Comparing The Knightly Code In 'Sir Gawain And The Green Knight'

The 14th-century and medieval era had a huge emphasis on chivalry and the knightly code. The knightly code was a moral system that predominately focused on the ideas of loyalty, courtesy, and bravery. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a story that perfectly depicts the manner in how which a 14th century knight should conduct himself. Sir Gawain faced many difficult decisions and adversaries in his journey but managed to stay true to his knightly beliefs. Sir Gawain showed us how a true knight should act by staying loyal, courteous, and brave even when times got hard.
Arguably one of the most important aspects to the knightly code is loyalty. From the very beginning of the story, Sir Gawain proved his loyalty as a knight especially when the …show more content…
The challenge was for one of the knights to take an ax and hit the Green Knight and then one year later the Green Knight would get to return the blow. King Arthur was taunted and eventually gave into completing the challenge; however, Sir Gawain refused to let King Arthur take the challenge and decided to step in and take his place. Gawain said, "I am the weakest [of your knight], I know, and the dullest-minded, So my death would be the least loss, if truth should be told; Only because you are my uncle am I to be praised, No virtue I know in myself but your blood." He had enough loyalty to his king, who was also his uncle, to step up and take the challenge for him. None of the other knights even came close to accepting the challenge yet here is Sir Gawain who is barely a knight stepping in to take his place. Gawain chopped the Green Knight's head off but miraculously the Green Knight picked up his head and …show more content…
It took a lot of bravery for Sir Gawain to do what he did. The main way that Gawain was brave was when he went a met the Green Knight a year later like he had promised to do. The fear that he must have been feeling was probably enough to make any man turn around and go back home, but Gawain stayed true to his word and met up with the Knight. Sir Gawain demonstrates bravery when the Green Knight says to him, “ Did I flinch, or flee from you when your blow felled me? and Gawain replies, “Enough! I won’t flinch when you hack!” The bravery that this shows in unimaginable. Even after the Knight swings and misses for a second time Gawain did not move. Sir Gawain knew that he would not be picking his head up like the green knight did, therefore, it took a lot of bravery for him to just sit there waiting for his death. Even in the least ideal circumstances Sir Gawain was able to once again stay true to his knightly