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Queer Eye for the Green Knight

When a reader hears “Camelot,” “King Arthur,” or “the Round Table,” the first word that springs to mind is usually “chivalry.” Chivalry is the cornerstone of the Arthurian mythos, and it was the decline of chivalry that brought about the fall of Camelot. Chivalry and its decline in these tales were not just meant to entertain the readers of the day. They were also meant to instruct people in the ways of chivalry, and present the problems that could result from discarding the ideals it represents. David L. Boyd in his paper claims:
By the late fourteenth century, the institution of chivalry had already lost much of its social value. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight attempts to defend chivalric ideals by blaming their decline on external forces: queer male behavior and desire that derives from the deceit and wiles of women. (Boyd, 77)
While I do not contest the decline of chivalry, I do not believe that the Gawain-poet is attempting to blame it on queerness or desi...

Posted by: Janet Valerio

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