Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Misogyny Analysis

Misogyny is defined as the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women, and has been experienced by women around the world. In medieval times, misogyny enabled men to have the dominion over their wives, which gave them the control over the land, money, house, and more importantly, their wife. Male dominance was acquired through money and the undoubted belief that they were superior to their wives. In fact, there were even laws that allowed husbands to beat their wives; although, it was preferred to do so in the isolation of their own homes. Laws like these showed men they didn’t have to be held accountable for their actions, so that if a women was found to be unfaithful towards her husband, “the husband was enabled to kill …show more content…
Gawain’s chivalric and religious values were tested when he arrived at Bertilak’s castle. In order to stay true to his virtues, Gawain had to remain chivalrous, which meant he couldn’t openly decline Bertilak’s wife, Morgan le Fey, who tried to seduce him. However, he needed her to know that he would neither do the host wrong nor go against his religious values and sleep with her. When Gawain finds out that Bertilak’s wife betrayed him, Lee McClain believes through his shock and embarrassment, Gawain looked for a scapegoat, “The one he finds- women taps straight into the medieval antifeminist tradition; like Adam, Solomon, Samson, and David, he too has been betrayed by a woman, Morgan le Fey” (McClain). Gawain was angry because he had been tricked by a woman, and in his moment of anger, he lost his knightly virtues and started to blame women, saying that all women are liars, and that women have ruined relationships because of their mistakes. He was humiliated by the recognition that his own virtues added to his moral downfall, not just Morgan le Fey, because he had been known for his honorable qualities. When Gawain returned home, his integrity was tainted by sin, a sign marked by the cut made by