Warrior Chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
There are three types of chivalry that exists in the medieval era: warrior chivalry, courtly love chivalry, and religious chivalry. Warrior chivalry contains virtues of mercy, courage, valor, fairness, protection of the weak and the poor, the servant-hood of the knight to his lord, and the willingness to give your life for a poor man or your lord. Courtly love chivalry stresses the importance of serving one’s lady and all other ladies after her. Religious chivalry would have a knight be faithful to God, faithful to the church, protect the innocent, be the champion of good versus evil, and be generous and obey God over his lord. Because the chivalric code has three parts that are in contradiction to each other, since a knight cannot be loyal to his lord, lady, and God if they all want different things, it is impossible to follow the chivalric code to a tee. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, however, is the ideal representation of the warrior chivalry aspect of the chivalric code. Sir Gawain can be seen as the embodiment of that aspect of the chivalric code. The games that the Green Knight challenges Gawain with, even if they are violent in nature, also adhere to that chivalric code. The temptation that Bertilak’s wife imposes on Sir Gawain plays on the courtly love aspect of the chivalric code and Sir Gawain responds accordingly to the seduction of Bertilak’s wife in accordance to the warrior chivalry aspect of the chivalric code. Because of all of these representations of warrior chivalry Sir Gawain and the Green Knight can be seen as the ultimate guidebook of warrior chivalry in its era.
Sir Gawain, the main character of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the embodiment of the chivalric code. Sir Gawain is described as being the perfect knight and is practically infallible. Sir Gawain is described as being “flawless in his five senses” (640). He is perfect in his sense of touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight, and with his perfect senses he is able to experience the world around him to its maximum degree. Because he is able to experience the world to its true potential, he is able to clearly delineate between what is good and bad based on his senses. He is then able to follow the chivalric code with his clear understanding of the world through his perfect senses. Sir Gawain’s “five fingers were never at fault” (641) as well. It seems he is incapable of doing any wrong doing and since his fingers are never at fault, he would always be on the side of good. Sir Gawain is also described as a man of faith: “his faith was founded in the five wounds / Christ received on the cross, as the creed recalls” (642-643). Faith is very important in the religious chivalry aspect of the chivalric code and because Sir Gawain has such a deep faith that his beliefs are steeped in the crucifixion of christ, it goes to show just how faithful he is. Sir Gawain also uses his faith to give him courage in battle. It is said that if he were struggling in skirmish “one thought pulled him through above all other things: / the fortitude he found in the five joys / which Mary had conceived in her son, our Savior” (645-647) and because of that he “had the shaper of her image inside his shield, / so by catching her eye his courage would not crack” (649-650). He uses his faith as a source of courage in order to face the dangers and hardships a knight that follows the warrior chivalry aspect of the chivalric code will face. Finally, Sir Gawain is also known for his “friendship and fraternity with fellow men, / purity and politeness that impressed at all times, / and pity which surpassed all pointedness” (652-654). Sir Gawain is also shown to have gotten along with everyone, be well mannered, and have pity. Because Sir Gawain is a perfect human being, when it comes to his senses, as well as his actions, and has faith, and through that faith, he acquires courage, as well as being a well mannered and virtuous knight, he is the embodiment of the chivalric code.
Not only is he the perfect example of chivalry in his description, but he also displays his chivalry in his actions. In the beginning of the poem the Green Knight challenges King Arthur to the beheading game, but Sir Gawain takes his place instead. Sir Gawain tells King Arthur, “I stake my claim. / This melee must be mine” (341-342). Sir Gawain does the chivalric thing by taking the place of his lord and not allowing his lord to risk his life. He knows that he would, more than likely, die, but he is still willing to give up his life for his lord. Sir Gawain also displays chivalry by abiding by the rules of the game that was put forth by the Green Knight. The Green Knight challenged anyone present to “strike me one stroke and be struck in return” (287) and that “I’ll afford one free hit from which I won’t flinch, / and promise that twelve months will pass in peace, / then claim / the duty I deserve / in one year and one day” (294-299). Since Sir Gawain took the place of King Arthur in the challenge he had to abide by the rules. Sir Gawain chopped off the Green Knight’s head and then found him in a years time and let the Green Knight strike him back. However, before he finds the Green Knight he was given a choice to run away. Sir Gawain’s guide tells him, “for God’s sake travel and alternate track, / ride another road, and be rescued by Christ” (2119-2120). He also tells him that he swears God that “your secret is safe, and not a soul will know / that you fled in fear” (2124-2125). Sir Gawain is given an easy way out of his predicament, but because Sir Gawain is the shining example of chivalry he responds, “if I failed to find him / and were to flee in fear in the fashion you urge, / I’d be christened a coward and could not be excused” (2129-2131). Sir Gawain’s response goes to show that being branded as a coward in this world of chivalry is worse than dying an honorable death. Another instance of Sir Gawain displaying chivalry is by abiding by the rules of the hunting game that was issued by Bertilak to Sir Gawain as he was living in his castle. Bertilak says to Gawain, “let’s make a pact. / Here’s a wager: what I win in the woods will be yours, / and what you gain while I’m gone you will give to me” (1105-1107). Sir Gawain and Bertilak abide by the pact that they had made. Bertilak gives Sir Gawain his spoils from hunting, while Sir Gawain gives Bertilak kisses that he has received from his wife. Although there is an instance that Sir Gawain acted selfishly and un-chivalric. When he decided to keep the green girdle that he had received from Bertilak’s wife instead of giving it to Bertilak, as their agreement would have him do. Aside from this one instance of selfishness, Sir Gawain proves that he abides by the chivalric code through his actions.
