Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Medieval romance is a tale of high adventure, like a religious crusade or quest. “The Wife of Bath” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is considered a medieval romance story because it covers most of the medieval romance elements. Some elements are portrayed more than others. These elements include: idealizing chivalry and the Knight’s code, idealizing women, imaginative fairy like setting, supernatural elements, predictable ending, patterns of three and seven, and a concealed identity. Idealizing chivalry is one aspect of the Knight’s code. Chivalry is the medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code. This also includes the Knight’s love for his love. In “The Wife of Bath” the Knights code is extremely mistreated because he deflowers an innocent girl. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” chivalry is tested throughout the story. For example, Gawain’s time in the wilderness, his flinching at the Green Knight’s axe, and his acceptance of the lady’s offering of the green girdle teach him that though he may be the most chivalrous knight in the land, he is nevertheless human and capable of error. …show more content…
In “The Wife of Bath,’’ the queen is idealized. The moral of the story with the old woman is also idealized because she gave the answer of what women desire the most with “A women wants the self-same sovereignty over her husband as over her lover, and master him; he must not be above her” (Coghill 145). Women want more importance over men and this portrays the idealization of women. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” the Knight idealizes the women by not have sexual interactions with a married women when she would go into his bedroom and seduce