Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Chivalry Essay

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an adroitly expressed fourteenth century Arthurian poem in Middle English. The nature of the adventure is guided by explicit codes of conduct. Primarily, the code chivalry plays a significant role in the actions and behavior of Sir Gawain and supplementary characters throughout the poem. Chivalry is defined as the medieval knightly system with its religious social code. Values of English chivalry develop from the Christian concept: morality. This biblical theme promotes ethical beliefs of human interaction. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has abstract ideas as it contains a story of a journey of romance. Although it may not seem like a Christian text by modern standards, morality plays a big role at the heart

of this tale and ultimately gives it Christian elements.
Sir Gawain is an honest, ethical character who finds the need to protect his honor.

“…Sir Gawain… was… a full gallant knight.” (Sir Gawain). As a knight he is expected to fulfil abounding obligations. This “perfect” knight has divided loyalties that rest in showing impeccable Christian chivalry, but be unconditionally courteous to ladies especially. He also should consistently be faithful to his word yet, be completely uncompromising in action (Sir Gawain; pg. xiii). Sir Gawain has eminence as "the man to whom all excellence and valour belongs / Whose refined manners are everywhere praised" (Sir Gawain; lines 911-912). Particularly, he is a tremendous knight as well as a master of courtoisie,

courtliness.
Sir Gawain’s strict knightly conduct consists of two major codes that he is required to respect. The codes of conduct and courtesy appear to clash when Lady Bertilak tries to seduce Gawain. So then he is forced to come up with a way to avoid becoming romantically involved with her without risking dishonoring Bertilak, her husband whom to he owes knightly respect. Gawain struggles with these Christian virtues and is challenged to serve these codes of conduct within himself.
The ideals of Christian morality and knightly chivalry are brought together in Gawain’s symbolic shield. When the narrator describes the pentangle, the five sides represents the five virtues of knights: “Generosity and sympathy / chastity and courtesy / and above all compassion” (Sir Gawain; lines 652-654). Gawain’s obligation to these virtues is tried throughout the romantic poem. Gawain’s sheild alludes to: faith in the five wounds of Christ and the five joys of Mary, faultlessness in the use of his five fingers and his five wits, and his adherence to five particular virtues.
In the first two Parts of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is the epitome of virtuous. However, in Part 3, he harbors the magical green girdle given to him by his host’s wife. This acknowledges that Gawain values his own life over his knightly honesty. Ultimately Gawain confesses his sin to the knight, begging to be pardoned. Soon after, he voluntarily wears the girdle, symbolizing his sin. Gawain repents of his sin in an honorable way and due to that his one indiscretion in actuality becomes a portrayal of his goodness and morality.
Humility and observance of law are strong Christian elements portrayed in Sir Gawain. Christianity was always an essential element in the ideology of chivalry, the virtue of the soldier was not the same as that of the priest. The nature and degree of Gawain’s fault may be adopted as a sign of worldly honour, of human imperfection. The private desire that includes all others within it, is significant to the chivalric virtues of the pentangle, tested, though they are not found deficient.
On Gawain’s quest for the Green Chapel, he must disregard the codes of chivalry as well as accept that he has an animal nature that requires him to pursue physical comfort as a means to survive.

“‘Our Father, Hail Mary and Creed.’ He prayed as he rode and wept for all his sins. Many times he blessed himself, saying ‘Christ’s Cross be my help!” (Sir Gawain; lines 757-762). Once he prays for help, another recurring Christian Element, he is rewarded by the appearance of a castle. The people who live in Bertilak’s castle teach Gawain about chivalry that is more firmly based in truth and reality than that of Arthur’s court. These people are connected to nature, their way of hunting and the way the servants acknowledge Gawain by kneeling on the “naked earth” (Sir Gawain; lines 818). Averse to courtiers at Camelot, Bertilak’s courtiers joke mannerly about how bountiful their feast is (Sir Gawain; lines

889–890).
Gawain’s loyalty to the code of chivalry is what prevents him from sleeping with the wife of his host. As a result of the encounter with the Green Knight, Gawain comes to understand that he is just a basic natural being who puts his life over his knightly values. Chivalry puts forth valuable ideals, but evidently people must become conscious of their own mortality. Gawain’s experiences throughout the tale teach him that even if he is the most chivalrous knight in all the land, he is human and with being human imperfection is inevitable.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains reiterations of Gawain’s deepest fears. His wanting to maintain personal integrity costs him the ability to conquer these fears in his quest for the Green Knight. His embarrassment about having acquired the girdle of Bertilak’s wife forces him to suppress this information from his host. This omission of the truth violates the rules and spirit of the terms of the game tarnishing the embodiment of Sir Gawain’s character. In the end, Sir Gawain is wounded for the omission of the truth. Though he was prevented from death, this injury is intended to fortify the significance of his honesty.
Nature is conferred all through the story as rugged and aloof, continuously impending the order of men and courtly life. Symbolically and through the inner nature of humanity, nature has proven to disrupt order in significant events in the poem. This element presents itself first with the disruption caused by the Green Knight, when Gawain needs to fight off his natural lust for his host’s wife, and also when Gawain breaks his vow to Bertilak by deciding to keep the green girdle. Gawain values survival over virtue. The sin-stained girdle represents nature as an elemental force, always within man and keeping him “imperfect”. Symbols are constantly used in Christianity. Throughout the bible there are little reminders of sins compromises of the laws of God. The green belt has significance in the fact that it portrays a symbol of his sins. This can be correlated to Christianity, the cross is seen as a sign of our sins in which Jesus died for. In this perspective, Gawain is part of a much bigger conflict of nature and chivalry, an observation of the ability of man's order to overthrow the chaos that can come from nature.
In further interpretation, the poem critiques Christian elements of the time embodied in the Christian chivalry of Arthur's court. Christianity had cut itself off from the sources of life in nature and the female. The symbolization of the green girdle represents all the five pentangle virtues. The Arthurian ideals of the Round Table are virtually unattainable. For the sake of realism, they should recognize the pagan values represented by the Green Knight. At the end of the poem, Gawain exclaims “HONY SOYT QUI MAL PENCE” meaning “Order of the Garder” he mocks the Round Table.
Throughout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain pursues to better his essential nature. Gawain’s prestige is just as important as his self ego. At the end, he insists on wearing the green girdle as a symbol of shame. Sir Gawain considers sins and virtues should both be conspicuous. Though he survives his quest, Gawain emerges at the end of the poem as a humbled man who realizes his own flaws and has to live with the fact that he will never live up to his own high standards. Although it may not seem like a Christian text by modern standards, morality does plays big role at the heart of this tale. This influences actions among the characters and generates events all through the story, ultimately giving the poem Christian elements and making it a Christian text.