Throughout the story The Knight of the Cart by Chretien de Troyes, the knight of the cart, or better known as Lancelot, shows off his prowess as a knight time and time again. There can be no doubt as a reader that Lancelot is a knight of incredible skill and ambition, and that he would do whatever it took to appease those around him, especially Queen Guinevere herself. While his skill may be unmatched, there is one flaw of Lancelot that seems to be overlooked by Chretien de Troyes, and possibly other readers, and that is his commitment of adultery with Queen Guinevere. Writing as a romance author, of course the text includes Lancelot finally achieving what he seemed to desire most, the Queen. For Chretien de Troyes, his way of portraying Lancelot achieving his goal, was to have him sleep with Queen Guinevere. As a reader, this is the point where it seems that Lancelot has reached his goal for his journey, as he immediately departs from the castle to seek Lord Gawain the next day (Chretien de Troyes, 269). Lancelot is of course a
Upon seeing blood on Queen Guinevere’s sheets, Meleagant immediately assumes that she had slept with Kay and demands some sort of punishment (Chretien de Troyes, 266). While this seems like an obvious thing for Meleagant to do, it can be seen as a slight towards Lancelot and Queen Guinevere by Chretien de Troyes for their act of adultery. Chretien de Troyes is writing this story to introduce Lancelot as a truly honorable, strong and loyal knight. In Sandra Prior’s essay, she points out the hypocrisy in this, discussing Lancelot’s act of treachery and the lack of any sort of response to it, mainly by King Arthur himself (Prior, 128-29). The idea of Lancelot as a noble knight would hardly hold up very well if in the same story, he was accused and chastised for the act of adultery, since it
Loyalty is what the the knights demonstrated to their king by being willing to go to battle for him and die protecting his kingdom. The knights are ready to drop everything and go to fight someone they’ve never met, the second King Arthur tells them to. This loyalty is so extreme and powerful, that Lancelot refuses to fight Arthur even after King Arthur Invaded his lands, he chose to wait until he could claim self defense in order to keep his honor as a knight intact. Launcelot is a perfect example of extreme loyalty, because he does not allow his love life to get in the way of the loyalty he has towards his King. This balance that Launcelot has between his love life and loyalty to the King is why Launcelot has the greatest reputation
In the beginning of Le Morte d’Arthur, background information is given. The background information explains that Sir Lancelot (King Arthur's favorite knight), has fallen in Queen Gwynevere. (King Arthur's wife) Once Sir Lancelot confessed his love to Gwynevere, she revealed that she was also in love with him and the two began a passionate love affair that lasted two years without King Arthur knowing. Sir Lancelot definitely has broken the code of chivalry because his duty was to protect the King and Queen as their knight however, he has disrespected him by having an affair with Gwynevere. It was Sir Lancelot’s affair that led to the following, events that then led to King Arthur’s death. A knight’s duty is to honor the King, not to disrespect him and have an affair with his wife without him knowing. Additionally, Sir Lancelot wasn't sentenced to death by the King but the Queen was sentenced to be burned at the stake. This goes to also show the corruption of Britain's Society. If another pilgrim within a lower class would have done what Sir Lancelot did, he would have been sentenced to death. Both the Queen and Lancelot contributed to their affair which brings up the question of, why should the Queen be burned at the stake and not
Facing felony charges of misdeed, Lanval’s entire fate lies solely in the hands of his lady. When King Arthur agrees that: “if he [Lanval] can produce proof; / if his love would come forward, / if what he said, / what upset the queen, is true, / then he will be acquitted” (451-455), Marie places incredible power in the presence of a woman. In a time when being male was the prime prerequisite for holding authority—and women were openly seen as senseless and insignificant—Lanval’s lover’s ability to determine a knight’s fate makes a mockery of the current societal
The love triangle of Arthur, Lancelot, and Guenever is a constant theme throughout every account of the Arthurian legend. Geoffrey Ashe's The Arthurian Handbook states that "We may say that these knights are expected to serve their King..."(81). The revelation of the affair finally comes when Sir Agravaine shouts, "'Traitor Knight! Sir Lancelot, now art thou taken'"(White 569). Lancelot was summoned to Queen Guenever's bedroom, and Sir Agravaine is finally exposing the affair and gaining revenge on Lancelot for unhorsing him many times in the past. The two people that Arthur trusts most are Guenever and Lancelot. Arthur is well aware of the affair between the two, but chooses to pretend that nothing is going on. Due to this naivety, Arthur earns the disrespect (and even hatred) of Agravaine and Mordred, who eventual...
Arthur has a lot of confidence in his choice of Sir Lancelot and even states that, "He is going to be the best knight I have ever had." (331) This foreshadows that Lancelot will become one of Arthur's greatest knights. This quote is important because Arthur showing so much courage in Lancelot later led to many other issues later on in the book. Arthur and Lancelot developed a very good relationship throughout the course of the book, He was my first friend and I love him." (541) This quote is extremely important because it shows that, no matter, what Lancelot will almost always out Arthur first and Arthur will almost always put Lancelot first. This leads to great things throughout the book because it shows that Lancelot and Arthur have lots of faith in each other and trust each other. Fate played a very crucial part in the later parts of Arthur's life because it allowed Arthur and Lancelot to meet and create a good
The evolution of human society consists mainly of ineffective ruling regimes and oppressed peasants. Medieval Europe falls into this same pervasive cycle. Social and political hierarchies intertwine which creates a grossly inefficient system. Hereditary lineage determines nobility. Commoners possess no hope of social mobility. Every aspect of life is virtually preordained. These circumstances revolve around the figure Lanval by Mari de France. Mari de France introduces Lanval as a courteous and distinguished knight of King Arthur’s court. Lanval possesses the most moral nature of all of King Arthur’s knights, yet even so, the other knights of King Arthur’s round table despise him. The many knights neglect acknowledgment of his nature as does
Numerous sources, such as Layamon's "Arthur's Dream", Marie de France's "Lanval" and Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur, portray Guinevere as a unfaithful wife and the primary cause of the fall of King Arthur and The Round Table. In all of the three works, Guinevere is seen approaching various men such as Lanval and Sir Lancelot, knights of her husband. And, yet, she remains virtuous and appealing in the eyes of King Arthur, who loves her dearly. Such blindness or possibly Arthur's unconditional love of Guinevere and Lancelot, Arthur's best knight, lead to the fall of Arthur's Britain and of the Round Table.
