THE REPRESENTATION OF LOVE AND LOYALTY IN MEDIEVAL ENGLISH CHIVALRIC LITERATURE

Abstract

This paper explores the intertwined ideals of love and loyalty in Medieval English chivalric literature, emphasizing their ethical, religious, and cultural dimensions. Rooted in the medieval chivalric code, these virtues represented not only the moral essence of knighthood but also reflected the spiritual aspirations of society. Through an analysis of key works such as Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, this study reveals how love and loyalty were both guiding principles and sources of moral conflict. The discussion highlights how medieval writers reconciled human passion with divine devotion, portraying the struggle to balance personal desire, duty, and faith as a central theme in chivalric literature.