Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Chivalry Analysis

Chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Chivalry is the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight. Some of these qualities include courage, honesty, courtesy, loyalty, and justice. There are three major themes in chivalry; courtly love, religion and war. The code of chivalry helps outline the morals and behavior in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The principles of chivalry come from the Christian idea of morality. The role of chivalry/knighthood in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was an important part of society. In fit three, chivalry was first depicted when Gawain meets Lord Bertilak’s wife. This is also when Gawain’s chivalric virtues are being put to a test. His loyalty is being tested and it is based on how he treats Bertilak’s wife. Every morning Bertilak goes out hunting and when he returns, he and Sir Gawain exchange their winnings with one another. The first morning Sir Gawain stays at Bertilak’s home, …show more content…
Gawain didn’t show loyalty towards Bertilak when he allows Bertilak’s wife to kiss him, not only once but on three different occasions. Gawain does not give the green girdle to the Green Knight thus proving him to be un-loyal. Even though Gawain exchanges the three kisses with Bertilak, he doesn't tell Bertilak who the kisses came from. Fernández argues that, "The medieval hero may overcome the temptation, but not without making a mistake or wrong decision and therefore receiving some form of punishment." This proves that Gawain was capable to make some type of mistake. He overcame the temptation of the wife trying to sleep with him but he also made the mistake of letting her kiss him. Although Gawain was considered “the most courteous of all” he still makes mistakes. . He does show his loyalty and bravery by fulfilling his vow to the Green Knight by allowing him to strike him in the neck. Although he was scared, he kept his