Chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Explained

Introduction

In the medieval world, chivalry was a code of conduct—a principle of behavior—expected of courteous knights, as endlessly expressed by one of the most famous literary knights of all time, Don Quixote. In the medieval story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, chivalry takes center stage in the action, as the plot essentially pivots on what it means to be chivalrous and how chivalry should be embodied. Sir Gawain undergoes a moral test; the Green Knight is a kind of mythical, mystical judge who puts him through the test; and at the end of it, Sir Gawain emerges humbled and conscious of his shortcomings. The tale is a moral one, and this paper will examine how the medieval concept of chivalry is applied in the story and what it means for Sir Gawain personally after he realizes the fullness of his behavior and all its ramifications.

Chivalry and the Knight

Chivalry stemmed from the Christian ethic prominent in the medieval era: it was based on the idea that men and women had precise duties in life, and that, as a man, one had to demonstrate courage, courtesy, honor, and strength to be chivalric. A knight, who was dedicated to serving a king, had to use arms in that service—and so the use of force became part of the concept of chivalry: "As a code of honour, chivalry had as much investment in knightly autonomy and heroic violence as in any forms of restraint, either internal or external." Chivalry created an atmosphere and environment in which one could be compelled in two opposite directions at once: a knight might boast in his chivalry and become full of pride through demonstrations of valor; on the other hand, chivalry could impose upon the knight certain constraints that would induce him to behave morally. The story of Sir Gawain is a story in which a boastful knight is taught a lesson about what it means to have modesty—a disposition much expected of a chivalrous person in the medieval age.

Aside from its association with manly violence, chivalry was also associated with courtesy. A courteous knight was one who respected the persons of others, particularly of ladies. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the idea of courtesy is linked to the concept of Christian virtue. Faith, modesty, courage, perseverance, honesty—all of these qualities are aspects of chivalry and are touched upon by Sir Gawain during his test, which essentially turns him from the proud, boastful knight at the beginning of the story into a kind of pupil of the Green Knight. After all, it is the Green Knight who tests Sir Gawain three times within his castle, though Sir Gawain is ignorant of the identity of his host. Gawain's test concludes not with a beheading, as agreed upon at the beginning of the story, but instead with a gentle reminder of what chivalry means—that is, how a knight should conduct himself: with honor, integrity, honesty, courtesy, and modesty.

The ending of the story is also one in which violence is not imposed: the violent rush comes at the story's opening; the ending displaces violence with mercy. Sir Gawain's lesson is tied to the idea that chivalry also extends to mercy and should reflect the Christian concept of charity whenever possible. This lesson is emphasized in the nick on the neck that Gawain receives from the Green Knight—it serves as a slight reminder of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross and His blood shed for the sins of mankind. Gawain's sin, his failure to hand over to his host everything given to him by his hostess, is thus punished with a reminder that his sins have been atoned for by God, but that he himself must conduct himself with greater moral care in the future.

Sir Gawain's lesson is an important one—but it is also one to which he himself has committed. His own shield stands as a message to others that he will be mindful of the duties he owes to the world as a knight. His shield represents the ideals he is meant to profess, and so it is worth considering the symbolism of Gawain's shield to better understand what exactly the knight is meant to represent.