 |
| Lancelot from Arthur (2004) |
In creating the Morte, Malory drew on several sources,
including various parts of the Vulgate and Post-Vulgate cycles, the Prose Tristan, and the Alliterative Morte Arthure and the Stanzaic Morte Arthur; but he was not a slavish
translator. He reshaped his originals, omitted much that was not relevant to
his purpose and even created new sections to advance his themes. One of the
ways that Malory reworked earlier texts was by bringing Lancelot into
prominence and making him the central character, more important even than
Arthur in the overall scheme of the book.
One of the things that makes
Lancelot such a significant and interesting character is that, in his attempt
to live up to his reputation as the best of knights, he strives for perfection
in all of the codes that a knight should be subject to. He is more chivalric
and courtly than any other knight; he seeks adventure, champions women and the
oppressed, acts in a courtly manner and serves his king at home and abroad to a
degree unachieved by anyone else. He is the truest of all lovers never even
considering another woman. And he strives to perfect himself spiritually as he
seeks the Holy Grail. Of course he fails to be perfect in all these areas –
partly because they place conflicting demands on him. By being a true lover to
Guinevere he fails in the quest for the Grail and he is less than loyal to his
king. But the attempt to adhere to the conflicting codes is what gives Lancelot
his grandeur; and the very fact of those conflicts is what makes him the sort
of character with whom readers for centuries have been able to identify, even
as they recognise his failings – or perhaps because they recognise his failings
– in the great enterprise he has undertaken. Lancelot’s prominence does not
negate the centrality of Arthur or the roles of the vast cast of other
fascinating characters in the Morte.
Indeed, it is the wealth of characters and tales in the book that has made it
such a treasure trove for future artists. But Lancelot’s character and conflict
are central unifying elements in the book; and he is the one against whom all
the others are measured. [Lupack, Guide
to Arthurian Literature and Legend, 2007, pp.134-135]
 |
| Lancelot and Guinevere |
Blog question: Do you identify with Malory’s Lancelot? If so, why? And,
if not, why not?
I think the majority of us would identify with the desire to be the best we can be. In Lancelot’s case this meant the bravest, most chivalrous and devoted knight in the world. I also identified with the fact that Lancelot had flaws and was aware of them - as we saw when Lancelot broke down after having managed to heal Sir Urry, through the grace of God rather than because he was the best knight in the world.
ReplyDeleteHe was unable to reach his goals (eg the Holy Grail) because of a part of himself he could not control - his idolization and obsession with Gwinevere. The comparison between the focus of Galahad and the conflict within Lancelot is interesting here. I found the point made in the reading about the pressure of being part of society particularly meaningful and something I can identify with.
Apart from that, I sympathise with the tragedy of his situation yet I cannot say I identify or am able to empathise with such a level of devotion to Gwinevere (or his faith in the end – but that’s just me). Clearly Lancelot’s world is very different to mine, which further separates me from him. The main way I am able to identify with him is through his strive for perfection and virtue while coping with human failure and imperfection.
Like the comment above, I found the most identifiable aspect of Malory's Lancelot was that he was presented as a human being. He strove for perfection, and indeed did succeed in Malory's version by being the strongest and bravest, however he faltered at times. This, I feel, is a mimicry of reality; while a majority of us want to be the best, mistakes are made and lessons are to be learnt - much like Lancelot learns when he fails to obtain the Holy Grail. Despite this, however, I found that as Malory refuses to condemn Lancelot and Gwinyvere for their adulterous acts, he forces the story futher from reality, as an act such as this would not go unpunished in my world. This strays from where I am able to identify as while I can sympathise for Lancelot's debacle, if such a situation arose in real life it would play out quite differently I think.
ReplyDeleteI think Lancelot proves to be an interesting figure among Arthur’s knights. He is a source of admiration for his chivalrous and honourable nature, but at the same time the reader is aware of the frailty of his human nature. Most of us would not be able to identify with Galahad whose lofty nature causes him to seek purely after spiritual fulfilment at the expense of earthly pleasures. However, Lancelot is more relatable for his desire to be the best, and also for his experiences of failure because of his human imperfection.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways he can be regarded as a kind of tragic hero; an otherwise perfect individual who possess one flaw (his love for Guinevere, which is ironically is also his greatest virtue as demonstrated by constancy and devotion to her), that causes his greatest failure (his unsuccessful Grail quest) and the destruction of Arthur’s kingdom. Lancelot’s predicament, to quote Shakespeare can be summed up as one ‘who loved not wisely but too well’.
