The Law of Chevalrie: Courtly Love

Introduction:

In an era of frequent violence between knights and kingdoms, there had to be an order for which the sword-wielders could follow so that there would not be uncontrollable bloodshed. In order for there to be a set of laws established for the knights of the Anglo-Saxon era, the law of chevalrie was created. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has some insight into the rules of chivalry concerning one specifically: courtly love. The rules of “courtly love” require wit and deceit with an intention of good behind it. The chivalric rules in this aspect require a good and clever battle with words rather than swords.

Key Passage:

Smiling gently and courteously they made playful speech,

So that all that passed between them was happiness, joy, and delight.

Gracious words they spoke,

And pleasure reached its height.

Great peril threated should

Mary not mind her knight.

For that noble lady so constantly pressed,

Pushed him so close to the verge, that either he must

Take her love there and then or churlishly reject it.

He felt concerned for good manners lest he behaved like a boor,

And still more lest he shame himself by an act of sin,

And treacherously betray the lord of the castle.” With smothe smylyng and smolt thay smeten into merthe,

That al watz blis and bonchef that breke hem bitwene, And wynne.

Thay lanced words gode,

Much wele then watz therinne;

Gret perile bitwene hem stod,

Nif Mare of hir knight mynne.

Fo that prynces of pris depressed hym so thikke,

Nurned hym so neghe the thred, that need hym bihoved

Other lach ther hir luf other lodly refuse.

He cared for his cortaysye, lest crathayn he were,

And more for his meschef yif he schulde make synne,

And be traytor to that tolke that that telde aght.

(1763-1775)

Analysis:...

... middle of paper ...

...nia, 2009. Print.

Keen, Maurice. Chivalry. New Haven: Yale UP, 1984. Print.

Warner, Lawrence. "Mary, Unmindful of Her Knight: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Traditions of Sexual Hospitality." Studies in the Age of Chaucer 35.1 (2013): 263-87. Print.

“meschef.” Def. 3. The Anglo-Norman Dictionary. Aberystwyth University and

Swansea University, funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom, 2006. Web. Accessed 21 April 2014.

“cortaysye.” Def. 1. The Anglo-Norman Dictionary. Aberystwyth University and

Swansea University, funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom, 2006. Web. Accessed 21 April 2014.

“pris.” Def. 1, 2, 3. The Anglo-Norman Dictionary. Aberystwyth University and

Swansea University, funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom, 2006. Web. Accessed 21 April 2014.