Chivalry and Courtly Love
Certain words and phrases are able to conjure up entire scenes, images of a time long past. So too is it with the term “Middle Ages.” Immediately upon hearing such a phrase, the individual’s mental picture of the times is brought to the forefront, but not the Middle Ages as they were, but as they have been romanticized to be. The phrase conjures up pictures of castles, of fiefdoms, peasant villages, kings and queens, lords and ladies, dancing, merriment, great feasts, jousting, and, of course, the chivalric code and the concept of courtly love. These last two, these ideals, were long ago recorded in written histories and in written tales, allowing the concepts to propagate throughout the ages, trickling down through
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literature such as the tale of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The themes of courtly love and of chivalry are embodied throughout the work, with the work itself used as a means of teaching others how they should behave, emulating the popular stories of the time in which it was first written. To first understand how this story embodies the themes of chivalry and courtly love, it is necessary for the reader to have a working knowledge of those two concepts. The concept of courtly love was originally set down to paper by Andreas Capellanus of France in the 12th century; “The ‘courtly love’ relationship is modeled on the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege lord. The knight serves his courtly lady with the same obedience and loyalty which he owes to his liege lord…the lady inspires him to do great deeds in order to be worthy of her love… ‘courtly love’ was originally construed as an ennobling force, whether or not it was consummated” (Schwartz, 1). It has been hypothesized by social historians that the rationalization for the creation of the concept of courtly love was to serve as a behavior model for younger knights who were not yet married and for those who looked up to the knights themselves. In so doing, a socially acceptable method of acting on the impulses of all teenagers and young adults was provided. It is likewise important to note “The ‘courtly love’ relationship typically was not between husband and wife…because it was an idealized sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of “real life” medieval marriages” due to the fact that arranged marriages were the standard at the time. The code of chivalry, likewise first described in the 12th century, was originally defined in “The Song of Roland,” written at some point between 1098 and 1100, in which the knights, their deeds, and the battles fought under Emperor Charlemagne were described. “A knight was expected to have not only the strength and skills to face combat in the violent Middle Ages, but was also expected to temper this aggressive side of a knight with a chivalrous side to his nature. There was not an authentic Knights’ Code of Chivalry as such – it was a moral system which went beyond rules of combat and introduced the concept of chivalrous conduct – qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women” (Alchin, 1). These two themes are woven throughout the works that survive from the Middle Ages, though the most popular of these examples are those from Arthurian legend, as in the case of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Examples of chivalry on the part of Gawain are replete throughout the tale, and the one instance in which Gawain deviates from the code of chivalry, retribution is swift, and punishment is meted out within a day of Gawain stepping outside of the code, granted to him in short order by the Green Knight.
“The code of chivalry requires knights to “live by honour and for glory” and Gawain, in keeping the girdle from the lady of the castle, failing to give just measure and return it to his host, in spite of the fact that it was presented as a luck token, failed to uphold his bargain with the lord of the castle; as such, the next day, at the appointed time wherein he was to meet the Green Knight in the Green Chapel, the Knight measures out justice to Gawain for failing to keep his promise. Gawain is shamed, knowing he has broken the code, and while the Green Knight forgives him, Gawain states that “but as for thy girdle, that will I take with good will, not for gain of the gold, nor for samite, nor silk, nor the costly pendants, neither for weal nor for worship, but in sign of my frailty. I shall look upon it when I ride in renown and remind myself of the fault and faintness of the flesh; and so when pride uplifts me for prowess of arms, the sight of this lace shall humble …show more content…
my heart” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” 1). In this, the code becomes satisfied, for Gawain “hadst made such free confession of thy (his) misdeeds, and hast so borne the penance of mine (the Green Knight’s) axe edge, that I (the Green Knight) hold thee (Sir Gawain) absolved from that sin, and purged as clean as if thou hadst never sinned since thou wast born” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” 1). Furthermore, the code dictates that knights must “at all times speak the truth,” a portion of the code fulfilled when Gawain, upon returning to Arthur’s court, informs Arthur of his failing and his desire to always wear the girdle and Arthur calls for all knights of the round to wear a green sash like Gawain in keeping with the rationalization behind the desire to continue to wear the garment as a reminder of that failure. Many examples of courtly love reside within the tale of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” though it is perhaps the third passage of the tale that contains the greatest amount of examples in the smallest space.
