"King Arthur was considered the most courteous of all." Line 26 of Part One, one of the first lines of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, reveals a society in which people are classified based on their adherence to a certain code of behavior: the chivalrous code. Indeed, the chivalric code, derived from the Christian concept of morality, is an essential part of Sir Gawain's belief system as a knight of Arthur's court. Sir Gawain's behavior is governed by this code; indeed, this is what pushes him to accept the Green Knight's challenge in Arthur's place, despite his initial hesitations. This is also what prevents him from acceding to the unjustified request of his host's wife. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayDespite its divine origins, the chivalric code is ultimately a human ideal. Chivalry is not a natural trait found in man, but rather a concept constructed by humanity in its quest for Christ-like perfection. It has even been suggested that chivalry is at odds with the nature of man. However, despite the weakness of his human nature, Sir Gawain is expected to maintain the chivalric code, and to do so he must rely on his faith in God. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the chivalric code - or rather the human capacity to respect it - is challenged by nature in different ways. The challenges that nature presents to the chivalrous code are embodied by the Green Knight. The superficiality of the code is revealed in the reactions of the people of the court to the challenge of the Green Knight. His proposal reduces “the noblest knights known under Christ” (part 1, line 51) to cowering, trembling men (part 1, line 315). The superficiality of the chivalric code is further revealed by the poet's numerous references to separations between the unspoken truth and what is actually said and done. This is particularly evident when it comes to Arthur, the aforementioned “most courteous of all”: the very embodiment of chivalry. “Though high-born Arthur wondered in soul, / He left no sign to see, but spoke aloud” (Part 1, lines 467-468). Despite their reputation, the knights are hesitant to take up the challenge of the Green Knight. This suggests that humanity may be incapable of living up to the idealistic standards it has set for itself. The Green Knight observes this hesitation and responds mockingly: Where are now your arrogance and your impressive deeds, Your valor, your victories and your boasts? Now the revelry and fame of the Round Table are overwhelmed by a word of one man's speech, For all cower and tremble, and no break is felt! (Part 1, lines 311-314) Despite the court's initial reaction to the Green Knight's challenge, Arthur still insists, "No guest here is dismayed by your fine words" (Part 1, line 325). By verbally accepting the Green Knight's challenge, Sir Gawain supports Arthur's frivolous - if not downright dishonest - words, thus managing to maintain the integrity of King Arthur's court. He also unknowingly passes his first and most obvious test. It should be noted, however, that although there are many clues, what is said and done outside of expectations is not always what is actually meant. It is suggested that Sir Gawain honestly believes the valiant words he speaks when accepting the challenge: he is later described as "the knight truest to his word/and the knight most gracious to his speech" (part 2, lines 638-639). InIndeed, Sir Gawain is more or less described as the ideal knight, "devoid of all malice, with virtues adorned/in view" (part 2, lines 634-635). This quality is perhaps what makes him ideal for the tests in question, as it reveals that human weakness can be found in even the most seemingly perfect of men. It is suggested that Sir Gawain succeeded in achieving the ideal through his unwavering faith in God. . This faith is physically represented by the ornament of its shield, which is decorated with a five-pointed pentangle which represents the five wounds of Christ as well as the five chivalrous virtues, and, inside, an image of Mary: And all his faithfulness was fixed on the five wounds which Christ put on the cross, as the creed says; and wherever this man in melee took part, his only thought was of this, beyond all things, that all his strength was founded on the five joys which the high queen of heaven had in her child. And therefore, as I find, he rightly had on the inner part of his shield his image represented, that when his look was brightened, he never lost courage. (Part 2, lines 642-650) his faith is confirmed when, while he is lost in the desert in search of the Green Chapel where he will most certainly find himself to die, he nevertheless finds himself obliged to pray: And c This is why he said with a sigh: “I beg you, Lord, and Mary. , you the sweetest mother so dear, a refuge where I could perhaps hear mass and your matins tomorrow - obediently I ask it, and for this offer and pray my pater and my creed. (Part 2, line 753-759) When Sir Gawain prays, he does not plead for God to spare his life; even in such dire circumstances, the knight remains faithful. He only wishes to have one last opportunity to say mass before dying at the hands of the Green Knight. The poet's adherence to the Christian faith is further