Tuesday, March 24, 2020
What's in a Name?
In both "Knight of the Cart" and "Lady of Astolat," there is an element of namelessness. Why is it that Lancelot does not want to reveal his name? Is it because, according to Sir Gawain, he is "the greatest knight living" (464), and he has an ego? Or, does he want to hide his "celebrity status," as seems to be his reason for wearing Elaine's token (459)?
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I love that so many people are talking about this idea. I have posted a few different comments about this idea, so I won't repeat myself here (but see my comment on Brandon's post as well as Jenna's) ... but I will ask this instead. Is there a way in which Lancelot's reputation (as well as his love for Guinevere) is a kind of prison, just like the Lady's tower in the Tennyson poem? Many Arthurian tales feature Lancelot going completely mad because of the weight of others' expectations. He lives in the woods and shuns society for a long time. Can he ever be less than perfect? Can he ever stop loving Guinevere if he wanted to? How much does he owe everyone, and how much does anyone in his community owe him?
ReplyDeleteI can't say for sure because I feel like there's not enough content directly from Lancelot's perspective in order to evaluate his personal thoughts (not that I've read, at least). Instead, we have to see him from the biased perspectives of other characters. Specifically in "Fair Maid" and "Cart," Lancelot doesn't seem perturbed by the attention of others. Possibly, reading between the lines, Lancelot's desire for a disguise could indicate that. But why would he compete in the tournament if he didn't want to be recognized? Competing against his own knights could indicate unrest between himself and the others, but this wasn't made clear. If he doesn't want to carry others' expectations, then he shouldn't have competed. I'm not sure, just speculating, and I feel like I'm not making much sense.
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