During his quest for the Green Knight and the location of the Green Chapel, Gawain comes upon the keep of Bertilak of Hautdesert. Seeking lodging there, and information regarding the completion of his quest, Gawain comes to an agreement with Bertilak, stating that he will grant Bertilak all that he wins while inside of the keep’s walls, and Bertilak will grant Gawain all items that he wins while outside of the walls. Each day Bertilak leaves hunting for game, and, unbeknownst to Gawain, Bertilak has set his wife to the task of trying to tempt Gawain. Alas, due to his upbringing in the ways of courtly love, no matter what temptation she places in front of Gawain, he turns it down. Perhaps one of the most succinct examples of courtly love present within the tale is Gawain’s response to the temptations of Bertilak’s wife, wherein he states, “Madam…may Mary requite ye, for in good faith I have found in ye a noble frankess. Much courtesy have other folk shown me, but the honour they have done me is naught to the worship of yourself, who knoweth but good” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” 1). In response, in keeping with the ideals of courtly love, she replies, “By Mary, I think otherwise; for were I worth all the women alive, and had I the wealth of the world in my
hand, and might choose me a lord to my liking, then, for all that I have seen in ye, Sir Knight, of beauty and courtesy and blithe semblance, and for all that I have hearkened and hold for true, there should be no knight on earth to be chosen before ye!” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” 1). In this, Bertilak’s wife praises Gawain for having all of the virtues that a knight and a man of his stature should possess, placing chaste kisses upon his person, indicating that, in keeping with the rules of courtly love, as long as the appropriate practices are put in place, marriage is not a deterrent to flirtatious behaviors and that the only characteristic that an individual should possess to be worthy of love is a solidness of character. The themes of courtly love and chivalry will always hold a place dear to the reader’s heart, for they are practices that have long gone by the wayside, though they embody all of the idealism that many still yearn for. While there are other themes present in the work that is “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” perhaps none are so dear or so necessary to the collective imagination as the concepts of courtly love and chivalrous behavior. Works Cited Anonymous. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight | Robbins Library Digital Projects." Sir Gawain and the Green Knight | Robbins Library Digital Projects. Rochester University, 1898. Web. 29 June 2015. . Alchin, L. K. "Knights Code of Chivalry." Middle Ages. 2006. Web. 29 June 2015. . Schwartz, Debra. "Backgrounds to Romance: Courtly Love." Cal Poly CLA - College of Liberal Arts. California Polytechnic State University, 2002. Web. 29 June 2015. . Wheeler, L. Kip. "Rules of Courtly Love." Rules of Courtly Love. Carson-Newman College, 2011. Web. 29 June 2015. .
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain shows qualities of a chivalrous knight. He demonstrates that by showing generosity, courtesy, and loyalty during his travels. A mysterious knight shows up at the king’s castle and calls himself the Green Knight. The Green Knight then challenges one to play a game which he challenges the king to strike him with his axe if he will take a return hit in a year and a day. Sir Gawain steps forward to accept the challenge for his uncle King Arthur when nobody else in the castle would. He took the King’s role in the game to protect him from the Green Knight. He must learn to accept his responsibility as a knight, in accepting his fate.He demonstrates goodness at the hand of the Green Knight. He shows courage by accepting what is to come upon him during his voyage. His journey to find the Green Knight is filled with temptations.In the conversation with him and the “Lady”, Sir Gawain showed a Chivalrous code by keeping his loyalty to the king by not kissing his wife. The lady states “if I should exchange at my cho...
