Courtly Love Is Expressed in Sir Gadwain Essay

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Courtly Love" is expressed in Sir Gadwain and the Green Knight

How social and cultural events influenced the development of the selected theme "Courtly Love"

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The term 'courtly' love only evolved far later. Here, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,, t he poet refers to it as 'courtesy'. It is still uncertain whether courtly love was a social construction or a literary notion that existed in many medieval romances (http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight/about.html). Either way, it was pervasive. The most influential and earliest book on courtly love was that written by Andreas Capellanus in the 1170s where he provides rules of love that are illustrated by a story of a knight on the way to the court of King Arthur. The knight was a man devoted to pleasing the lady. The fact that the lady was married was no impediment to the knight. He was chivalrous and seductive to her, but his honesty and Christian religion forbade him o enter an adulterous relationship (although other medieval literature portrays the knight consummating the relationship). Clandestine meeting between lady and knight were conducted by messages that were relayed between go-betweens very much in the style of some of Shakespeare's romances. The lovers usually exchanged gifts or favors such as the ring, glove, or girdle, that Lady Blakely gave Gawain. Literature of the period portrays this kind of 'courtly' love as resulting in sleeplessness, jealousy, and faintness -- all marks of supposedly true love (http://www.

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cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/sir-gawain-and-the-green-knight/about.html)

The moral -- hence perfect - knight was one who remained loyal to his host if seduced, did all to win his 'pure' maiden's love by defeating monsters and evil men (etc.) was chivalrous and abided by strcit codes of honor. Gawain showed all of these in his resistance of Lady Bertilak's approach. (Frye, Northrop. Anatomy of Criticism, p. 186. ). Courtly love required that the knight be challenged by adultery but that he transcend it. This was due to his honesty to the host, but also due to Christian morals that demanded Clerissa before marriage. Whilst on the one hand, courtly and medieval love required that knight become experts in seducing and attracting women, they were also expected to be courteous and sociable and never to, at least, overtly engage in an adulterous affair (http://www.reneemattila.com/Sir%20Gawain.htm).

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Lady Blakely discreetly visits his bedroom, kisses him and hands him her girdle as well as her ring. The girdle is synonymous to her most intimate private parts indicating that she is allowing him eentry to….....

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