Examples Of Chivalry In Sir Gawain

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: The Impossible Standards of Chivalry

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight emphasizes a knight’s inability to live up to the moral code of chivalry. The poem judges the code of chivalry. Chivalry has many standards that a knight is to live by, yet many of these are impossible to uphold. Thus, the poem mocks chivalry’s ideals through the descriptions of Arthur’s court, Gawain’s ornate armor, and the seduction of Gawain by the lord’s lady.

The text focuses heavily on the extravagant descriptions of Arthur’s castle, in effect pushing a knight further from his moral obligations of the chivalric code. The text describes Arthur’s court in great detail. It describes the activities of the lords and ladies (Sir Gawain and

On the morning of Gawain’s leave for the Green Knight, Gawain seizes his armor. The text goes on to describe the layers of his armor, with the first being a “dublet of a dere tars” (costly doublet of silk) (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 151, ll. 571). While the Middle English Dictionary describes “dere” as “noble” or “of God,” (“dere,” adj.(1), a.) there are other definitions that entail further meaning of the word. The dictionary also defines the word as “a wound” or “deadly” (“dere,” adj.(2)). These two inherently different definitions of the word make the reader question the author’s intention. Gawain’s doublet, made of the finest silk, symbolizes nobility and wealth. A knight is someone who others can look up to as honorable and valiant. This goes hand in hand with “dere” also referring to “of God,” giving Gawain a revered and faultless appearance. This worthy appearance distracts others from his flaws. The text says “Gawain was reputed as virtuous” (Gawain 152, ll. 633) and “devoid of all vice” (Gawain 152, ll. 634). After Gawain was in full armor, he appeared as a perfect being. However, the true nature of a Gawain, his human nature, was beneath his majestic appearance. One might argue this is where the second part of the definition comes from. Gawain’s doublet is also “deadly,” as it hides Gawain’s “wound” (human nature) from his peers. Since Gawain is an imperfect

The lady plays games with Gawain in the bedroom scenes. She tests the virtues he is expected to uphold, his courteousness and purity regarding immoral acts. The lord’s lady says she sees all the virtues in Gawain and knows them to be true (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 169, ll. 1272-1274). Even so, the lady continued to flirt with Gawain, but Gawain remained courteous and polite (Gawain 169, ll. 1281-1282). She sees all of the virtues in Gawain, yet tries to tempt his faithfulness. As the conversation draws to an end, the lady is astonished that Gawain has not tried to sneak a kiss “to comply with politeness” (Gawain 169, ll. 1299-1300). In this scene, the lady is trying to seduce Gawain by saying a simple kiss is just a way of being polite. She is trying to blur the boundaries between courtesy and chastity. The lady repeats this behavior the next morning, saying a man inclined to do good cannot understand the rules of polite behavior (Gawain 174, ll. 1482-1483). She also says “to act quickly wherever a glance of favor is seen” (Gawain 174, ll. 1490), because “that befits every knight who practises courtesy” (Gawain 174, ll. 1491). She is constantly hinting that Gawain is being impolite because “kissing is just a way of being polite.” It is impossible for Gawain to remain faithful and also be polite if these are the rules set by the lady. She also tells