De Troyes: Reoccurring Events

While reading I have noticed many objects coming back into the story or that have been a constant throughout the story. One thing that I noticed was that everyone is so open and welcoming whenever they come to the door, the lady had him in and created a rape scene, then the family took the nights in and groomed his horse. Each and every time there is not a question about letting them in. The second pattern that keeps occurring is the whole cart dilemma, someone tries to put him to shame for riding in the cart over and over again.  However he stands up to it. but I thought those two things reoccuring made for a nice pattern to find within the story.

De Troyes: Personified Emotions

One point that I noticed from the De Troyes writing was the personification of emotions. I vaguely remember discussing this idea in British Literature, although I can’t remember fully the significance of it. I do feel that De Troyes’s use of the capitalized and personified emotions speaks to his writing taking place earlier than Malory’s. It becomes extremely common in the section we read for today (more so than the earlier chapter). For example, on 242, he writes Launcelot’s internal struggle by using Generosity and Compassion as battling emotions. He says, “He wishes to content them both: Generosity and Compassion demand that he satisfy them both, for he is both generous and merciful.” (242). He continues to say "One wants him to give the head to the girl who asked for it; the other urges pity and kindness." (242). This literally gives the reader an image of two characters, Generosity and Compassion, fighting with/over Launcelot. Similar instances of such personification appear throughout De Troyes's story. He also uses Love, Cowardice, Nobility, Hatred, etc to better explain his story. Although I cannot remember the exact analysis from British Literature, I feel as though De Troyes makes these emotions seem much more prominent by making them into characters and giving them actions. Instead of saying "Launcelot was jealous," he creates an overwhelming feeling of Jealousy by devoting a character to the emotion.

Knight of the Cart Part 2

The style of Chretien De Troyes differs from that of Malory in many ways first being that there are significantly less characters within this particular work versus the character overload of Malory. The female characters as Kori mentioned seem to have more knowledge in this section for example Gwynevere in the very beginning of this story on page 206 shows some considerable amount of previous knowledge about her impending fate. The writing style with the quips of the author in Chretien's writing also stands apart from Malory's story because never before do we see the author inputting insight and opinion so frequently within the store. The characters in Chretien's story particularly Launcelot seem to have more inner thought than what was portrayed by Malory. In Malory's take of the story of Arthur it seems as though the battles are rushed into for no other reason than spotting another knight in the woods where as in Chretien's story we see Launcelot debating some morals of shame and such before leaping into battle for example see page 221. Also the significance of characters like sir Kay and Sir Melegant are much more stressed in the Chretien version of this story than in the Malory version. Malory had Sir Kay and Sir Melegant as minor characters with really no higher importance that made them stand above any other character to make themselves memorable where as in the latter story they blow play huge significant roles.

Malory vs.

I feel like there are many differences between the Malory story and what we are reading now. One major difference is the fact that the girls seem to have more knowledge now then they did in Malory's. However the part of this story so far that really has me going like Oh that's different is the rape scene that was a set up. Its weird in general to read a scene like that but yet alone in an old book and a version where a knight is so strongly contemplating to help or not is weird to read. Over all I like this reading better, it is easier to read, it is easier to follow and I like how they don't give us a bunch of names to remember if the person isn't that big of a deal.

De Troyes: Launcelot's Madness

In the Malory text, the reader learns that Launcelot has a period of time where he "goes mad." This section of the book is confined to a single story, just as most of Malory's writings seem to be sections of anecdotes that may or may not connect to a larger plot. In the De Troyes writing, however, it seems that he more subtly weaves in details like Launcelot's madness. For example, on 216, De Troyes writes, "His thoughts were so deep that he forgot who he was; he was uncertain whether or not he truly existed; he was unable to reveal his own name; he did not know if he were armed or not, nor where he was going nor whence he came."(De Troyes 216). In Malory's text, Launcelot goes mad seemingly with the flip of a switch. Malory does not elaborate, as De Troyes does, on how Launcelot is feeling during his many separations from the Queen. In Malory's version, Launcelot seems much more unaffected by the Queen, save for his brief stint of insanity. He goes on adventures throughout the kingdom often, and although the pair seem to be happy to be reunited every once in a while, Malory does not provide the internal dialogue of Launcelot while he apart from the Queen, as De Troyes does. The De Troyes version of The Knight of the Cart insinuates that Launcelot is mad with grief over his separation from the Queen, and Launcelot almost makes a fatal mistake because of it when he is trying to cross the ford. The Launcelot portrayed by De Troyes is more contemplative and flawed than the one portrayed by Malory, because he has more human feelings (it seems) for the Queen, as he laments her being in danger and feels so unlike himself that he puts himself in mortal danger because of it.

