Theme Of Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a Middle English verse romance set in Arthurian times, is a widely discussed and popular piece in the modern examination of medieval literature. The author is unknown; however, it is often credited to the same author as Pearl, Patience, and Cleanness, all poems found in the same manuscript as Sir Gawain, the only remaining copy of the original poem (Stanbury). Perhaps more important in the analysis of the poem than author, whose anonymity was not uncommon for the period, is the social context in which it was written. 14th century England, a time of religious and political unrest, witnessed the birth of alliterative literature, containing the common themes of Christianity, romance, and chivalry. Chivalry, a widely accepted and integral cultural concept in the 1300-1400s, is heavily discussed throughout the poem. Chivalry is defined as “the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, namely courage, honour, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak” (Oxford Dictionary). When further examined, chivalry can be broken down into separate parts, or series of ideals: loyalty, courage, Christianity, and …show more content…
Common is the idea of knights being perfect, almost godlike in their implementation of the chivalric code to everyday life. The author of Sir Gawain gives off a different perspective of the code: that of mortality and human error. The argument is therefore presented that chivalry in its ideal form is unattainable, an ideology replete with conflicting messages and values; a problem often solved through simply appearing to be chivalrous. As Gawain is tested on each component of chivalric code, his humanity becomes more apparent, and as these components begin to merge, it becomes clear that chivalry in its application has its own flaws as well, flaws that Gawain is unsure how to cope
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