We are presented first with a thoroughly idyllic image of a knight following the “Christianized” Chivalric code, through Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, and notably brave knight. One of the first elements of the Christianized chivalric code was developed by the narrator, is the fact that when the Green Knight first appears on the scene at King Arthur’s dinner and Gawain strikes him with the axe, he does not die. This exemplifies to me, the post-Crusade modification by the church, that killing is justified only if they are not a fellow Christian. The subtle nuance of Gawain striking a fellow man, who is presumably Christian, is a very impactful subtlety implemented by the narrator that clearly reflects on the day and age that this peace was written in. It showcases the ideals…show more content… Though, after the Crusades, most medieval Europeans were aware of the distinction that it was okay, so long as the murdered was not a fellow Christian. Not only are we presented with this nuance, every detail of Gawain draws heavily off of Christianity, making him not only an exemplary night but an exemplary form of a pious individual for the era in which this was written. He has a “pentangle on his shield”, which not only puts focus on the Chivalric code, as in this version of the tale has five main points, but also his “trust was in five wounds which came to Christ on the cross”. The fact the narrator focused on this detail of Sir Gawain, draws the audience’s attention to just how pious the knight seems to be, which would’ve been extremely important to a medieval European audience at the time. We are now acutely aware of the importance of Christianity to Sir Gawain, which not only makes him a reputable knight to look up too in terms of chivalric behavior, but of Christian behavior as
