In “The Tale of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guenivere,” Malory presents a complicated vision of love. Queen Guenivere and Lady Elaine of Ascolat represent very different versions of female devotion. On the one hand, Guenivere is Lancelot’s lady; he is consistently devoted to her. Malory likens their love to the month of May and claims that “old love was not so; for men and women could love together seven years and no lecherous lusts were betwixt them, and then was love truth and faithfulness,” which seems oddly forgiving of Lancelot and Guinevere’s adulterous relationship (444). Yet for all of the love and devotion Lancelot bestows upon his queen, she is catty, jealous, and quick to anger.
When Lancelot attempts to divert attention from them in the face of gossip, Guenivere calls him a “false recreant knight and a common lecher” and exiles him from court (404). Later, Guenivere seems to recognize the danger of gossip and sends Lancelot from her to the tournament at Camelot/Winchester (415). She becomes enraged again, however, when she learns that Lancelot wore Elaine’s token during the tournament and accuses him of betraying her (425). After reconciling yet again, she orders him to wear her own sleeve of gold in all future tournaments (437). Indeed, the tale seems to be punctuated with episodes of Guenivere’s anger and episodes in which she relies upon Lancelot to rescue her.
In contrast, Lady Elaine represents an ideal lady, devoted to her love. Gawain notes that “the Fair Maiden of Ascolat loveth him (Lancelot) marvelously well” (425). During Lancelot’s convalescence, Elaine “watched him day and night, and did such attendance to him that the French book saith there was never woman did never more kindlier for man” (427). She certainly did far more to care for his needs than Guenivere ever did. She would seem to be an obvious choice for Lancelot to take as a wife; Sir Bors notes that Lancelot should do so, since she is “a passing fair damosel, and well beseen and well taught” (429). Lancelot, however, had vowed to take no wife, and dismisses Elaine’s devotion. When she begs to be his wife or his paramour, he offers instead to provide her an income for her heirs. This is an interesting offer, since Elaine has vowed that she must die without his love. Considering that Lancelot operates with a very similar mindset in regards to Guenivere, it is somewhat surprising that he is so unsympathetic to Elaine’s declaration. He tells the queen that she has often “been displeased with me causeless, but, madam, ever I must suffer you. But what sorrow that I endure, ye take no force” (436). Lancelot serves his queen and is prepared to die for her just like Elaine is prepared to suffer for Lancelot. Elaine’s only crime, it seems, is loving Lancelot too much. The same can be said of Lancelot, whose love for Guenivere sparks the ultimate downfall of Camelot.
In light of these relationships, what can we say about love? The love of Guenivere and Lancelot destroys the people who love them – both Arthur and Elaine die as a result of Guenivere and Lancelot’s affair. Lancelot in particular could be said to turn his back on his duty and knightly obligations because of love. And what can we say about women? Guenivere is depicted harshly, with little to recommend her to Lancelot’s undying devotion. Elaine, in contrast, seems the ideal maiden, but Lancelot cannot love her when he already loves Guenivere.
Christine, your post draws our attention to the question of what love is good for in Le Morte Darthur – or, in other words, how it functions in this social, symbolic, and narrative economy. Love does not, for the most part, seem to function as a means to happy endings, but rather as a source of desire and of narrative continuation. Lancelot’s relationship to Guenivere is paradigmatic of this – after all, what happy ending could they have? Their desire for one another is part of a perpetual destabilization of the status quo, leading to new adventures and the continuation of the Arthurian story-cycle. We might think about what the conclusion of the story means in light of this narrative structure. How or why is Lancelot’s and Guenivere’s love finally unsustainable? Elaine’s love represents the best of what Lancelot rejects in all the women he turns down in the course of the romance: unconditional affection, physical and emotional care, selflessness and self-sacrifice…. As Christine points out, Guenivere’s doesn’t offer these things, instead acting as a perpetually elusive love-object, always withdrawing or being threatened. We might think about why Lancelot is able to survive even when Guenivere withdraws from him, but Elaine promptly wastes away from unrequited love.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as Dan’s post compels us to think about, we should keep in mind questions of “TRUTH.” In the late Middle Ages, the word “trouthe” sometimes meant “personal fidelity, or faithfulness” (the more archaic sense, as in “I plight thee my trothe,” an old marriage vow) and sometimes meant “conformity to fact, factuality” (the sense we’re more familiar with). Lancelot’s “truthfulness” is represented in Le Morte in very complicated fashion. How do love and truth intersect with one another, or diverge? I think this is particularly relevant in interpreting Lancelot’s various episodes of judicial combat (which Dan discusses in his post) as well as the episode involving Elaine, which turns upon signs – from her sleeve to the letter she grasps in her dead hands.
