King Arthur Knights Tale Analysis

As the poem begins, the reader is thrown into the world of King Arthur's Knights. The parties, the hunts. And with that the expectations society set for a young knight like Sir Gawain. As well as the chivalric codes for courtly love in this fictional society. Exposed to this atmosphere, the reader is able to catch a glimpse of these 5 Knightly Virtues or standards Gawain is put up against as a knight of high honor, the troubles he faces with his courtly lover, and how each of these affects his character as a knight of the Round Table as well as a courtly lover. All throughout the poem the ideals of chivalry are prominent. These morals can be described as a lifestyle for these knights followed by not only Arthur's court but by all knights.
Honor, valor, courtesy, purity and loyalty to the Lord were the 5 main attributes a knight must have. This can be symbolized by the “ … the shield… with the pentangle portrayed in the purest gold...a sign by Solomon sagely devised To be a token of truth… “(ln. 640). The shield was the shield of Sir Gawain, as it says in the poem, Gawain had it inscribed on his shield. This reveals to the reader the importance of the knightly moral code to Gawain, as he has it permanently placed on his shield he sees often. However, the codes that are “important” to these knights are violated early on in the poem, as the Green Knight enters Arthur's court and proposes a game a fight. No one rises up in this court of high men. However, as Arthur is about to accept the Green Knight's challenge Sir Gawain rises and takes his challenge. As he commits such an act he is proving his loyalty to his Lord. He knows that this game that he has entered will surely end in his demise; as a result, it is more difficult for him to live up to these standards. Along with the difficult knightly standards, Gawain must live up to; he faces equally conflicting courtly love expectations. “Courtly Love”: is a medieval tradition of love between a knight and a married noblewoman. In the poem Sir Gawain is constantly bound by the morals he must follow. Courtly love, a huge part of the poem, and Gawain's problems. “Lo! It was the lady, loveliest to behold That drew the door behind her deftly and still and was bound for his bed…”(ln.1188-1190) this is the beginning of the seduction scene when Lady Bertilak enters into Gawain's room. She continued toward his bed and Gawain was conscious of what was occurring