Arthurian Romances: Knight of the Cart

I found this particular passage to be somewhat confusing in nature. All of the characters are basically nameless and are only referred to as "Kinghts" "maidens, or girl" all in all it makes for a very confusing plot set up and made me as the reader struggle to determine who was who when the dialogue was taking place. Aside from the awkward structure of this story the narrative style is also much different. In some sections the point of view seems to be first person where as in others there seems to be a narrator. Furthermore the fact that this entire story centers around a knight whom was not shammed but is thought to be because he was without horse and needed a ride is baffling. Why the cart holds so much shame back in this era is strange but whats even more obscure is why, when the knight had this knowledge, he decided to take a ride from the cart driver anyway. When you start to analyze other characters behavior you see that some knights of Arthur's court are depicted rather differently than they have been in previous stories. Sir kay for instance is a manipulating trickster in a way. Being able to get the queen to follow the knight who presented a challenge to the king on page 207-208 was quite a feat, yet he accomplished it with deceit quite nimbly. Sir Kay was also not held with the utmost importance in the stories we read before this one so to see him as the spark that kicks off this story is also very odd.

Malory:Le Morte D'Arthur.

This chapter really stuck me on the rash idea and the way they react to things. There was a ton of talk about how they fainted for previous chapters but I think we can turn that theme into a whole "over reacting" thing. Queen Gwynevere reacts hashly to the death and joins a nunnery yet she never really showed that she was so in love with king arthur. 

Malory: King Arthur, the Queen, and Launcelot

The beginning of the section "Le Morte D'Arthur" is extremely interesting in light of what we talked about in class on Thursday. We had discussed the possibilities of whether Arthur knew about Sir Launcelot and the Queen's affair, and if so, what actions he was likely to take. The section seems to match up well with what we had discussed. First off, the reader finds out that Arthur did in fact recognize what was happening between Launcelot and the Queen, but basically kept these facts to himself in order to prevent scandal and the queen's death. He knew that if he acknowledged the affair, he would have to lose both the Queen and Launcelot, something he did not wish to do. He says when he is first confronted with the affair: "'I suppose that to uphold my own dignity as king I must now suffer my queen to be burnt at the stake.'" (478). Clearly, he is reluctant to do so, and realizes that if no one else had discovered the relationship and it hadn't been brought to his attention, the court may have been able to go on being successful for much longer. But, similarly to what we discussed in class, Arthur also places the separation of the knights that will result from the discovery much higher than the loss of the Queen. He says,"'I regret the less the loss of my queen, for of queens I had my choice, than of our fellowship, which was surely without equal in all Christendom. Alas! that Sir Aggravayne and Sir Modred, led by the evil in their hearts, should have brought us to this.'" (480). Meanwhile, Sir Launcelot's character is also experiencing a wide range of emotions in this last section. Launcelot  had been consistently un-guilty (or so he seemed) about his affair with the Queen throughout many of the sections. In fact, he often seemed to be himself convinced that "nothing happened" when he went to her chamber at knight. But towards the end, Launcelot's guilt catches up to him. He says before he decides to die: "'I fully understood for the first time how I had betrayed them and brought each to his death through my selfish love and pride'" Launcelot (506).

Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur

While reading Le Morte d' Arthur's "chapter" of the siege of Benwick, i found the battle between Sir Launcelot and Sir Gawain most interesting. Sir Gawain is proved to have a spell that was cast on him as a child that helped him win battles. His strength would increase until noon where it would wan and this is when Sir Launcelot took his carefully awaited moment to strike. This to me seems like an unfair advantage to a knight and also made me wonder why Sir Gawain wasn't a better knight. Most of all the battle between the two knights was interesting because of how persistent Sir Gawain was. He refused to accept defeat from Sir Launcelot and unless one of them was dead he was not going to stop challenging him. To me it seems that would be embarrassing for a knight to lose repeatedly to another knight, and shameful to continually challenge said knight again and again. I also found the effect of king Arthurs on Queen Gwynevere quite interesting. She never showed over whelming love for the king so for her to join a a nunnery after he dies seemed rash. Also when she completely blows off Sir Launcelot after lusting after him throughout her husbands life completely blew my mind. On page 504 she says "my lord, we shall not kiss now, or ever; and i pray you to depart". After all the trouble she caused when she and Sir Launcelot can finally be together she chooses to revert back to her faith? seems like a poor excuse for a woman who just likes to cause trouble.

Malory: Sir Launcelot Du Lake

During this section as in others i noticed hat Malory often gives small hints of religion within his stories. Some of these are outright others however are more subtle. While reading this particular passage i began to notice that during the tale there are points where the author decided to be extremely descriptive about a journey or occurrence. I noticed briefly that the number 12 happened to be referred to a lot, which got me thinking that it was more of a symbol than a fluke thereupon the novel. On pages 121 and 122 the number twelve is given in somewhat strange context that made it jump out to me more than usual. "When she had led him through the twelve doors of the abby, she gave him his horse and armor, and directions for finding the abby." The mentioning of 12 to me does not exactly fit so the question arises is Malory trying to convey something about that number and if so what? My conclusion rests with religion, 12 referring to the 12 apostles. The number continuously shows up right after in fact on page 122 "King Bagdemagus castle was twelve miles away, and his daughter sent for him as soon as she settled Sir Launcelot." So the reader is left with the question is twelve significant? and how so.