Furthermore, the character of Lancelot also offers the reader a kind of hope of redemption as is demonstrated by his healing of Sir Urry which is the result of the grace of God and by his holy life in a monastery for which he is rewarded by being taken up into heaven.
Since Lancelot’s story takes place in a completely different world to ours, I believe it is impossible to relate to him on every level. The extent that I can identify with him would be in his desire for perfection and his need for redemption which I think we all strive for as human beings.
Malory's representation of Lancelot is one that is one that I can identify with in some areas, but not all. Lancelot's ability to endeavour to become the best he could be, despite his flaws and his failed quest of finding the Holy Grail, is one that I think most people could identify with, in that it can be easy to give up, but more rewarding to carry on. However, his devotion to Gwinevere is one that I cannot identify with, as it is an act of betrayal which goes unpunished by Malory. There are only some aspects of Malory's Lancelot are identifiable to me overall.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Lancelot as appears within Mallory’s Le Morte d’Arthur can be identified with on a number of levels as has been expressed above, but it is the aspects that I cannot identify with that, I find, make him such an interesting character. His undying love for Guinevere and, through this, his betrayal of his lord King Arthur, are aspects of his character that elude my understanding of his chivalrous nature. The lack of punishment for their betrayal within the text is hard to come to terms with in our modern world, which is defined by its justice system. Yet it is these very aspects that make the story such compelling reading. That the reader can relate to the mortal, chivalrous nature of Lancelot and his strive for unattainable perfection and yet still be distanced by his adulterous relationship with Guinevere creates a tension that makes the work such a literary success.
ReplyDeleteSure. Who doesn't know what it's like to be tugged in all sorts of directions? Lancelot is a nice, loyal and well-meaning individual caught between a rock and a hard place, but unfortunately he never learned the value of prioritizing things.
ReplyDeleteI can relate quite strongly to him, but where I depart from relating to him is how he resolved things - i.e didn't really. He lacked the strength of will to commit to his path - or, to put it another way, he let love get in the way of his quest. Which would have been fine, but he lacked the cajones to stand up and stick by his choice. Like a lot of 'good guy' characters, I found him a bit wishy washy.
The story of Lancelot which is expressed within Le Morte d'Arthur, can be read in a number of ways yet I believe that everyone can find at least one empathetic element within the character of Lancelot to which we can identify within ourselves. One these elements for me is Lancelot's determination (in his case to find the Holy Grail), and despite setbacks and ultimate failure, this determination never wavered. Furthermore, Lancelot is considered immensely human - perhaps why he could never find the illusive Holy Grail - and because of this, his mistakes as well as his successes can be viewed as purely human qualities that we all can identify with. This element is probably the most identifiable trait that I connect myself with to Lancelot as he, like me, make mistakes as well as triumphs as a part of the human experience.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as stated above, Mallory's 'glossing-over' of some elements of the story, particularly Guinevere & Lancelot's adulterous relationship, and in doing so does not condemn their 'sin'. This is a largely un-relatable topic in our society, as literature today tends to play on the rule of 'Action - Consequence'. However, we must remember that Lancelot lives in a different world to us and that we cannot understand or identify with all aspects of his story but the ones that depict his intensely human nature.
It is beyond dispute that, despite his failings, Lancelot is presented as a noble and virtuous knight. As Steinbeck states, "All of the perfections [Malory] knew went into this character", though "being an honest man he found faults in himself" which "naturally find their way into his dream character". I suspect that this comment about "being an honest man" is at the heart of why so many of us, and certainly I, can relate to Lancelot. His failures make Lancelot in some ways a symbol of human imperfection. Such imperfections make Lancelot identifiable with those of us who have never experienced such ability and renown.
ReplyDeleteI do relate to Lancelot, though whether that connection has any substance in fact, or is merely based on hopeful optimism, is debatable. I suspect that all of us would like to relate ourselves to Lancelot. Most of us like to believe ourselves noble, and largely honest. Most of us, further, like to believe that if put in a situation requiring reckless bravery in pursuit of our principles, we would rise to the challenge. Lancelot is certainly a man of principle. He has a strong sense of duty, which comes into conflict with his even stronger sense of love for Guinevere. This conflict renders Lancelot a flawed hero - far more relatable than a perfect one.
