I have two questions for you all:
After the holy grail we know that Lancelot is really focused on being holy again. However, it takes only to literally the first page of the next story for him to forget. After this reading, does Malory intend for us to see Lancelot as a lover or sinner? Do they have have to be mutually exclusive? Use the text to support yourself.
Secondly, completely different question: Why did Lancelot disguise himself for the tournament (this when he dressed up as one of Barnard of Ascolat’s sons)? Maybe I missed it but was he trying to prove a point? What does this anonymity( something we’ve seen before: aka knight of the cart) imply about the theme of identity?
I think Malory intends for us to see Lancelot as both a lover and a sinner. I think Lancelot going to battle on behalf of Guinevere shows he is still living for her, not God. Yet, Guinevere is innocent so he is on the righteous side of the fight. I’m also not entirely sure how I feel about Lancelot and the death of Fair Maiden of Ascolat. I think Lancelot was wrong to lead her on and use her by wearing her sleeves. He is also foolish to not realize that he is similar to the Fair Maiden of Ascolat. She only wants Lancelot even though she could marry a different knight. Lancelot wants Guinevere when he could marry the Fair Maiden of Ascolat. The Fair Maiden of Ascolat’s actions hurt her family and Lancelot’s actions hurt the Lady. They are also both willing to self sacrifice themselves for their loves. I don’t really pity Lancelot but I pity the Fair Maiden of Ascolat which is strange because they are similar. I suppose it is because the maiden does die for Lancelot and Lancelot only says he will for Guinevere. I also think his speech “I love not to be constrained to love, for love must only arise of the heart’s self, and not by none constraint.” (206) is laughable. Lancelot is trapped by his love for Guinevere yet is saying he couldn’t be trapped by the Fair Maiden of Ascolat. I don’t think anyone should be forced to be with someone they don’t love but it felt like Lancelot was blase with the maiden’s feelings. As a modern reader, Lancelot offering to pay her is insulting. I don’t know what he could of done but I think he never should have worn her sleeves. He is also not there when she dies and the court reads her letter. The absence of Lancelot made me feel like he simply didn’t care about her. Even Guinevere cared more about her but she also seemed more interested in Lancelot after knowing a beautiful maiden committed suicide for him. I think Lancelot and Guinevere are meant for each other as lovers because they are sinners.
Hi Sophia,
This reading had some parallels with The Knight of the Cart like the idea that unrequited love can make a person lose their will to keep on living. But I think it is far more similar to Hebrew text that we read which was translated from “the book of Artus’ Round Table”. The first half of the story of Lancelot and Guinevere is almost identical to the Hebrew text. The major difference between the two narratives is that there is a much greater focus on the harm that Lancelot causes to the maiden of Askalot because of Lancelot’s sinful and arrogant nature. Both of these stories also show that Lancelot is constantly trying to atone for his private sins. I believe this why Lancelot is often depicted as trying to disguise himself. Afterall Lancelot’s greatest sin is seeking glory only for himself. It is pride which is his greatest downfall. Lancelot is smart enough to realize that he is a sinful person and this puts his soul in peril over and over again which makes it necessary for him to seek forgiveness. Which is why he constantly ends up confessing his sins to hermits so they can heal him physically and spiritually. Lancelot returning to the wilderness to heal and recharge is another reoccurring theme in the tales centered around him. One interesting difference between the Hebrew text and Mallory’s narrative is the change in color of Lancelot’s Kit. The older text said Lancelot disguised himself in the red armor of a rookie knight. But in Mallory’s writing only the color of the shield he borrowed is mentioned and it is white. The Irish hermits of the early middle ages wore white cloaks made from wool and were spread throughout the wilderness of western Europe. These hermits are also referred to as warrior monks, so they are much like the many knights who gave up on warfare to become holy men like in Mallory’s stories. When Lancelot’s white shield is pierced by a spear during the tournament it nearly causes him to lose his life. The only thing that can bring him back to life and return him to his original form is the solitary monk. I don’t think Mallory intended us to see Lancelot as purely either a love or a sinner. He was an example to show us that the best of men will continually make grave mistakes and if they wish to heal they need to make a return to God whenever they falter.
Launcelot is meant to be seen as a lover and a sinner- the two are not mutually exclusive. Firstly, remember the belief system this was written in the context of. To the medieval mind, all men were inherently sinners (and women even more so). The concept of “original sin” was alive and well at this time; all humans were sinners by nature due to the disobedience of our common ancestors, Adam and Eve.
Note that this did not preclude chivalry, courtly love, or honor- all these concepts developed alongside the idea of original sin. It simply precludes ultimate goodness. with this logic, one sees no contradiction between Launcelot’s lover/sinner status- even the greatest lover is still a sinner. He is not Galahad, after all, who is beyond both.