What Is Sir Gawain's Code Of Chivalry

Throughout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain, one of King Arthur’s knights, is tested on his chivalric qualities through tests. Just two of the many qualities include bravery and honesty which Sir Gawain showed through the trials. These qualities were tested by the Green Knight, who later reveals himself as Sir Bertilak. The code of honor had many superior qualities that the knights were supposed to exhibit, but it is proved to be flawed by not allowing room for human imperfections found in everyone. Although this code of chivalry was expected by all knights, there are many Christian values included in it which are shown throughout the poem.
The story of this fourteenth century poem has many medieval teachings and values. During …show more content…
The first example of the knight’s code of chivalry is when Sir Gawain steps up to challenge the Green Knight at line to protect King Arthur against being mocked by the Green Knight. An important key of the code of chivalry is that the knights should honor and protect the King. The bravery exerted by Sir Gawain shows that he had enough bravery to protect his King. Sir Gawain is then told to come to his land in a year for an exchange of a blow from the Green Knight. Sir Gawain must keep his word to be seen as honorable. This initiates the journey, and the beginning of Sir Bertilak closely watching the behavior of Sir …show more content…
The Green Knight raises the axe high and Gawain flinches. Sir Gawain showed cowardliness by flinching. Sir Gawain then says he will not flinch again and the Green Knight raises his axe for the second blow. Gawain successfully does not flinch, and the Green Knight admires him for his bravery. On the third blow, the Green Knight's axe nicks Gawain's neck for punishment of keeping the girdle. Sir Gawain could’ve done something much worse than just keep a girdle for his own protection, like having an affair with Bertilak’s wife. Instead, Sir Gawain shows how remorseful he feels by keeping it, and instead should’ve had “faith in his own chivalry” (Ruud, Jay). To show he wasn’t perfect he wore the girdle around his armor as a sign of humility (Sauer, Michelle M).
With there being such high values in the Code of Chivalry, it’s almost impossible to uphold all of them. The Middle Ages was exceedingly filled with violence, death and the feudal system. How could the Code of Chivalry be fully fulfilled with how it was back then? This has showed the system to be flawed even with Sir Gawain following the rules as closely as he could. Michelle M Sauer, said the five aspects of chivalry are generosity, chastity, loyalty, courtesy, and piety. All that Sir Gawain stands for as a Christian knight is to be examined at this