Devotion, Love, Despair and Betrayal
The Mists of Avalon throws the throbbing pulse of femininity into the reader’s face. It expels a truth which can be felt through every sentence, paragraph and chapter. It is a grouping of heartwarming characters, horrifying plot twists and several tragedies surrounding many different themes. The Mists of Avalon becomes a legend seen through new eyes, with details, majestic language, and haunting foreshadowing that hold the reader through its more than 800 pages. It is a story of another time and place. It's the legendary saga of King Arthur and his companions at Camelot. Their battles, love, and devotion are told this time from the perspective of the women involved.
Women are what bring this story to such cavernous depths. We are not brought into the perspective of the men, we are, however, told about how they are loved, hurt, and manipulated by the women. There is a scale of personality among the ladies which ranges from the pious uncertainty of Gwenyfar to the essence of strength from Morgaine. We are first enthralled with Igraine’s love, repulsed by the sinister Morgause, respectful to the lady Igraine, enchanted by Morgaine’s wisdom and angered by Gwenyfar’s ignorance. The qualities possessed by these woman can be both glorious and destructive.
The Mists of Avalon's politics and intrigue take place at a time when Christianity is taking over the island-nation of Britain; Christianity vs. Faery, and God vs. Goddess are dominant themes. Marion Zimmer Bradley lets her opinion on Christianity show through with shocking statements such as: “Then (Morgaine) sighed and said, ‘ I think it is a sin to believe that God can be cruel or vindictive, and you would make him meaner than the worst of his priests.” The ancient druid religions are presented as kinder and gentler while Christianity is raging through Europe. The Mists of Avalon is laced with religious philosophy that adds to the atmosphere of this entertaining story.
Viviane is "The Lady of the Lake," the magical priestess of the Isle of Avalon, a special mist-shrouded place which becomes more difficult to reach as people turn away from its nature- and Goddess-oriented religion. Viviane's quest is to find a ki...
... middle of paper ...
...wenhwyfar recover from a brutal rape. These deep and infinitely complex motives prevent the reader from making simple decisions of right and wrong. Actions which would normally be assumed inherently evil, such as when Balan strikes Viviane with an axe in King Arthur’s court at Pentecost, have twists. Viviane assisted his mother with suicide. The layers of motive that entwine this tale must be unravelled slowly by the reader, making this a philosophical piece, just as it is entertaining.
The Mists of Avalon is a great book to read. It encourages thought on difficult subjects like religion, and shows an entirely original side of King Arthur’s tale. The Mists of Avalon is the opposite of Arthurian stories like Monty Python’s, the Holy Grail, and The Sword in the Stone. While they depict King Arthur as the main character, and the story is in a basic or humorous light, The Mists of Avalon is involved and draws the reader into it. The women are amazingly accurate contradictions of one another and Marion Zimmer Bradley's way of writing is a pleasure. It is a journey into the devotion, love, despair, and betrayal that one life can behold.
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...
When all the courtly love elements that flow through The Knight of the Cart are composed, in addition to a tale of love affair between Queen Guinevere and Lancelot of the Lake, a document revealing the enchanting history of the Twelfth Century Renaissance is created. Troyes, our powerful storyteller, was able to do this by taking us on a journey with Lancelot, not only though his exciting battles to Guinevere but, through his passionate and enamored thoughts and behaviors that yearns for his beloved.
Abstract: This is an analysis of celtic mythological motifs or themes (usually found Arthurian romances) in the medieval romance Yvain and the victorian classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland .}
Camelot, the musical adaptation of The Once and Future King, allows for an interesting twist on the portrayal of Guinevere’s personality, mindset, and desires. The use of song and excellent acting allows for a unique display of the different aspects that make Guinevere a complex and strong character. Analyzing “The Lusty Month of May” shows Guinevere as a woman driven by her desires for the fantastical aspects of romance. However, contrasting “The Lusty Month of May” with other songs paints her as a more dynamic character and explains her relationship dynamic with Arthur, Lancelot, and other men in the court. This verse by verse analysis characterizes Guinevere as a woman driven by feelings of dissatisfaction and destiny.
This essay explores the role of women in Homer's Odyssey, James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) and Derrick Walcott's Omeros (1990), epics written in very different historical periods. Common to all three epics are women as the transforming figure in a man's life, both in the capacity of a harlot and as wife.
Warner, Marina. From the Beast to the Blond on Fairy Tales and Their Tellers. New York: Chatto & Windus, 1994. Print.
...ructure of a mysterious birth which ties into the theme, one should never think less of who they really are. Finally, the lasting effect that Arthurian legends have on modern day literature and culture may include inspiring young men and possibly women to become warriors and to remain chivalrous. Be thankful for Arthurian Legends because they allow respect to distinguish around the world.
Arthurian literature can be divided into two basic categories, pseudo-histories and romances. The main difference between the two is that pseudo-histories such as Wace and much of the Celtic work, for example, Geoffrey of Monmouth show Arthur as a strong, central character, making him the dominant figure in the story. He is the one who goes on quests and battles, gaining respect and glory for his court. In romances, however, Arthur is most often overshadowed by his knights, staying mainly in the background as the source and the inspiration behind their great chivalric deeds.