In the Medieval Period, knights dedicated their lives to following the code of chivalry. In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, a number of characters performed chivalrous acts to achieve the status of an ideal knight. Their characteristics of respect for women and courtesy for all, helpfulness to the weak, honor, and skill in battle made the characters King Arthur, King Pellinore, and Sir Gryfflette examples of a what knights strove to be like in Medieval society. Because of the examples ofchivalry, Le Morte d’Arthur showed what a knight desired to be, so he could improve theworld in which he lived.
Lancelot is portrayed mostly as a love-struck man and not a very logical knight. From the first moment he is introduced, he is seen as someone sick from love. He will do anything to save his love, Gweneviere; even if that meant dishonor. When Lancelot rode on the cart, he was immediately labeled as someone bad. He pushed aside reason for love. “Because love ordered it, and wished it, he jumped in; since Love ruled his action, the disgrace did not matter.” (212) There seemed to have been nothing that could stand in the path of Lancelot.
In the ""Death of Arthur"" included a detailing of the events preceding Arthur's fatal injury. The "Death of Arthur" started out telling about lancelot and King Arthur's relationship and how it was broken apart by Queen Guynevere. The Queen broke up there relationship because Sir Modred told Arthur about Lancelot's love for Guynevere. "The
Sir Lancelot, from the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, has become by far the most popular and well-remembered knight. Through Malory's rendition of traditional materials, we have inherited a character that has become the image of the quintessential knight. How is it that "the outsider, the foreigner, the 'upstart' who wins Arthur's heart and Guinevere's body and soul" (Walters xiv) has taken the place that, prior to Malory, was reserved for Sir Gawain? Malory has made this character larger than life. Of the grandeur of Lancelot, Derek Brewer says, "In the portrayal of Lancelot we generally recognize a vein of extravagance. He is the most obsessive of lovers, as he is the most beloved of ladies, and the greatest of fighters" (8). To achieve this feat, Malory has molded Lancelot to fit the idea of the perfect knight and the perfect lover.
Lanval, a handsome knight, falls desperately in love with a beautiful maiden, who grants the knight her love on the condition that he keep their bliss in full secrecy. Upon returning home, Lanval is confronted by Guinevere, who attempts to seduce him . After her initial advances are rejected, the Queen tries a new tactic, attacking Lanval 's masculinity: "I have been told often enough that you have no desire for women. Base coward, wicked recreant, my lord is extremely unfortunate to have suffered you near him. " By questioning Lanval 's worthiness to serve by Arthur, Guinevere is questioning Lanval 's very status as a knight, and once again we see a knightly protagonist put into a hopeless situation as many of his chivalric duties--- courteousness to the Queen, faithfulness to his King, honesty and loyalty to his lover, and defense of his own honor--- are forced into an unresolvable conflict. Lanval defends his honor and honors his King 's trust, but breaks his promise to his lover and grievously insults the Queen: "I love and am loved by a lady who should be prized above all others... you can be sure that one of her servants, even the very poorest girl, is worth more than you, my lady the Queen, in body, face and beauty, wisdom and goodness. " Lanval 's inability to simultaneously commit to all of his knightly responsibilities is comically underscored by his polite hesitation ("my lady the Queen") even
... beloved wife has made the decision for him. After going through this incredible journey of his, not only did he study women but he had to explain what women most desired to the queen. Otherwise he would have been beheaded, but was spared because of his looks. Was this justice? Indeed it would have been justice back in the 1300’s because if you were beautiful you could be spared and do a noble deed for the king/queen as they asked. If you did not complete it who knows what could have happened. But for the knight, he completed what he was told to do and in fact after he raped the woman and he was being prosecuted, the journey of his made him find the true knight inside of him. The old woman choice that was offer to the knight demonstrated that he learned his lesson through his sufficient punishment and redemption for his crime.
Sir Malory once again makes us ponder whether this could be true after we witness Lancelot’s actions in “Morte D’Arthur”. Sir Lancelot’s heroism and constant response to King Arthur’s call of duty show us that he is chivalrous. However, once Sir Lancelot “slew Sir Agravain, and after twelve of his fellows” his chivalry was stained (p 444). The controversy of Lancelot’s chivalry is inflamed when his “love for Guinevere drives him into battle” and causes the “deaths of Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris” (Harrington 67). Is the killing of several people justified by one act of chivalry? Sir Lancelot essentially “modifies his points of honor” in order to justify his actions.(Harrington 69) Sir Lancelot’s need to modify his code of honor in order to escape a predicament let us know that his character is at times
The theme of betrayal is far more than knight’s betraying their kings and wives their husbands but family betraying family. It was especially tragic when it came to Mordred’s betrayal. He not only betrayed his father but died by his father hands because he did so. In the end, betrayal was present in both the relationship between Lancelot, Gwenyvere and Arthur and Trystrames, Isoud and King Mark. Although the adultery that was committed between Isoud and Trystrames was in some way justifiable it still was a betrayal for King Mark. In many ways the story added the way it started-with deception. Just like Morgan Le Fey, Mordred wanted Arthur out of the picture. Therefore presence of betrayal is what