Camelot Crumbles

Not to bring up politics but…I relate this ending scenario of Camelot to today’s political problems. Today I see our political world as broken, quarrelsome, and a complete mess. Funny how today, we can still easily relate to the medieval times of King Arthur and the Round Table.

From Malory’s excerpt explaining the downfall of Camelot, their opposing views and sides that each knight choses to be on (Lancelot or King Arthur) creates a large dispute. This dispute broke the world which they all once thrived in. Sir Gawain says to King Arthur, “My good uncle, it was my pride and my stubbornness that brought all this about, for had I not urged you to war with Sir Lancelot your subjects would not now be in revolt” (Malory 519). The anger and opposing opinions lead to the death of many important characters that we have been following.

Also, like our political world today, people of higher power—the knights of the Round Table—betray their position in which they serve and create worse situations. Sir Modred should have never betrayed his own father like he did.

In my opinion, I believe Camelot will never come back from such a tragedy due to the destruction in their system and the loss of their King.

 

Simping in King Arthur

“Sir Gawain, while you stand on your two feet I will not gainsay you; but I will never strike a knight who has fallen. God defend me from such dishonor!” (494). I took this quote from a fight scene between Sir Gawain and Lancelot, and I thought about juxtaposing the two as the most respected knights of the round table. This is another situation where I said to myself “wow, how chivalrous of Lancelot! He is truly embodying what it means to be a knight… once again. He’s really making Sir Gawain look pretty shitty!” But I had to stop myself and think a bit. Sir Gawain, as we’ve seen in The Green Knight, represented undying loyalty and what it means to be humble. He also has been very adamant with his religious chastity, though there has been temptation. Lancelot, as we have seen time and time again, represents unfaltering chivalry and basically everything else. But, Lancelot’s love for Guinevere is not very knight-like. Both knights embody what it means to be a knight, but their ideas on courtly love seem very, very different. Lancelot is supposed to be the knight that embodies it all, and therefor he is the best. In these characters I think that we can definitely see the clash between knighthood and courtly love. 

Warning not to fight

In Arthur's vision from Sir Gawain, he tells him not to go into battle as it will cost him his life. Why do you think that Arthur still gave the order to fight as soon as a sword was unsheathed? Do you think that it was actually an accident that the sword was unsheathed or do you think that it was a ruse from Modred to pressure Arthur into a battle?

What will happen to the triangle?

"...That two knights with malice in their hearts first plotted the downfall of Sir Lancelot and Queen Gwynevere; and by those plots brought about the destruction of King Arthur's Court."  I know...I know the first sentence of the reading...really?  Just let me explain.  This is the first time I have read the beginning of a reading that we have been assigned and been genuinely excited to find out what happens!  The author did a very good job of really drawing in the audience with the use of this very first sentence.  What will happen to Arthur's Court?  How will this effect the relationship triangle of Arthur, Lancelot, and Gwynevere?  All questions that the reader can ask his or herself after reading only the first sentence of this chapter.

Wine and War

Did Modred set up Arthur saying they were going to sign a treaty?

The "Great" Holy Grail Quest

I always thought that the Holy Grail Quest was the epitome of all quests. In this story it does not seem that way. Is it just me or does this quest seem quite underwhelming. What do you think? Is this how you expected the quest to be introduced or could it have been presented in a different way?

Lancelot Does not Care

When we first started reading stories about Lancelot I thought they were pretty cool and that Lancelot was going to be an awesome addition to the Round Table, I was wrong. This guy is awful. In Le Morte d'Arthur he was total jerk to Elaine. Lancelot bombarded this family and totally ruined their lives. They did so much for him only to leave them and have Elaine die of a broken heart. Elaine was a maiden that would have done anything for Lancelot, instead Lancelot is focused on the one woman he absolutely cannot be with. That is just messed up, Guinevere is just leading him on for no reason and we just constantly read about their toxic actions. It does not take much to look past one's self, but with Lancelot that seems impossible. However, the most disturbing part of this story is the end after they find out Elaine had died. Everything went back to normal and no one seemed to care that this woman had died. It was even said in the story that "she is not the first young noblewoman to break her heart over" Lancelot (467). This simple quote alluded to the fact that there had been other deaths due to Lancelot's reckless behavior. To give Lancelot some credit he never lied to her, he told her the truth that he did not want to marry her. Regardless, Lancelot obviously knows his effect on people and always uses it to his advantage by destroying their lives in the process. 

 

I'm over this s***

                 I swear to GOD, I am so over Lancelot and Guinevere. Reading this a second time made me even more frustrated. First of all, why the hell would fighting against Arthur help Lancelot and Guinevere in their pursuit to hang out together unnoticed?? So many decisions in these stories seem so so arbitrary that it is actually infuriating. Second of all, I am sick of hearing about how great, handsome, competent, and valiant Lancelot is. He is a shitty person and the fact that I am constantly having to read these long descriptions of his great qualities is so maddening. Like, this whole story was just about how Lancelot is "the one who got away", and he literally caused the DEATH of Elaine, and what was the point of all of this? So Guinevere could feel more confident in his love for her???? And Guinevere sucks too! Aside from the fact that she cheats on her husband, she is also impulsively emotional, unstable, and bitterly jealous. Lancelot even calls her out: "Madame, this is not the first time your anger has been ill-founded" (Le Morte D'Arthur 472)

        Why did people at the time like reading stories about this? Honestly, these two characters are obviously the focal point of attention for readers at the time, but they are immoral. Their actions do not align with their extensively beautiful descriptions. Why were people attracted to stories about them then? I don't know, but I like to think that people nowadays would not find themselves as engrossed with the stories of these two. Cuz I'm #overit