Devotion to a Weak Chivalrous Code

Every young boy dreams of riding his steed to rescue the princess from the dragon. Every girl searches for her “Knight in shining armor”. The knights of the Renaissance period receive a positive connotation even today. When looking back through history it reveals the defining traits of each time period. King Arthur’s court is recognized for its innate sense of chivalry. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines chivalry as “The spirit or character of the ideal knight”. In the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Pearl Poet reveals the knights devotion to chivalry and its true weaknesses.

King Arthur’s court had an inordinate reputation for the most chivalrous knights. The traits these knights must have upheld are friendship, piety, generously, chastity, and courtesy. They were well respected and revered throughout the kingdom. During this time, knights trailed closely behind kings when it came to the respect and obedience of the people. This was clearly displayed later in the book when Sir Gawain was cordially welcomed into the lord’s castle. “You are welcome to use as you wish everything here. All is yours to have and to hold to your heart’s content” (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, 2006, pg. 28). Every occasion possible, the knights would get together to celebrate and recall their past victories which would be shared with the captive audience. During their New Year’s celebration, the Green Knight interrupted and proposed a game, not to be refused, yet would almost certainly end in death. Fear ruled the other knights until King Arthur, the boldest in the room, volunteered. Sir Gawain’s true character was displayed in the moment when he stood up and took his place and secured Arthur...

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...d been hasty, I could have perhaps have dealt you a more serious blow[…]”(Sir Gawain..., 2006, pg. 73) The reason behind this whole “game” was to test Sir Gawain and his devotion to the Chivalrous Code by which he followed. Gawain’s otherwise high morals and common sense were seemingly overruled by the fear of death. Fear trumps everything in the book, revealing the Achilles heel of the code.

In Conclusion, the whole reason for this one large game was to uncover the weakness of chivalry. In this, the book indirectly attacks chivalry and apposed the usual praise received by the knights. The code, by which every knight of the renaissance era lived, was penetrable by the simple fear of death. All up to that point a knight would hold whole-heartedly to the code, but at the point where his life was at stake, the knight would weigh his life heavier than his reputation.