Chivalry: You're Doing It Wrong (Series, Part 5)

Part 5: Friendship and Loyalty in Hautdesert

Warning: Spoilers

Like King Arthur, the Bertilaks fail Sir Gawain in the comitatus relationship in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (comitatus = the reciprocal relationship between a superior and his charges).  While they are initially good hosts, caring for Sir Gawain’s every need, they are not who they claim to be.  Far from setting a good example for their guest, the Bertilaks actually try to tempt Sir Gawain to behave unchivalrously.  From the minute Sir Gawain enters their castle, Hautdesert, their whole relationship with Sir Gawain is a lie, a test to see whether he will screw up. 

Lord Bertilak tricks Sir Gawain into making an agreement that he will not want to keep, and Lady Bertilak tempts Sir Gawain in multiple ways in the bedroom.  Is it any wonder that Sir Gawain wasn’t able to stay completely blameless?  In his relationship with each of the Bertilaks, Sir Gawain is being controlled by the very people that should be setting an example for him, and he is forced to choose between his honor and his own needs.

Of course, Sir Gawain didn’t fulfill his side of the host-guest relationship, either.  That Sir Gawain didn’t fulfill the agreement that they had created was a lack of loyalty on his part, even if it was only to save his own life.  Through the consequences of comitatus at Hautdesert, the author shows that although fellowship is a virtue, it can actually prompt people to behave unchivalrously if the betters in the relationship do not act with the chivalry befitting their status.