Chivalry was the code of conduct by which knights were supposedly guided. In addition to military prowess and valor and loyalty to God and the knight's feudal lord, it called for courtesy toward enemies and generosity toward the sick and oppressed, widows, and other disadvantaged people (Encarta). Incorporated in the ideal of chivalry was courtly love, which was romantic devotion for a sexually unattainable woman, usually another man's wife. It was a way of defining adultery in a time when marriages were primarily arranged for profit or military advantage.

Courtly love was a strong element in the Arthurian legends, which Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a part. The Arthurian legends also had very strong moral

conflicts between Christian and pagan beliefs. This is evident in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by the Gawain's act of putting his trust in a pagan charm and not in the Virgin Mary. Chivalry itself is a conflicting concept since it consists of both pagan and Christian principles. Although on one hand, chivalry promoted virtuous actions towards others such as kindness and compassion, but chivalry also promoted the sin of infidelity. At the time, society encouraged knights to become involved "platonically" with married women, but with the rise of the Catholic Church, these ideals were being challenged. This may, in fact, be the primary cause for this work. When the dilemma of whether or not to give Lord Bercilak the Green Girdle arises, Gawain, an ideal knight who remains fallibly human, is torn between the codes of courtly love and the other ethics of chivalry.

It is evident that Sir Gawain has a special relationship with Mary. It seemed that as long as Gawain is facing dangers that grow out of his agreement with the Green Knight, which does not test his opposing loyalties in love, his spiritual faith is clear and unwavering. When he was on the journey to find the Green Knight, he encounters several challenges and is finally at the point of utter hopelessness. From the pit of his despair he prays to Mary that she may bless him with shelter and a place to go for Christmas mass.

In my opinion, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a metaphor for the constant tug of war that went on between the Church and the pagan ideals still present in society. Since courtly love is in itself a sinful act, it is the part of chivalry that represents the pagan, or evil side, and the loyalty and faith

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Approximate Word count = 1151
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)