In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Poet Pearl, Sir Gawain, knight of the Round Table, acts chivalrously, yet his intents are insincere and selfish. It is the advent season in Middle Age Camelot, ruled by King Arthur when Poet Pearl begins the story. In this era citizens valued morals and expected them to be demonstrated, especially by the highly respected Knights of the Round Table. As one of Arthur’s knights, Sir Gawain commits to behaving perfectly chivalrous; however, Gawain falls short of this promise. Yes, he acts properly, but he is not genuine. The way one behaves is not enough to categorize him as moral; one must also be sincere in thought. Gawain desires to be valued as
Despite being a knight, Sir Gawain sinned. He was greedy. He accepted a woman’s girdle because it would literally save his neck in the covenant he had with the Green Giant. The woman’s girdle was magical and saved people from every thrust or strike they would endure. Sir Gawain learned his lesson through all the guilt he feels when he was caught. Moreover, when Sir Gawain says, “Dread of the death blow and cowardly doubts meant I gave into greed, and in doing so forgot the freedom and fidelity every knight knows to follow,” (“Sir Gawain” 235). Even though Sir Gawain was a noble knight he still sinned against the knightly code and also against the Ten Commandments.
He observes the progress of one’s journey and listens to people’s prayers. Similarly, the Green Knight secretly watches Sir Gawain through a disguise – Lord Bertilak. By disguising himself, the Green Knight could continue to test Sir Gawain’s faith by initiating another agreement. Unaware of the Green Knight’s presence, Sir Gawain is continually examined to discover the truth to his fidelity. Initially, Sir Gawain faces stressful and challenging experiences along his trek to the Green Chapel. Alone and enveloped by harsh winter’s cold, he “prays for God’s grace to save him” (Champion 418). Luckily, Sir Gawain’s prayers are heard when he uncovered Lord Bertilak’s castle amongst the woods. By humbly inviting Sir Gawain into the castle, pleas for safety and shelter from harsh conditions are answered, a depiction of God’s (the Green Knight’s) grace. Nonetheless, Sir Gawain’s hardships do not cease, but in fact, they continue to fall and weigh upon his shoulders. Once again, Sir Gawain partakes in another agreement, involving the exchanging of winnings. Human faith is yet again being tested, and once more fails to succeed. The affection of Lady Bertilak is arranged by the Green Knight himself as another test; however, Sir Gawain “fell short a little . . . and lacked fidelity” (Winny 4.2366). Fear of death encourages Sir Gawain to submit to greed. In order to continue living, he wears the Green Knight’s
But in the end he conceals the green girdle that the Bertilak’s wife gives him from him, revealing that despite Gawain’s bravery, he values his own life more than his trustworthiness. When he finally reencounters the Green Knight, he realizes the problematic nature of courtly chivalric ideals. During this, Gawain confesses his fault, of hiding the girdle, to the Green Knight and pleads to be forgiven. Afterwards, he chooses to wear the girdle as a symbol of his mistake. He cannot accept his sin and free himself of it the same way the Green Knight had and he continues to do penance by wearing the girdle for the remainder of his life.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain humbly approaches the King and courageously says, “For I find it not fit… when such a boon is begged… though you be tempted… to take in on yourself while so bold men about upon benches sit” (122-125) “And for that this folly befits a king, and ‘tis I that have asked it, it ought to be mine” (132-133). He, the weakest Knight, sees the injustice of someone challenging the King and instead of acting passively he willingly sacrifices himself for the King’s sake, which shows his loyalty, courage and integrity. However, Sir Gawain becomes a hypocrite even though the Green Knight says, “Friend mine, it seems your word holds good” (333-334) because the Green Knight’s wife “made trial of a man most faultless by far” (452) and he did not remain loyal and honest. The opportunity of remaining secure and safe presents itself and selfishly he chooses this course of action; consequently, he “lacked… a little in loyalty there” (456). In the end, the Green Knight reprimands him for his dishonesty and lack of integrity and in return Sir Gawain, shamefully responds “I confess, knight, in this place, most dire is my misdeed; let me gain back your good grace…” (Line 474-476) so even though he was not noble and loyal throughout the entire course he remains sincere in his apology. His loyalty to the King in the
The Art of Courtly Love, Consolation of Philosophy, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Yet, Gawain did err in accepting the girdle; that much cannot be denied. We, the reader, can forgive him since he repents fully, even going so far as to impose penance (of wearing the girdle eternally as a mark of his fall) on himself. It takes a mild rebuke by the Green Knight to crack Gawain’s façade of confident valor. His conscience compels him to break down when confronted by his host as to his indiscretion. However, this happened only when the host had revealed himself to be the same as the Green Knight. We realize that Gawain had previously perceived in Sir Bertilak an equal in knighthood; thus his ease in deceiving him in the exchange of winnings game. When Gawain realizes he was the subject of a test, he sees Bertilak/Green Knight in a different light. The Green Knight now becomes Gawain’s confessor and in doing so assumes a fatherly role.
