Examples Of Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, King Arthur’s court is the epitome of chivalry within its own secluded walls. The code of chivalry to which the knights adhere to included many virtues like mercy, courage, valour, fairness, protection for the weak, a loyalty to their lord, willingness to give up their life for another and the widely known courtly love. In the outside world when faced with opposing ideals and trials this code of chivalry is quickly forgotten or rather ignored. Looking at Sir Gawain in his travels shows how the behavior that was so prized and common in the court, is not used or shown on his journey to find the Green Knight. Even though he had the pentangle on his shield as a reminder of the behavior he should exhibit†¦show more content†¦While still at the court a year later when he had to find the Green Knight to receive the same strike he gave to the knight, which so happened to be a killing blow. He could have stayed in the hall, but he felt a ne ed to follow the code so he set out into the land to find the Knight as he said he would. Although it would have been a poor choice in the eyes of a knight if he hadn’t gone, as he would have to keep his word to prove his courage and bravery. For his journey to meet the Green Knight, Gawain has the symbol of the pentangle to remind him of the five virtues he holds so highly and to exhibit them along the way. When he couldn’t find some place to attend Christmas mass he prays to the Virgin Mary in hopes of finding a place and he is rewarded for his action as that is when he is taken to Lord Bertilak’s castle. This however was not the case for him the entire journey as there were multiple times he strayed from them. The major times he strayed from the code was when he was a guest in Bertilak’s castle. The host put his wife up to seducing Gawain for the game he had proposed to the knight. Where the courtly behavior between the two was a facade as they were both lying to one another in a sense. The Lady of the castle never told that her husband put her up to it and Gawain would feign sleep and keep his true thoughts to himself. Although he still refuses the Lady in a chivalrous manner which can be seen as the ideal behaviorShow MoreRelatedChivalry Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight904 Words   |  4 PagesChivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight There are many great movies, like â€Å"300† or â€Å"Saving Private Ryan,† that are told with the classic chivalry elements that were known to describe the noble knights from hundreds of years ago. Much like the courageous soldiers in these movies, Sir Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, faced many conflicts that might have questioned his moral code of nobleness. 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