The Matter of Courtesy: Medieval Courtesy Books and the Gawain-Poet

Examines the notion of courtesy as taught in a number of medieval texts then looks specifically at how it has been dealt with in the works of the Gawain-poet, attempting to elucidate aspects of the thematic and artistic design of the poems byreference to the world of the courtesy books. This study breaks valuable new ground and enlarges our knowledge of the social and cultural milieu of the poet.