The lord planned to go hunting and invited Sir Gawain to eschange what he recieved in the castle for what the Lord recieved in the woods. For the first two days, the Lord gave Sir gawain venision, bear and a goose. And for every day, Sir Gawain recieved kisses from the Lady, so in return he must kiss the Lord. But on the third day, Sir Gawainj recieved three kisses and a green silk gridle. This gridle was magical according to the Lady. She said ""My knight, you must face many foes. This is a magic girdle; it has the power to protect whoever wears it against any weapon." Sir Gawains desire to live was overpowering so he accepted the gift. He failed to give the Lord this gift, but instead he gave him three kisses. Days passed and eventually Sir Gawain had to face the Green Knight. As scared as Sir Gawain was, he was determined to commit to his word so he allowed the Green Knight to swing his axe with the intent to decapitate him. Oddly enough, the Knight swung his axe three times and only cut Sir Gawains neck slightly.
Gawain’s acceptance of Lady Bertilak’s girdle causes him to progressively lose himself internally in order to save his physical life. Gawain appears to be the perfect image of a knight, who exhibits himself as worthy and noble when he accepts the Green Knight’s challenge. Known to be “honored all over the world,” his remarkable valor and devout behavior define his character. He loses his honorable reputation, though, when he disrespects the honor of King Bertilak. Disgracing his knightly code, Gawain fails to exchange all of his gifts with the king and lies, without hesitation, to the king when he claims that “what [he] owed [King Bertilak] [he has] paid [King Bertilak]” (1941). Gawain directly lies to him without hesitation, proving that his conscience does not seem to be effecting his actions. Lying is a common action, but generally, it causes us to feel remorseful and guilty over our wrongs. Gawain breaks the code of chivalry that requires a knight to be loyal and honest, but he is not regretful due to his apparent selfish nature (“Code of Chivalry, 2 and 15”). He makes a deal with the king to “[trade] profit for profit,” yet he dishonestly “[hides] [Lady Bertilak’s] love gift” rather than honoring the king’s wishes (1677, 1874). Gawain makes a promise that he fails to fulfill. The girdle drives him to destruction because it pulls him away from what he knows to be good and
The fact that he is willing to hold to his stated word is evidence enough that he has good ethics. After Gawain accepts the challenge of the Green Knight he promises to let the Knight perform the challenge to himself. Gawain also has respect for women and their wishes. Gawain’s respect is indicated by the immediate response of Gawain to kiss the lady of the castle after she comes in to greet Gawain for the first time. Gawain’s action stems from the lady’s statement, "So true a knight as Gawain is holden, and one so perfect in courtesy, would never have tarried so long with a lady but he would of his courtesy have craved a kiss at parting." The meaning of this quotation is if this man in the bed were truly the noble knight Sir Gawain, he would not have taken as long as he did to kiss the master of the castle’s wife. A few other examples from the ethics of Sir Gawain are the three promises or instances of gift exchanges with the lord of the castle. For the most part, Gawain holds to his word and gives to the castle lord that which he, Gawain, had received each day. The one instance that he breaks his code of ethics occurs when he exchanges the third gift of three kisses with the host, when in all actuality he had been given a girdle by the lady of the castle to aid him in his encounter with the Green