There seems to be a double standard with women in this story, as both of these women are being used. While Lancelot somewhat rejects Guinevere's advances eventually, he had maintained a long, lusty relationship with her that was the subject of much gossip. Lancelot's treatment of these two women sets a double standard, both for him, and for the women. While he ends his relationship with Guinevere in order to preserve her honor, he seemingly begins a relationship with Elaine in order to disguise himself (although wearing her sleeve during battle can hardly be called a relationship). He attempts to maintain one's honor while using the other seemingly as a means to an end, since he tells Elaine "I cast me never to be a wedded man," and "of these two things ye must pardon me." (432-433) These answers to Elaine's proposition of marriage and Lancelot being her paramour show him to completely write her off. However, this devotion Elaine has towards Lancelot is completely different from Guenevere's selfish love for him.
DeleteI think that Guenevere and Lancelot's relationship throughout Le Morte Darthur was meant to be a sort of guidebook to proper (and certainly improper chivalry). It almost reminded me of a modern soap opera relationship--full of drama and destructive love. The love triangle between Arthur, Guenevere, and Lancelot reminded me of The Knights Tale, where emotional love can turn to the ultimate destruction. Merlin, who is meant to symbolize (in my opinion) the conscious and a sort of responsibility, even warns Arthur of Guenevere from the beginning--"But Merlin warned the king covertly that Guenever was not wholesome for him tot ake to wife, for he warned him that Launcelot should love her, and she him again." I find it interesting that Guenevere is completely blamed for the affair, and Launcelot isn't held nearly as responsible as she is. The death of Arthur and falling of the empire at the end of the tale is thought to be a direct result of this "unwholesome" woman. This certainly isn't the only instance where we see the woman being "blamed" for the downfall of an empire or other awful consequences (think Helen of Troy, Cleopatra, etc.). It almost seems to be a commentary on the power of a woman's sexuality. She who is "unwholesome" (or greatly desired) is seen as dangerous--a threat to the power of man. While Guenevere is certainly to blame in the affair, Both Launcelot and Arthur failed to "steer clear" of this woman whom them were both warned about. Guenevere acts as a distraction, "Sir Launcelot began to resort unto Queen Guenever again, and forgat the promise and the perfection that he made in the quest"--another example where Launcelot cannot control himself despite what is "most chivalrous" or right. I don't think all of the blame for their affair can be placed on any singular person, but I certainly believe that Launcelot's poor judgement has certainly allowed the dysfunctional relationship with Guenevere to persist. He ignored the "fair lady" Elaine, who was the best (or most responsible) choice for him, and fell for the woman whom he was forbidden to love. I think this is more of a commentary on human nature (think, forbidden fruit syndrome) rather than a commentary on love. It shows man's inability to suppress his irresponsible desires.
ReplyDeleteI also found the characterization of Love to be a bit strange. Aside from the compulsive force of love, driving characters to great adventure and battles, what struck me was the disposition often given toward acts of Love as well as acts of Violence.
ReplyDeleteIn many parts of the Tale of Lancelot and Guinevere, the word “marvelous” is used in regards to both Love and Violence. In one of the great jousting tournaments when Lancelot disguises himself brandishing a white shield and a red sleeve, he defeats thirty knights. Sir Gawain comments “Ah, mercy Jesu… what knight is yonder that doth so marvelous deeds in that field?... I would say it were Sir Lancelot by his riding and his buffets that I see him deal; but ever me seemeth it should not be he beareth the red sleeve upon his helmet,” (418). Initially, I thought Lancelot’s prowess as a jouster was simply so impressive, the other knights could not but help regard them as marvels. However, then there arises the quote noted by Christine, “the Fair Maiden of Ascolot loveth him (Lancelot) marvelously well” (425). In each case, one of such Violence and one of such Love, the perspective characters deem them both as marvels – as mysteries and things of wonder. In first reading, I cast this linguistic correlation aside until “marvel” time and again was the preferred term in use; “it were a marvel to tell the great love” (426); “I marvel… that Sir Gareth, when he had done such deeds of arms” (431); “Sir Gareth did such deeds of arms that all men marveled” (441); etc. The repetition of “marvel” is clear deliberate in regards to both Love and Violence suggesting an inherent and binding quality shared between them.
