Temptation Of Women In Sir Gaiwan

During the 14th century, chivalry was in a decline due to drastic social and economic changes. Feudalism along with chivalry will fall for many reasons, but the author of Gawain blames the fall on the loss of religious values within the knights. The author uses women in the story as the main instrument to reinforce feudalism, for example: Lady Bertilak and The Virgin Mary are used to contrast the good and evil that a knight …

…the long run, good will overpower evil in the strong man. If he has the willpower to be faithful and strive for chastity, he can overcome any obstacle. Women will always be there to distract a knight from his mission, but if a true knight, no woman can stop him. Gawain can be considered as an anti-woman tirade, but personally, I feel that the book discovers the deep secrets of both sides of the woman.