Chivalry and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Introduction

In the medieval world, chivalry was a code of conduct—a principle of behavior—expected of courteous knights, as endlessly expressed by one of the most famous knights of all time, Don Quixote.[footnoteRef:2] In the medieval story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, chivalry takes center stage in the action, as the plot essentially pivots on what it means to be chivalrous and how chivalry should be embodied. Sir Gawain undergoes a moral test; the Green Knight is a kind of mythical, mystical judge who puts him through the test; and at the end of it, Sir Gawain emerges humbled and conscious of his shortcomings. The tale is a moral one[footnoteRef:3] and this paper will examine how the medieval concept of chivalry is applied in the story and what it means for Sir Gawain personally after he realizes the fullness of his behavior and all its ramifications. [2: Miquel Cervantes, Don Quixote, http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/996] [3: Gerald Morgan, "The Significance of the Pentangle Symbolism in" Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"." The Modern Language Review 74, no. 4 (1979), 769.]

Chivalry and the Knight

Chivalry stemmed from the Christian ethic prominent in the medieval era: it was based on the idea that men and women had precise duties in life, and that, as a man, one had to demonstrate courage, courtesy, honor and strength to be chivalric. A knight, who was dedicated to serving a king, had to use arms in that service—and so the use of force became part of the concept of chivalry: “As a code of honour, chivalry had as much investment in knightly autonomy and heroic violence as in any forms of restraint, either internal or external.”[footnoteRef:4] Chivalry created an atmosphere and environment in which one could be compelled in two opposites ends at once: a knight might boast in his chivalry and become full of self through demonstrations of valor and pride; on the other hand, chivalry could impose upon the knight certain constraints that would induce him to behave morally. The story of Sir Gawain is a story in which a boastful knight is taught a lesson about what it means to have modesty—a disposition much expected to be found in a chivalrous person in the medieval age. [4: Richard W. Kaeuper, Chivalry and violence in medieval Europe (Oxford University Press on Demand, 2001), 150.]

Aside from its association with manly violence, chivalry was also associated with courtesy. A courteous knight was one who respected the persons of others, particularly of ladies. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the idea of courtesy is linked to the concept of Christian virtue. Faith, modesty, courage, perseverance, honesty—all of these qualities are aspects of chivalry and are touched upon by Sir Gawain during his test, which essentially turns him from the proud, boastful knight at the beginning of the story into a sort of pupil of the Green Knight. After all, it is the Green Knight who tests Sir Gawain thrice within his castle (though Sir Gawain is ignorant of the identity of his host). Gawain’s test concludes not with a beheading, as agreed upon at the beginning of the story, but instead with a gentle reminder of what chivalry means—i.e., how a knight should conduct himself: with honor, integrity, honesty, courtesy and modesty. The ending of the story is also one in which violence is not imposed: the violent rush comes at the story’s opening; the ending displaces violence for mercy—and Sir Gawain’s lesson is tied to this idea that chivalry also extends to mercy and should reflect the Christian concepts of charity whenever possible. This lesson is emphasized in the knick on the neck that Gawain receives from the Green Knight—it is a slight reminder of sacrifice of Christ on the Cross—His blood shed for the sins of mankind. Gawain’s sin (failure to hand over to his host everything given him by his hostess) is thus punished with a reminder that his sins have been atoned for by God—but that he himself must conduct himiself with more deportment in the future.

Sir Gawain’s lesson is an important one—but it is also one that he himself has devoted himself to learn. His own shield stands as a message to others that he will be mindful of the duties that he owes to the world as a knight. His shield represents that ideas that he is meant to profess, and so it is worth considering the symbolism in Gawain’s shield to better understand what exactly the knight is meant to represent in his person.

Sir Gawain’s Shield

The shield of Sir Gawain represents the qualities of chivalry that he professes to uphold. On the shield is depicted a pentangle—a five-pointed star, with each point representing one of the values of chivalry. It is a symbol that Solomon designed long ago / As an emblem of fidelity, and justly so; [...] Therefore it suits this knight and his shining arms, / For always faithful in five ways, and five times in each case, / Gawain was reputed as virtuous.”[footnoteRef:5] Gawain’s virtue is extolled in five ways: first through the use of his five fingers, which aid him in battle; second, through the use of his five senses, which provide him with intelligence and the ability to judge rightly of the world around him; third, of his spiritual devotion to God, especially to the five wounds suffered by Christ during His persecution; fourth, by the five joys experienced by the Virgin Mary, Mother of God; and, fifth, through his five virtues, which are identified as charity, piety, generosity, chastity and courtesy.[footnoteRef:6] [5: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, 625-626; 631-633.] [6: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, 663.]

The symbol on Gawain’s shield is also meaningful because it shows how all of the virtues are integrated—how one runs right into the other. There is no break in the pentangle on his shield: it is a single line that intersects over and under itself as it...…they said prayers, they gave alms. Many reinforced this lifelong cycle by some major act, going on crusade or founding a religious house.”[footnoteRef:12] What is more important is the role of the priest in this practice of confession. The priest was the one who allowed the sins to be forgiven, as he represented God in the confessional and had the power to forgive sins as a part of their sacramental station. When Gawain goes to make his way towards death, he has to confess that he has not been completely honest with his host—he has reserved for himself something that he should have handed over. He is, in other words, not completely detached as would befit a knight about to die. His confession prepares his soul for eternity and is the right thing to do. Again, Kaeuper points out that “chivalric literature portrayed and reinforced this orthodoxy. It reminded the knights of the undeniable function of priests in the sacramental system of which they were willing, prudent participants. A layman, even a knight, needed priests as conduits for divine grace, especially at critical, liminal points in life.”[footnoteRef:13] At this moment in the story, the Green Knight symbolizes the priest—the last thing standing before God and man. The Green Knight hears the confession and accepts the contrition of Gawain as meaningful—and thus he shows mercy and spares his life. Gawain finally passes the test, and it is an unexpected one. The final test has been about piety—the heart and soul of the knight’s faithfulness to God, the essence of chivalry. Without piety, there is no hope for salvation, no hope for grace, no hope for eternity. Upon his final meeting with the Green Knight, Gawain confesses andd in effect is able to save his own life. [12: Richard W. Kaeuper, Chivalry and violence in medieval Europe (Oxford University Press on Demand, 2001), 45.] [13: Richard W. Kaeuper, Chivalry and violence in medieval Europe (Oxford University Press on Demand, 2001), 45.]

Conclusion

The meaning of chivalry is here: this is what allows the poem to have its moral lesson—Gawain’s life is saved through the sacrament of confession, and though he is not confessing to a priest, he is confessing nonetheless and the mystical being that is the Green Knight hears the confession and gives Gawain but a small knick as penance. Gawain then goes home, wearing the keepsack as a memory of his sinfulness and an emblem that will remind to be pious in the future and not so rash as he was in the beginning. Thus the story concludes as morality tale in which the main character’s chivalry is strengthened ultimately in unexpected ways that nonetheless reinforce Christian ideals and teachings of the medieval era. Gawain wears the lady’s keepsake as a reminder of his transgression and the need to maintain humility, which he did not possess in full when first he met the Green Knight one year prior during the Christmas season—that time of year when Christ’s birth is celebrated—and the reason…