Chivalric Code vs. The Law

In the Carle of Carlisle I was fascinated by Sir Gawain’s immense courtesy to the Carle, especially after Jeffery Jerome Cohen pointed out that this courtesy “is synonymous with unthinking obedience” (161). Cohen also points out that Sir Gawain partakes in gluttony, lust, and homicide, which are all prohibited in chivalric code.

While gluttony, lust, and homicide sound like a good old medieval time, it doesn’t seem that Sir Gawain was merely rolling his dice in Vegas; he was very particularly following the desires of his host. My big question becomes why? Why would Sir Gawain show courtesy to a monster of sorts? Doesn’t chivalric code trump monster favors? In the end I was convinced otherwise.

This poem seems to suggest that following the rules and laws of the realm a knight enters is more important than the values of the chivalric code. When Sir Gawain and the other knights first enter the Carle’s castle they are met by a bear, boar, bull, and lion. The Carle immediately asserts himself as their ruler by commanding the animals to stop snarling, and the animals follow his orders. The knights are very clearly on the Carle's turf.

Sir Gawain seems to follow the animals lead, obeying the desires of the Carle. Because Sir Gawain shows this courtesy to the Carle instead of following chivalric code (and in the end is rewarded with his life) it seems the poem might be making the statement that following the codes of a particular realm while within that realm is more important than the values of chivalry.