medieval romance genre. In conclusion I would say that the story of “Gawain and the Green Knight” definitely fits the criteria to fit into the medieval romance

The author goes on to reveal yet another very important attribute of the loyal knight, his moral goodness. This is done in the description of the shield that Gawain arms himself with to undertake his journey to the Green Chapel. The shield is adorned "with [a] pentangle portrayed in purest gold" (Sir Gawain, l. 620). This pentangle symbolizes Gawain’s "faith in the five wounds of

The knight endangers his manhood accepting Lady Bertilak’s purpose. So, we can say that manhood includes Christian, chivalric and loyal codes that are the cornerstone of a moral value. Moreover, it is normal that men make the first moves but in this case, Lord Bertilak’s wife makes it. As June states “The Lady is the one “making the first move”, so to speak, but it is ultimately Gawain who decides what is to become of those actions” (24). She does it because of her self-confidence and feels herself a superior being to him which was not normal at all in women at that time.

The fourteenth century placed social and economic changes in the government. The founding of chivalric orders kept aristocratic ideals alive, and because of this, there were major changes in chivalry. Chivalry is the religious, moral, and social code of a medieval knight. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain is characterized as being one of the most loyal knights that followed chivalric orders. Not only is he deemed loyal, but he has a reputation of being a great and courtly lover. Great knights are devoted to the church before anything else. On the other hand, when courtly love is presented to him, Gawain is conflicted between the physical love and spiritual love he has for the church. Morgan le Fay and Lady Bertilak sought to use their strength and age differences to test Gawain’s knightly honor. Lady Bertilak’s role, specifically, were orders of Lord Bertilak. Behind closed doors, Lady Bertilak had a powerful presence because she tempted Gawain with tokens of love. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Lady Bertilak is the most powerful female in the story because the sexual innuendos she fulfills for her husband tests Gawain’s knightly honor.

 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the most intriguing Middle English chivalric romances known today. The poem is a delicately written balancing act between two cultures, clashing in a time of unease between the religion of tradition, (paganism) and the new religion, (Christianity). The poem is also one of the best known Arthurian tales, with its plot combining two types of folklore patterns, the beheading game and the exchange of winnings. The Green Knight is interpreted by many as a representation of the Green Man of folklore and by others as an allusion to Christ. The story is told in stanzas of alliterative verse, ending in a bob and wheel. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an important poem in the Middle English romance genre, because it involves all the typical plot progression of a hero who goes on a quest to prove himself. Yet what sets Sir Gawain apart from heroes of lore is his inability to finish his quest. The aspect which makes Sir Gawain and the Green Knight different is Sir Gawain’s failure. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a perfect example of the struggle between enduring Paganism and newfound Christianity.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a classic example of the behaviors of a medieval knight and how the code of chivalry works within the courts and towards women. When Sir Gawain visits Bertiak’s castle, he respectfully treats the elderly woman and Bertiak’s beautiful young wife with the same level of dignity. “To the elder in homage he humbly bows; the lovelier he salutes with a light embrace. They welcome him warmly, and straightaway he asks to be received as their servant, if they so desire” (lines 973-976). The treatment of women is an essential part of the code of chivalry. If Sir Gawain had only given attention to the pretty young woman, then he would not have been abiding by the knight’s code of honor. He also keeps the code of chivalry intact when he says “Lover have I none, nor will have, yet awhile” (line 1790). Sir Gawain says this to Bertiak’s attractive wife, when she tries seducing him in the bedroom, which proved Sir Gawain’s loyalty to Bertiak, upholding his chivalric code. Honorable Sir Gawain demonstrates the knightly code of chivalry throughout the poem.

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by an unknown author referred to as the “Pearl Poet,” we are introduced to Sir Gawain. Gawain is a knight of the Round Table and he is also the nephew of King Arthur. As a knight, Gawain is expected to possess and abide by many chivalrous facets. Throughout the poem he portrays many of the qualities a knight should possess, such as bravery, courtesy, and honor among others. Because of his ability to possess these virtues even when tempted to stray away from them, Sir Gawain is a true knight.

