Working Title: “Alas That I Ever Was Against Thee!”: The Trouble With Arthurian Honor

In my paper, I will be examining the events of Malory’s Morte D’Arthur alongside Meg Cabot’s novel Avalon High. Avalon High presents Arthurian characters reincarnated in a modern high school setting, and presents the same issues that plague Arthurian court in Malory’s text, such as Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair and Mordred’s betrayal. Ultimately, in this modern text, Arthur overcomes Mordred and his court stays together. This success stems from his forgiving Lancelot and Guinevere for their affair rather than fighting with them, a marked difference from the events of Morte D’Arthur. This suggests an alternate path that Arthur could have taken in the original text, one that shifts the values the original story prioritizes.

The actions that Arthur does take in the Morte D’Arthur stems from his adherence to chivalric values, primarily honor. Malory’s text exposes the clash of such values with Christian values in multiple places, and this break between Lancelot and Arthur is certainly one. Forgiveness is a key Christian value, but neither Arthur nor Gawain wish to forgive Lancelot for his misdemeanors, something which they both come to regret as they die. However, in the moment, they choose chivalric notions of honor over Christian teachings of forgiveness. Reprioritizing these conflicting values could have led to a different ending for Arthur and the Round Table, which the modern text exposes.

I intend to investigate the events of these two stories and show how the differences in Avalon High all stem from those characters’ different priorities. Sources such as Sarah Hill’s “Recovering Malory’s Guinevere” provide excellent juxtapositions of the chivalric code and Christian values, which I intend to utilize in my discussion. Hill suggests that when the chivalric code comes into conflict with Christian ideals, the chivalric code wins out and violence ensues. It is this prioritization and subsequent violence that leads to the fall of Arthur’s court. Alternatively, we see in Malory’s text that Arthur and Lancelot’s fight can only be stopped temporarily by the divine power of the Pope, a physical representation of Christian values. I intend to investigate how the intersection of these two conflicting sets of values alters the outcome of Arthur’s story.

In our reading for today, we encountered a very familiar episode in the story of Lancelot and Guinevere. Meliagaunt’s kidnapping of Guinevere and Lancelot’s subsequent response closely mirror Chretien’s Knight of the Cart, but there are some key differences, such as Meliagaunt’s attitude towards Lancelot. How do the differences in the tale change your perception of the story (characters, motivations, etc.)?

Like in so many other texts we’ve read this semester, in this story, we see a measured, reserved Arthur, particularly in the scene when the knights accuse Guinevere of poisoning the apples. Arthur refuses to judge the matter because he cannot be impartial, so he asks another knight to fight for her honor in a trial by combat. Of course, Lancelot fights for her, but we as the readers know that he is not impartial either. Does this make Arthur appear a worse lover or Lancelot a less honest man? Does the fact that Arthur must put what is best for the kingdom above what is best for Guinevere mean that one cannot be both the best king and the best courtly lover? What do we do with the fact that Lancelot is so flawed (which is continuously pointed out) and Arthur seems to not be?

Consider the depiction of Arthur in the three romances that have taken place at his court (Lanval, Lancelot, and Yvain). What does Arthur’s role tell us about the medieval understanding of the monarchy’s role in society? How do Arthur’s actions, or lack thereof, color our perception of his significance in these three tales?

At the very end of “Lanval,” he and his lady ride off to Avalon, never to be seen again, even though Lanval has been cleared of all charges. Why do you think that is? What do you think is the significance of Lanval’s departure?

This text relies heavily on the concept of fate and prophecy. In the beginning, Merlin offers a prophetic glimpse into Britain’s political future. Towards the end, King Hoel reminds us that the prophecies declare that the Roman Empire shall be held by “three persons, natives of Britain.” What does this emphasis on prophecy tell us about Geoffrey of Monmouth’s possible motivations for writing this piece? Why is it so important that Arthur is a king who has been anticipated by prophecies, or that the British conquests have been told by an oracle?