As mentioned above, Lancelot's striving to be the best he can be is a trait that makes me identify with him, though I feel that this is a common human experience and Lancelot is not dissimilar to most heroes in this regard.
Probably the greatest area in which I fail to identify with Lancelot is his ruthless adherence to principle, such as when he declares his former friend Tristram his "mortall enemy" after Tristram marries another woman. In this sense though, I feel that Lancelot is simply a man of his times - times where duty and loyalty were or much greater social importance than they are today.
As others have said, i think we as people in this day and age can relate to Lancelot, maybe not at a personal level, but at a human level. Like the majority of people, Lancelot strives to be the best he can be, and similarly the human element that comes through in the fact that he is not perfect and did makes mistakes. Lancelot fails to obtain the Holy Grail and many people encounter failures in their own live, no one is perfect which proves a strong link to people today.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect of humanity, is that of greed and selfishness. Although Lancelot was said to be a chivalrous Knight, he succumbed to his own desires pertaining to that of Guinevere, and betrayed his Lord King Arthur.
A large part of Lancelot's appeal is derived from the fact that despite his heroic attempts to live up to the Arthurian code of chivalry, with its service to others, unselfishness and courage, Lancelot ultimately fails. One could see this failure as submitting to temptation- his love for Guinevere overcomes his honour and loyalty to King Arthur. As temptation is a universal concept, people throughout the ages have been able to identify with the human, fallible character of Lancelot far more than they have been able to identify with the (unattainable) perfection of Arthur. Furthermore, it is singularly unusual for anyone to find a happy relationship absolutely free of trials or complications, and therefore Lancelot and Guinevere’s relationship (whilst we may not agree with it morally) is still comprehensible in their desire and failure to find a resolution to their problems.
ReplyDeleteI most heartily do identify with Lancelot's character, in so much as I am a woman and he is a man. I think Lancelot's character is a great depiction of the person, continually strivng for perfection in all things but never succeeding due to conflicts of interest. Although, I do think that he succeeds to some extent in the love department with Guinevere, although in doing so he is undoubtedly doomed to fail in all his other endeavours, but he still tries. I think it is his persistence in the face of impending failure that is most admirable and likeable about his character, it may also be the most relatable aspect of his character as well. Many, if not most people, fall in love (or think they do) as a consequence they do many silly and perhaps irrational things which they would not otherwise do, for example Lancelot, he would not knowingly betray his king under any other circumstance than love, would he? Surely not. The fact that it is love that is Lancelot's undoing makes it all the more easier to identify with, it makes Lancelot human in every sense, and not superhuman or the 'ideal' which Arthur is usually represented to be. In contrast to Arthur, who we are forever failing to emulate, Lancelot provides us with some comfort, showing us what it is to be human through his failings and imperfections, reassuring us that just because we do not always stick to our principle, uphold our morals and are exemplary citizens does not mean that we are bad people. And that is why I and I think most other peole can and do identify with Malory's Lancelot.
ReplyDeleteI think Lancelot's character is extremely easy to identify with; not so much in that it is easy to compare our own lives with him, but because Lancelot's aspirations are so noble and he is always persisting to attain his goals, in a way that can be admired and that many people would wish to act themselves. However, I believe that few could actually relate to Lancelot in relation to their own actions; he is a role model, someone to look up to and respect, to strive to be like, and that is what makes him easy to relate to. Lancelot does not always succeed, and this highlights his imperfections as a human, as opposed to Arthur who is seen more unattainable because of his messianic qualities and bravery. Lancelot has his faults, but somehow atones for them; his love for Guinevere would break the bond of marriage she has with his King, but as he is so unwavering in his devotion to her, and as he sacrifices the Holy Grail due to his love for her, it becomes something pure and holy. Lancelot is brave, chivalrous, but is also aware of his own flaws and strives to be better. It is this acceptance of his whole self, all aspects of it, that encourages readers to embrace his character as we so often are aware of our own flaws, but strive to better ourselves too.
ReplyDelete