ead, the boldest and most active, and detail is spent in each hunting scene describing the rules of carving and distributing the days spoils. While the hunt is going on Gawain is lying in bed, and this is mentioned in each hunting scene to emphasize the contrast. In contrast to the hunt scenes, Gawain's situation seems too pleasurable, bordering on the sin of luxury and representing a private world outside of the traditional hierarchies, rules and loyalties. The Lady is not just suggesting certain moral associations to the reader; she is a real temptress testing his chastity and a real object of courtly love, testing his courtesy. As she presses him more and more aggressively as each day passes, the conflict between his spiritual love and courtly love becomes apparent, for he is "concerned for his courtesy, lest he be called caitiff, But more especially for his evil plight if he should plunge into sin, and dishonor the owner of the house treacherously" (1773-75). While he is able to see that his chastity is more important than his courtesy, he is still desperately trying to balance the two. It is this inability to make a clear and unambiguous choice between the two that leads him to accept the girdle. Despite Mary's credit in saving him from sin, for "peril would have impended Had Mary not minded her knight" (1768-9), Gawain still disavows her. When the Lady directly asks him if he has another love, Gawain, instead of citing his devotion to Mary, answers, " 'I owe my oath to none, nor wish to yet a while' " (1790-1). His devotion has been lost in his bargaining. This loss of devotion and faith is his undoing for it was his faith in Mary, through the contemplation of her five joys and her symbol on the back of her shield, which gave him his prowess and courage. With a weakening of his faith in her, which we can read as a weakening of his spiritual faith as well, he is prey to the Lady's offer of another token to protect him, the girdle. ...
