Lancelot kinda shady

"And I swear that you lie," said Lancelot, "and I further swear that he never slept with her or touched her. And if it please God, may He show His righteousness by taking vengeance on whichever of us has lied." (Troyes 160)

Illustrated by Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Role of Religion

In our readings thus far and most recently, a question that keeps occurring to me is "What role does religion play throughout the stories of King Arthur?"

"By the faith I owe St. Peter, I'll not listen to your advice in this affair. Indeed, I'd deserve to be torn apart by horses if I did as you suggest. If he is seeking his honor, so do I seek mine; if he is seeking his renown, so do I see mine; if he is eager for battle, I am a hundred times more so." (Troyes, 160).

"The foreign maidens from the kingdom of King Arthur had all fasted three days and had gone barefoot in hairshirts so that God might give strength and courage to their knight, who was to do battle against his enemy on behalf of the captives. In like manner, the natives of this land prayed that God might give honor and victory in the battle to their lord." (Troyes, 161).

Rough Day For The Knight

"He jousted with a knight he encountered coming at him and hit him with such a blow in the eye that he struck him dead. The vavasor's younger son dismounted, took the dead knight's horse and armor, and outfitted himself properly and skillfully" (Kibler, 137).

Lancelot is pretty cool

While reading this for today, I found myself genuinely enjoying Lancelot’s character. This is something that is quite rare for me. I find that I generally feel indifferent towards characters within readings I have to do for school, especially from texts that are not modern. I found Lancelot’s traits to be very interesting, and how he let his character guide him and his morals. For example, when he is torn between sparing the knight he had defeated or giving the girl who wanted the knight’s head what she wanted. “Generosity and Compassion demand that he satisfy them both, for he is equally generous and merciful,” he said on page 140. I suppose this regard for his values is what makes him a truly good knight, though. Had he simply ignored the needs and wishes of others, he would not be very chivalrous, would he? It was very refreshing to actually enjoy reading a text for the character and their adventures, rather than simply forcing myself to read because it’s required.

Perhaps I’ve gravitated towards Lancelot as a character because of my interest in other stories involving knights, for example, Zelda or Fire Emblem. I guess that just goes to show, people will always be interested in hearing stories about the same character, over and over again. The question here, then, is why that is.

Unruffled is Lancelot

This is the first time the reader is introduced to Lancelot, a man that moves without reason. On page 119 there is a scene that truly shows the type of knight Lancelot is. After being ostracized for riding in a cart Lancelot sleeps in a bed, disregarding the woman's wishes. That night, "a lance like a bolt of lightning came hurtling at him point first and nearly pinned the knight through his flanks" (Chrétien de Troyes 119). With everything engulfed in fire Lancelot does what any normal person would do and throws the lance out of the room and puts out the fire with ease. This scene truly encapsulates Lancelot's character. No matter what obstacle is thrown at him, he calmly finds a solution for it, this is seen when he runs out of horses and when he moves the tombstone. Lancelot is described as a knight that will not let anything stop him. This is contrasted with the character of Gawain. He is more hesitant when it comes to difficult situations. The foil seen between these two characters demonstrates how untamed and gallant Lancelot is and the discipline Gawain has. Lancelot is described as fearless and victorious as the story progresses. If this were to be any other person riding in a cart, they would be shunned. Lancelot's ability to make people alter their perspective comes naturally to him; the author makes Lancelot a knight that will be respected by all he comes in contact with by way of his actions. 

Reason who? I only know love

"Reason, who dared tell him this, spoke from the lips, not from the heart; but Love, who held sway within his heart, urged and commanded him to climb into the cart at once. Because Love ordered and wished it, he jumped in; since Love ruled his action, the disgrace did not matter" (Chrétien 117).