In addition, I think attention must be given the problem of substantiating identity prominent in many of the tales (like the mishap between the brothers Balan and Balin). In the tournaments hosted by Arthur, Lancelot uses a white shield and red sleeve. In Sir Gawain’s comment, he is sure it was Lancelot yet yields to the idea that it couldn’t be because of his outward appearance. Guinever, in an attempt to rectify the love between herself and Lancelot, has him wear a gold sleeve signifying their identity as paramours. There are several times where the externalization of identity is problematic as it is often misconstrued (usually in a mix up of shields). Lancelot is known as the greatest knight in the world and it is his shield that signifies this; whereas his “betrayal” and resolution with Guinevere is embodied in the red and gold sleeves he wears. There is a heavy reliance on materials objects to recognize and define someone (in their physical presence as opposed to their reputation).
I think the end of the book punctuates this unstable means of defining oneself when Arthur has Bedivere return the Excalibur to the lake. The Excalibur was used as the physical representation of Arthur’s sovereignty over Britain. Yet, in the end, it returns from whence it came, leaving Arthur (presumably to die). So his right as King is ultimately deconstructed. In truth, the Excalibur was in temporary possession just as his rule.
So we have a fragile foundation for self-identity coupled with the astonishment of Love and Violence. What does this mean? I believe this harkens to Simone Weil’s notion of Force. In La Morte d’Arthur, this force is not so much at all anything religious. There is no real intervention to speak of by a divine character. And beside the magic of a few sorcerers and withes, they too cannot escape the fates bestowed upon. I think this force lies somewhere closer, not so much within the realm of the supernatural, but something more basic, more human – in the marvels of Love and Violence.
Love in the Morte Darthur is not the Love that we think of today. Malory uses the word love, more in the sense of lust, an impure desire. look at what happens to Merlin, who is destroyed by his desire for Nineve, a tale which follows the vagina dentata motif, this destruction in sexual desire. Then Arthur's destruction is planted earlier on with his sister Margawse producing Mordred. And of course Lancelot and Guenivere. This "Love" is a base desire that takes away from the purity of these characters, it is their fall, reduces their passion for chivalry, fighting, ruling. "We shall deface and lay apart true love for little or nought...let every man of worship flourish his heart in this world, first unto God, and next unto the joy of them that he promised his faith unto" (444). Now some may argue that that other one promises his faith unto is a lady, but I feel this refers to one's king. The knights are pledged unto God and King, to pledge oneself to a lady is to reduce this pledge. As for women, they have been presented as objectified, this faith they pledge is not unto a King, but a man, and when that man spurns their love, Lancelot and Elaine, Lancelot and that creepy lady in the Chapel Perilous, etc, then they have lost their love and faith. Sexist, yes, but then who wasn't back then?
ReplyDeleteThe contrast between Elaine and Guenivere as presented in the Morte Darthur also struck me upon reading the end of this tale. It is an odd sort of love triangle: Lancelot and Guenivere share a passionate, impossible love, forbidden by society, and then the tale presents Elaine, the young equally passionate maiden who convinces Lancelot to wear a token of her affection, a feat no other woman has managed to do. Not even Guenivere has asked Lancelot to wear a token; hardly a wise move due to the secrecy of their love. Only after the discovery of Lancelot’s agreement to wear Elaine’s token does she insist Lancelot take her gold sleeve. But it is Elaine who swears herself to Lancelot without jealousy or any sort of negative emotion; rather she “watched him day and night, and did such attendance to him that the French book saith there was never woman did never more kindlier for man.” (427) She is loyal, beautiful, virtuous…and single. And yet she is never a plausible option for Lancelot. I think this very much has to do with what Professor O discussed in her response: the impossible love of Guenivere and Lancelot is necessary to bring up the destabilization of the realm. If Lancelot were to accept that he and Guenivere could never be and were to marry Elaine, then the discovery of Guenivere’s infidelity could not begin the chain of events that would help to end Arthur’s reign. Malory does not support the idea of adultery or infidelity; he gives the example of Elaine and others to contrast with the illicit romance of Lancelot and Guenivere. But he cannot fully condemn it; he needs these characters to be sympathetic, tragic in the discovery of their love. It adds drama to the tale, keeps Lancelot in the tale as a tragic hero and helps bring the story to its close. It is a necessary evil. Poor Elaine. Perhaps her love story should be considered the most tragic of all. Her young loyal heart never stood a chance.
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