It is not only the character of Sir Gawain that represents warrior chivalry, but also the games present in the poem do so as well. The games in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight incorporate mercy, courage, valor, and fairness in the way that they are played. The game that the Green Knight proposes to King Arthur and his court may seem violent and barbaric, but it can still be seen as being chivalrous. In The Cipher of Chivalry: Violence as Courtly Play in the World of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Carl Grey Martin, Martin defends the violent games in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by explaining them in a chivalric sense. Martin begins by saying, “The dominant act of the Middle English romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the grotesque physical breaking and disfigurement of one knight by another” (Martin 311). He goes on to explain how this act of violence goes against the Christmas festivities that are going on during the time of the Green Knight’s challenge. Martin says, “The Green Knight’s proposal to endure a decapitating stroke in return for the chance to deal one himself appears to subvert the tenets of courtly civility and of Christian fellowship” (Martin 311). Then he backs up the knight’s chivalry by saying, “Yet he pursues this contest with a true knight’s obligatory magnanimity and finesse” (Martin 311). I agree with Martin and his idea of violence as courtly play. It kind of goes against each other but they work together so well in this sense. The Green Knight issues the challenge of having someone take an axe to his neck and in a year’s time that person would have to seek out the Green Knight so that the Green Knight can return the blow back. The challenge contains honor and the risk of bodily harm to each person involved, much like any other “games” that knights would play, such as jousting and sword fighting. In fact, in the beginning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Arthur refuses to eat unless he would be entertained by a duel between two knights. So even the extreme act of violence of Sir Gawain lopping of the Green Knight’s head contains a certain chivalric aspect to it.
Warrior chivalry often comes into conflict with courtly love chivalry, as well as self-preservation. Because warrior chivalry is all about doing what your lord commands, it often conflicts with courtly love chivalry when your lord’s wife is making advances at you. Warrior chivalry also goes against self-preservation when you have to give up your life for your lord and for honor when you want to live. An example of courtly love chivalry coming in conflict with warrior chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight would be when Bertilak’s wife makes advances towards Sir Gawain while he is staying in Bertilak’s castle. Bertilak’s wife tells Sir Gawain, “You’re free to have my all, / do with me what you will. / I’ll come just as you call / and swear to serve you well” (1237-1240). Sir Gawain is being conflicted by courtly love chivalry and warrior chivalry. He could respond in the courtly love chivalry way by accepting the advances of Bertilak’s wife, or he can respond in the warrior chivalry way by denying her advances. Sir Gawain goes with the latter option and denies her all three times that she tries to seduce him, only accepting a kiss from her, so as not to insult her. There is an instance, however, where Sir Gawain is shown to be fallible. During the third day of staying in Bertilak’s castle, Bertilak’s wife attempts to seduce him for the third time, but she is denied by Sir Gawain. Although, she does convince him to accept her gift of a green girdle that is supposed to protect him. She tells him, “the body which is bound within this green belt, / as long as it is buckled robustly about him, / will be safe against anyone who seeks to strike him” (1851-1853). Sir Gawain accept her gift of the green girdle and goes against the deal that he had made with Bertilak by not presenting him with the girdle. The reason why he kept the green girdle was because it was told that it could save his life. Because of self-preservation he went against the warrior chivalry aspect of the chivalric code. He also goes against the chivalric code by cheating in the deal that he made with Bertilak and not being virtuous, as well as going against his lord, who at the time, was Bertilak since he was staying in his castle. Another instance where Sir Gawain was shown to be fallible and human was when he flinched when the Green Knight swung his axe at him the first time. He did not abide by the game that the Green Knight issued him by flinching, which shows a very human side of Sir Gawain since he is afraid of dying. Sir Gawain says, “I flinched / at first, but will not fail. / Though once my head’s unhitched / it’s off once and for all” (2280-2283). This is yet another instance of warrior chivalry coming in conflict with self preservation. Gawain has to honor the agreement that he made with the Green Knight by taking the axe strike, but he also does not want to die. This portrayal of Sir Gawain as being fallible and human, after being described as being infallible and a shining example of the chivalric code, goes to show that it is impossible to follow the chivalric code perfectly. Although it is still possible to still be a good person after choosing self-preservation over the warrior chivalry aspect of the chivalric code, as shown with the celebration of wearing the green girdle by all of King Arthur’s court. Even though Sir Gawain wears it as a sign of his failure, King Arthur and his court sees it as a sign of honor and wear it proudly. Sir Gawain was described to be infallible, not being able to do no wrong, had deep faith in God, and is loved by everyone. He could be seen as the embodiment of chivalry with his lack of faults and virtues. Among the different aspects of chivalry, warrior chivalry is the main focus of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Throughout the whole poem Sir Gawain displays adhering to warrior chivalry in his actions. He always does the honorable thing and puts his lord before himself in most occasions. The games in the poem also have a warrior chivalry aspect in them. The games that the Green Knight and Bertilak challenge Sir Gawain all involve honor and putting his lord over himself. Although Sir Gawain was presented as an infallible being, he is conflicted between warrior chivalry and courtly love chivalry, as well as warrior chivalry and self preservation. He was able to choose warrior chivalry over courtly love chivalry but he failed to choose warrior chivalry over self preservation. Because he was unable to choose warrior chivalry over self preservation, it can be seen as a critique of how impossible it is to follow warrior chivalry, since a man who was seemingly infallible was unable to do it. But since Sir Gawain was still accepted after making that mistake, it goes to show that you do not have to be perfect to be good. With that message Sir Gawain and the Green Knight gives to its readers it can be seen as a compendium of warrior chivalry in its era.
Works Cited
Greenblatt, Stephen. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 186-238. Print. The Middle Ages.
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