Courtly Love In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in the fourteenth century by an anonymous author, commonly known as the Pearl Poet. Although this story derives from a single copy or manuscript— which additionally includes Pearl, Patience, and Purity— it has become one of the most widely read Arthurian Romances ever produced. This is mainly because the story itself successfully incorporated courtly love, chivalry, romance, and a plethora of meaningful symbols that resonated with the people of this era. In addition, this story weighed heavily on the importance and significance of heroism during this time period, in which the author integrated several of the characteristics one must acquire in order to be considered a hero. Nevertheless, the three

Altogether, the symbols utilized and the theme that resulted, ultimately allowed Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to become an extremely well-received piece of literary work. As mentioned, courtly love played a salient role in regards to the development of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. To begin, this was a practice during medieval Europe that accentuated the utmost significance of chivalry and nobility (Citation). Therefore, this was most apparent when Sir Gawain stays at Lord Bertilak’s castle three days before his challenge with the Green Knight at the Green Chapel. Here, Lord Bertilak’s wife attempts to seduce Sir Gawain, yet he utilizes courtly love by refusing to succumb to a married woman. Instead, they exchange kisses and engage in intimate discourse. Another example was seen in lines 223-226, in which the lady of the castle states: “For the man who goes to battle in this green lace, / As long as he keeps it looped around him, / No man under Heaven can hurt him, whoever may try, / For nothing on earth, however uncanny, can kill him” (239). Within this quote,