Sandy James

June 4, 2010
Dr. Eaton
Upholding the Codes

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a novel based on the journey of Sir Gawain a
great knight in the King Arthurs court. It is Christmas time and the whole town has
gathered for celebrating and feasting. While everyone is celebrating, King Arthur decides
to play a game. He will not eat until he hears a story or seen a fight. While King Arthur
waits a mysterious Green Knight enters. The Green Knight challenges King Arthur’s
court to a game. The game rules are that someone strikes him with his axe and he gets to
return the blow in a year and a day from that day. Sir Gawain takes the challenge. He
strikes the Green Knight causing his head to fall off. The Knight picks up his head and
reminds Sir Gawain of the rules and rides off.
Sir Gawain being a knight has to adhere to the codes of chivalry. During Sir
Gawain’s quest for the Green Knight he does not hold up the codes of chivalry. He
dishonest, he neglected the concept of courtly love, and honorable.
Sir Gawain showed traits of being dishonest while resting at the lord’s castle. The
lord made an agreement that he and his knight would go hunting while Sir Gawain lays in
bed and at the end of the day they would exchange gifts. The first day the lord brings
back a large amount of deer meat and Sir Gawain exchanges him with a kiss that he
received from Lady Bertilak, whom is the lord’s wife, that day. The lord ask where he
gotten such gifts and Sir Gawain does not tell him. The next day the lord presents him
with a boar’s head that he wrestled down. Sir Gawain exchanges him with a two kisses
from Lady Bertilak. The third day the lord gives him a fox ion return for his exchanges.
Sir Gawain gives him three kisses but, that is not all that Sir Gawain received that day.
He also received a green girdle from Lady Bertilak. The girdle is said to have magical
powers that will keep whoever wears it from death. Sir Gawain was not entirely honest
with the lord thus breaking a code of chivalry.
The concept of courtly love must be upheld by all knights as well. Courtly Love
basically means that the knight must adhere to any instruction given the women that he is
in courtship with. Sir Gawain denies Lady Bertilak many times throughout his visit.
During their first interaction the Lady offers her body to use at Sir Gawain discretion but
he refuses. On the third day the Lady tries to offer Gawain a love token which he refuses.
Lady Bertilak then offers him gifts. Gawain refuses to take the first gift, a ring. In the
codes of Courtly Love the male is to never refuse the women of anything.
Another code of chivalry is to be honorable. Although, throughout most of the
story Sir Gawain seems to uphold this trait he losses all honor within him. He went
against God, his country, and his lord. He feels that he brings God dishonor by taking
advances from Lady Bertilak who is married. The lord was so gracious by letting Sir
Gawain who is a stranger to stay in his home. He feeds him and treats as royalty. But in
return for the lord’s kindness, Sir Gawain kisses his wife three times. He shows dishonor
to his country by not fighting the Green Knight fairly. The green girdle that Lady Bertilak
gives him protects him from dying. A noble and honest knight would always fight and die
with honor fairly. The green girdle was cheating. The last dishonor was to his lord. While
out Sir Gawain was representing King Arthur. If King Arthur would have seen Gawain
breaking so many codes of chivalry he would have been out to shame. A knight never
disobeys the codes of chivalry no matte how tough the situation may be. Although, Sir
Gawain was a good knight and probably did the best that anyone would do under those
circumstances he still went against the codes of chivalry.