Courtly love was a secret love or romance between the first knight and the king’s lady that would usually begin with something as small as an exchange of looks through eye glances. Next, a declaration is then discussed by both parties to pursue a relationship under the table from their king or anyone else in the castle. “Gawain glanced at the gracious looking woman …Gawain and the beautiful woman found such comfort and closeness in each other company (line 970,1010)”. Sir Gawain had courted Guinevere while he was at kings Arthurs castle but being here in Bertilak’s Castle he now found a much more stunning lady superior to Guinevere, Lady Bertilak. He had really fallen in love with lady Bertilak at first glance and Lady Bertilak was in love with his heroicness. Moreover, the relationship was established, Sir Gawain was to love her and be obedient to all of her commands as well as to always be polite, courteous and to never exceed the desires of the lover. At one point of the story, Lady Bertilak goes to Sir Gawain’s room in the morning while her husband is away and everyone is sleep because she desires to be with him, “I shall kiss at your command ...should it please you, so press me no more (line 1303). Abiding by the rules of courtly love Sir Gawain is to be a good knight and do as she pleases but
The symbolism of the girdle in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight changes and grows as the poem progresses, adding Gawain's honor and sin to seemingly separate ideas of an untamed nature related to the otherworld and animal instincts. Piotr Sadowski, in his The Knight on His Quest: Symbolic Patterns of Transition in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, calls the girdle a symbol of “complex moral truth” that the other knights of the Round Table fail to learn from, as Gawain does. While I agree that the girdle's most important function is the message it conveys about morality as it pertains to courtly behavior, I argue that the moral ideal the girdle sets is not higher than the knights achieve, but rather is balanced between humanity and the godliness Gawain strives for – that is, the moral standard by which these knights should abide does not call for absolute purity, like their chivalric codes do, but allows for the minor sins that humans fall into by their very nature. By combining knightly honor, Gawain's sins, and the Green Knight's Otherworldliness in one symbol, a moral truth contrary to Sadowski's strict, traditional chivalry emerges that embraces humanity and nature, rather than rejecting them entirely in favor of godly ideals. When Bertilak's wife first presents the girdle to Gawain, it is described simply as being of green silk and gold trim, which should instantly remind the reader of the description of the Green Knight when he enters Arthur's court.
When he meets the Green Knight in the Green Chapel, the Green Knight only distributes a small nick in Gawain 's neck with his axe. He does this because Gawain completes all of the challenges that were faced before him with honor and honesty, except when he accepted the girdle from the wife of the castle. Sir Gawain is disappointed in himself, even though to the Green Knight, Gawain passed all of the tests with flying colors. Gawain even goes as far as to say "Now I am false and unworthy, and have always dreaded treachery and deceit: may misfortune and grief befall both!" (2384-2384). Gawain has no pride in anything he has done throughout the tests from the Green Knight. The Green Knight makes him take the girdle back to Camelot as a symbol of how well he did, even though Gawain does not see it as that. He heads back to Camelot with only a nick in his neck and the green girdle. Everyone of the castle sees the nick in his neck and the girdle and congratulates him. They all respect him for what he has done. However, Gawain wants no praise whatsoever from his peers. He is extremely humble about the situation and does not boast at all because to him the scar on his neck and the girdle represent his failure in completing all of the tasks perfectly. The people of Camelot are so proud of Gawain and all start wearing green girdles in honor of Gawain 's brave act. Gawain stays humble throughout all of
In the early fourteenth century, knighthood represented respect and success for brave young men, and chivalry’s codes were necessary for those young men to uphold. In the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the author constructs the young Sir Gawain by testing his character. These trials, given by the Green Knight, challenge Sir Gawain 's loyalty and bravery to people’s astonishment Sir Gawain 's achievement is muddled. During the test he breaks his promise and takes away the green girdle that he supposes to exchange with Bertilak just likes his bargain.