Comparing Women In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

In 1994, Sandra Pierson Prior analyzed the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in her article “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, of which she picks out different aspects of the poem to discuss. Prior admits that “…Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...” was “…such a brilliant and successful poem” and additionally points out that, “…a courtly romance like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight must be somewhat concerned, with the various relationships in a court, as well as, with those between men and women” (Prior). By analyzing Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” it is agreeable that this is not a typical courtly romance story with the lack of a love interest by expressing the chivalrous characterization of Sir Gawain.
In a courtly romance, women tend to be a prize of a male character, to be stern, beautiful, a symbol of wealth and the love interest in a story.
However, the love interest at this point in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight does not exist, with instead women coming to Sir Gawain. According to Prior “…women in Gawain is somewhat unusual for a courtly romance, since the hero is not in love with any lady: the only lady he serves is the Virgin Mary and the only lady he talks to is paying court to him rather than the reverse” (Prior). This is definitely an interesting find, which although the main character expresses the chivalrous aspect he does not have a love interest. Even though it is a very traditional aspect for the main character to have the ideal love interest as seen through many Arthurian legends and stories, it becomes apparent that this is not the case. Sir Gawain is a knight presented as a “…noble knight…” (66) who does not wish surrender to temptation nor wishes to “…be a traitor…” (71). It is agreeable to say that, “…he is neither a character in a novel nor an allegorical figure in a sermon, but instead a figure in a romance with a long history as a leading knight in earlier Arthurian romances” (Prior). This statement is quite true, Sir Gawain does not have a love interest to return to, seeing how his loyalty to the king is far more important. Although tempted numerous times by the Lady, “…she tested and tried him, tempting him often, so as to allure him…” he
continuously refused, by his chivalry and loyalty he refuses to cross a boundary he dare not to tread (61). Although odd it may be for Sir Gawain not to have an idealized woman as a love interest, it becomes apparent that his chivalry is what represents the courtly love seen. Prior is correct when identifying this occurrence, and even so the knight is continuously challenged awaiting his final battle.