Christianity principles’ correlation to chivalry was expressed by how Gawain carried himself. While he was staying in the castle, he made sure he conducted himself as a knight would. There was nothing less than a respectful tone ever spoken from him. He thanked God for leading him to shelter. There was never a fear of his fate because what was to come was God’s will. The Middle Ages chivalry was contradictive when it came to the relationship between Gawain and Bertilak’s Wife. His Christian ideal was to honor the king and queen for quartering him from the cold. Gawain engaged in some inappropriate contact with the Queen. The status of the Queen would have never allowed him to be allowed with her in his bedroom. Gawain never touched her, but

This example of how Gawain realizes his ignorance and frivolous behavior throughout the poem, not only shows how the poet seeks to humanize Gawain, but also shows a transformation in which Gawain, as well as the reader of the poem, realize Gawain’s temptations and ultimately his own humanity at the end of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

To start with, Gawain is a knight, and he quickly offers to fight with the ‘alien’ who appears at a festival in their court. On his adventure to find the Green Knight, Gawain is welcomed by a lord, and when the lord is away hunting, he kisses the lord’s wife. In this instance, he obeyed courtly love’s code in that he flirted with a married noblewoman and she even makes him believe that the ‘famous Gawain’ would not let a flirting woman walk away without kissing her.

In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is skillfully brought to life by the unknown author. Through the eyes of numerous characters in the poem, we see Gawain as a noble knight who is the epitome of chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all, courteous. As the story progresses, Gawain is subjected to a number of tests of character, some known and some unknown. These tests tell us a great deal about Gawain's character and the struggles he faces internally. I will explore the various places in the poem where we learn about Gawain, either through others or through the tests he faces. By the end of the poem, we sense that we have

Sir Gawain’s chivalry is tested throughout the poem by Bertilak and his wife through temptation. In contrast, both characters fail to stay loyal and courteous throughout the their adventure because in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain fails to stay with his word. As Bertilak and and Sir Gawain played the game that “ What I win in the wood shall be yours, and what you gain while I’m gone you will give to me… Gawain, I agree to the terms” ( Sir Gawain And The Green Knight 209); Sir Gawain fails to follow the rules of the game as pride and selfishness goes upon him as the wife of Bertilak presents Sir Gawain a green girdle in which “ The body which is bound within this green belt,as long as it is buckled robustly about him, will be safe against anyone who seeks to strike him,(Sir Gawain And The Green Knight 224). Sir Gawain’s youthful pride and selfishness character makes him care for his own life and not the agreement, therefore he failed to honor his word and obey the chivalric code. Sir Gawain Declares to the lord of the palace, “I shall first fulfull our formal agreement which we fixed in words when the drink flowed freely… he crasps him tight and kisses him three times” (Sir Gawain And The Green

Sir Gawain leaves for the Green Chapel and finds The Green Knight and surrenders himself as the deal was made. But The Green Knight scares Gawain twice by not slashing his head and Gawain was shaking in fear. However the third time he is barely touched and just a little blood was coming down. The Green Knight goes on to explain that the third swing and the only cut is for Gawain's acceptance of the green and golden girdle, which he did not share with his host “You failed at number three which you got cut for” (2356-57). The Green Knight explains that Gawain lacked loyalty to his lord (the host) by not handing over the girdle at the end of the third day and he was supposed to loyal to Lord, God, and lady. Gawain is ashamed of his wrong choosing and admits that he, and is embarrassed of his weakness (fear of death). The Green Knight's challenge teaches Sir Gawain that he's just a human who fears death. Because he accepted the Lady’s golden griddle, this teaches him that even he, the best and chivalrous knight, is human and able to make mistakes.

    The element of chivalry is present several times throughout the poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The first chivalric action seen in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is when Sir Gawain demands to take the place of King Arthur in the Green Knights Christmas game, so Guenevere does not have to watch her husband do something so revolting. This chivalric action is shown by the quote: “And if my liege lady misliked it not, I would come to your counsel before your court noble” (Borroff 120-121. 166). Sir Gawain's deed is a chivalric act because Knights must protect women at all costs. Sir Gawain is met by the lords lady and she attempts to flatter Sir Gawain by giving him amazing, but untrue compliments. Sir Gawain denys these claims and tells the lady she is speaking of the wrong man. This situation is seen in the poem when Sir Gawain says “My gain is the greater, Though I am not he of whom you have heard;” (Gawain 1241-1242).

In medieval romances there is a hero-knight, this hero-knight prides himself on being chivalrous. Chivalry is the overall code of being respectful, religious, and morally right. Some believe chivalry is dead in our society, but I believe it has just been evolved for modern day life. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, the author pokes fun at the court's values of chivalry. During the second half of the 14th century, when the story takes place, chivalry dictates their ranks and their everyday life.