In Book Three of The Faerie Queene, the character of Glauce plays an important role in aiding Britomart, the main character, to set off on her journey. Britomart, who represents Spenser's idea of ideal Christian chastity, confronts some challenging and poignant issues before she heads off on her adventure; namely, she sees a vision of her future husband in an enchanted looking glass, and does not quite know how to handle the feelings of all-encompassing love that arise in her. The terror, doubt and confusion she experiences are similar to what is felt by any young girl embarking on the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence, but with the added factor of the spectral figure she sees in the mirror. In Cantos Two and Three of Book Three, the sections that deal with Britomart's background, the only member of her natural family that is mentioned is her father. Therefore, in the absence of a natural mother, it is Glauce, Britomart's nurse, who steps in to fill the role. Glauce, whose name associates her with the mother of the goddess Diana and with the owl, companion of Minerva' (Spenser notes 807), works to help Britomart through her time of intense change, behaving towards the young girl as a mother would to her own duaghter. Although a seemingly secondary character in the scheme of Book Three of The Faerie Queen, as she only appears in the two cantos mentioned above, Glauce's role as a mother figure to Britomart - a role she fulfills to the utmost degree - is a vital component behind setting the story in motion.
In the Middle Ages, the roles of women became less restricted and confined and women became more opinionated and vocal. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight presents Lady Bertilak, the wife of Sir Bertilak, as a woman who seems to possess some supernatural powers who seduces Sir Gawain, and Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath Prologue and Tale, present women who are determined to have power and gain sovereignty over the men in their lives. The female characters are very openly sensual and honest about their wants and desires. It is true that it is Morgan the Fay who is pulling the strings in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; nevertheless the Gawain poet still gives her a role that empowers her. Alison in The Wife if Bath Prologue represents the voice of feminism and paves the way for a discourse in the relationships between husbands and wives and the role of the woman in society.
Despite the male dominant society of Ancient Greece, the women in Sophocles’ play Antigone all express capabilities of powerful influence and each individually possess unique characteristics, showing both similarities and contrasts. The women in the play are a pivotal aspect that keeps the plot moving and ultimately leads to the catharsis of this tragedy. Beginning from the argument between Antigone and Ismene to Eurydice’s suicide, a male takes his own life and another loses everything he had all as a result of the acts these women part take in. The women all put their own family members above all else, but the way they go about showing that cherishment separates them amongst many other things.
Women were often subjects of intense focus in ancient literary works. In Sarah Pomeroy’s introduction of her text Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves, she writes, “Women pervade nearly every genre of classical literature, yet often the bias of the author distorts the information” (x). It is evident in literature that the social roles of women were more restricted than the roles of men. And since the majority of early literature was written by men, misogyny tends to taint much of it. The female characters are usually given negative traits of deception, temptation, selfishness, and seduction. Women were controlled, contained, and exploited. In early literature, women are seen as objects of possession, forces deadly to men, cunning, passive, shameful, and often less honorable than men. Literature reflects the societal beliefs and attitudes of an era and the consistency of these beliefs and attitudes toward women and the roles women play has endured through the centuries in literature. Women begin at a disadvantage according to these societal definitions. In a world run by competing men, women were viewed as property—prizes of contests, booty of battle and the more power men had over these possessions the more prestigious the man. When reading ancient literature one finds that women are often not only prizes, but they were responsible for luring or seducing men into damnation by using their feminine traits.
The Arthurian Legend, an amazing composition of multiple fantasies, love stories and battles. But what does it all lead to? Some die, but some live with complete happiness. In the legend there are too many instances of cruelty and betrayal, but we must look on the bright side, we must look at all of the great endings. In the legend there are so many instances that end in love, happiness, and a loyal relationship. Many such as Gwaine, Uther, and Arthur are great examples of the “ Happily Ever After “ of the Arthurian Legend.
...ed the lives of simple men (Jordan 71). This was all a realm of the imagination conceived my great authors during the Middle Ages and was translated into medieval garb (Evans 74). Perhaps very few people realize what a very great realm of the imagination the legends of King Arthur are, and how vast a literature it has become. During the Middle Ages, this was the great theme of creative writing in poetry and prose (Evans 137). Not only in England, but preeminently in France and Germany were there also romances of Arthur. In fact, they existed in every language of Christendom at the time (Lunt 121). This spirit was preserved in the re-workings of writers throughout history. The legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, whether truly every existent or not, have had a profound influence on virtues, ideals, morals, and literature throughout history.
The legend of King Arthur has intrigued generations for over a thousand years. Over these years, this tapestry has been handed down through the hands of many gifted storytellers. Bits and pieces were taken out and replaced by new strands woven in to fabricate a slight variation of the original that’s suitable for the audience or perhaps the storyteller himself. These modifications are evident in the 1981 film of Excalibur and Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” published in 1485. The film incorporates magical acts while religious allusions are portrayed in the text. There are several characters that appeared in one but not the other. The two versions have the same essential elements, but with some alterations. The main changes in the story plot are the events leading to the battle and the battle itself. The two versions have the same essential elements, but with some alterations.