strengthened when Sir Gawain's prayer is answered: after praying and making the sign of the cross three times, he almost immediately comes across an inhabited castle. At the castle, Sir Gawain's commitment to the chivalric code is tested by the seemingly simple deal he makes with his host to exchange the day's winnings. Although at first glance this appears to be just a joke, the course of events reveals it to be of much greater significance. It is in the castle that Sir Gawain's ability to maintain the code of chivalry is challenged by human nature, in the form of sexual desire. Sir Gawain, in obedience to the chivalric code, cannot sleep with his host's wife, even in light of his good will and his obvious physical attraction to her: the light hues of her flesh, her face and her hair, as well as her body and looks were beyond. praise, and surpassed the queen herself, as Sir Gawain thought. (Part 2, lines 943-945) It is a test of Sir Gawain's pure will that he is able to deny his nature in a spirit of chivalry. However, here the superficiality of the code is once again brought up, as this challenge reveals a contradiction: it is impolite for Sir Gawain to decline a lady's wish, but it is not proper for him to yield to his desires: For this high-born beauty so surrounded him, made its meaning so clear that man must either accept his tender love, or refuse in bad taste. His courtesy worried him, lest he should appear, but still more the mischief of his soul, if he should commit a sin and belie his faithful oath to do so. the lord of this house. (Part 3, lines 1170-1776) Although Sir Gawain grants his request for a kiss, he still manages to keep his agreement with his host. As promised, he gives his host the “benefits”of the day: as the Green Knight later recalls, "You kissed my pretty wife – every kiss you returned" (Part 4, Line 2351). In this way, Sir Gawain manages to enforce the code despite the complications presented by this particular situation. Despite Sir Gawain's reputation as a noble and chivalrous knight of King Arthur's Round Table and his ability to uphold the code in difficult circumstances, readers are reminded that Ultimately, Sir Gawain is only 'a human. As he later admitted to the Green Knight, Your cup taught me cowardice, care for my life, And lust came after, unlike the largesse and loyalty typical of knights. Now I am at fault and wrong, this fear was always of disloyalty and lies, bad luck to both of them! (Part 4, lines 2379-2383) Being only human, Sir Gawain is prone to failure. Like the Green Knight with his dismembered head, nature continually restores and regenerates; this is reflected in the cyclical nature of the changing seasons, as described at the beginning of Part Two. However, despite nature's regenerative abilities, humans tend to escape the specter of death. Sir Gawain's fear of death - or rather his primal instinct for survival - is therefore in conflict with the idealistic virtues to which he must adhere as a noble knight. Facing certain death, Sir Gawain is finally persuaded to violate the chivalric code. He keeps the belt despite his agreement with the host because he thinks it may allow him to escape an otherwise inevitable death: For the man who possesses this piece of silk, if he wore it on his body, girded, there is not a hand under heaven that could strike him down, for he could not be killed by any machine on earth. "Then the man began to think, and he thought above all that it was a pearl for his fate, the peril to come when he reached the Green Chapel to obtain his reward: Could he escape unscathed, the plan was noble (Part 3, lines 1851-1858) Even Sir Gawain, "a most blameless man by far" (Part 4, line 2363) with "incomparable faith" (Part 4, line 2470), cannot always respect the chivalric code Although he manages to honor the chivalric code through a number of difficult situations, fear for his own life is the final breaking point. As the Green Knight says: "But the cause was nothing. not cunning, nor courtship either, / But that you [Sir Gawain] loved your own life; less, then to blame” (Part 4, lines 2367-2368 his agreement with his host, Sir Gawain violates). the chivalric code In doing so, he reveals not only human weakness and cowardice, but also a lack of faith: he chooses to depend on the supposed powers of the belt rather than believing that God will save him. Because he does not call on God to save his life, it is obvious that he does not believe that his faith will save him. This suggests that it is actually his lack of faith that leads to Sir Gawain's downfall. The poem takes an interesting turn at this point. Throughout history, Sir Gawain's adherence to the chivalric code has been tested by what appear to be natural and random elements; here, the Green Knight reveals that it was all a ploy invented by Morgan le Fay. Even before this is revealed to Sir Gawain, he cites several instances in which women brought about the downfall of men, from Adam and Eve to David and Bathsheba. He attributes his own trap in "their quaint fetters" (Part 4, line 2412) to the Green Knight's wife and the other older woman, who turns out to be Morgan: "But if a fool worships, consider not no wonder, / And by the wiles of woman be wooed in sorrow”. 2537-2530)