Malory: Narrative Style

In the section "The Knight of the Cart," Malory's narrative voice seems to come through slightly more so than in the other sections we have read. Malory takes the first three paragraphs of this tale to provide some exposition to set the scene for the story, which he has not done in previous writings. For example, in "The Poisoned Apple," Malory begins with a quick statement to catch the reader up: "When all the knights who had survived the quest of the Holy Grail had returned, there was much rejoicing at Camelot." (Malory 432). This a quick, summative sentence that informs the reader of where his story is beginning. "The Knight of the Cart" is very unique in that Malory has a much longer preamble, dedicating more time and energy into "setting up" the story for the reader. He gives readers an absolute time frame, starting with "It was the month of May" (Malory 458), which is uncommon for most of the stories, which typically begin with statements like "Some time later," or "After the return of the knights." Malory also takes this time to make some generalizations or observations about human nature. He writes, "Today, we know, love is commonly as the summer or winter: brief and lewd, or cold and brittle--men cannot love seven nights but they must have their desires." (Malory 458). Malory is, for what appears to be the first time, mentioning his current place in time and the habits of men in his generation, as opposed to King Arthur's. He makes a direct comparison between the two time periods, himself saying, "In King Arthur's time..." (Malory 458). This makes this section of Malory's writing invaluable to readers who are hoping to decipher what Malory's own motives and perspectives may be, and how the lenses through which he sees the world may affect the way he retells the stories of King Arthur.

Malory: When Is Chastity Important?

The question of chastity was one that kept popping into my mind as I was reading these sections. Malory has introduced us to a number of the knight's adventures in which chastity is supremely important or a central theme to the tale. In the section "Launcelot and Elaine," the reader gains even more insight into the complex idea of chastity. As we have read in other sections, chastity in King Arthur's time was not necessarily the same as we would think of it today. While it does apply to women and largely involve them, men are not exempt from being scrutinized for their lack of virtue, as we see in the section when the knights are searching for the Holy Grail--only the most chaste knights, who have not committed a "sin of the flesh" can be successful on the quest. The plot with Elaine is extremely interesting in regards to chastity because she is very open about her wish to trick Launcelot into sleeping with her. She even reveals the plot to her father, who doesn't seem to be bothered by it. This makes clear the fact that adultery is not often perceived as a sin; more often, it is seen as serving a larger, more important purpose, such as the conception of Galahad. For example, on 338, when Launcelot discovers Elaine's trick, Elaine says, "'Sir, as you are of royal blood, I pray you have mercy upon me! Also upon your own child who is now nourished in my womb, and who, it is prophesied, will become a knight without peer in any country or age.'" Just two lines down, Sir Launcelot forgives Elaine, and Malory writes, "Sir Launcelot took her in his arms and kissed her. Elaine was not only of royal blood, but young, beautiful, and clever." (Malory 338). Clearly, the conception of Galahad overshadows Elaine's trickery, if only for the time being, as we know that it will soon cause greater problems with Queen Qwenevere. Still, Launcelot's ties to Qwenvere are unchaste as well, which creates even more questions upon the roles chastity in Malory's text.

Malory: Launcelot and Elaine

I found that through out this whole section emotions turning to love or lust or just being showed by incredibly strong gestures even if it is a little deal is a big thing throughout it, that all the caring turns into lust and all of that and even more so it seems to be a theme carried throughout the book in general. That they love someone so much that they must fight / die if they do not pick the girl they are "supposed" to choose to marry or love. As well as every time that someone seems to go off alone trouble is always around the corner and they never seem to be expecting it and just walk straight into it every time which always leaves the story open to new twists and turns or different scenarios in the same problem.

Malory: Launcelot and Elaine

I found that while reading through this particular section that everyone seems to have a slight fainting issue. It began to get somewhat ridiculous when after any small event a character was to "fall faint" for hardly any reason at all. For example on page 342 Sir Launcelot falls to the ground faint when Queen Gwynevere rebukes him for sleeping once more with Lady Elaine. It makes me wonder if the fainting is some sort of message or motif. Perhaps however it is just an overused dramatic gesture employed to show the significance of the event or hardship that the character seems to be experiencing. Also during this section Queen Gwynevere behavior seems to shift dramatically from subtly caring for sir lancelot in a revered queen-like manor to outright despair and jealousy when she finds he has lain with someone else. It seemed strange to me that Malory would take Queen Gwynevere from being a mostly decent character to becoming this outwardly defiant wannabe lover of this knight. Queen Gwynevere during these sections has hardly been lustful of Sir Launcelot so to see this behavior i felt that it was a bit shocking and out of place for the reader. For most of us however we had the preconceived notion about the queen from previous readings outside of class, which made her declaration of love for Sir Launcelot less abnormal. I feel as though first time readers without having any previous knowledge of any Arthurian tales may have been a bit blindsided by the Gwynevere-Launcelot connection in Le Morte d'Arthur.

Malory: The Tale of Sangreal

In this chapter it seems that Gods presence really takes hold. the devil manifests in many different forms. Whether it be as a beautiful temptress, elderly woman riding a serpent or a black horse with magnificent power. All of these forms seem to test the knights particularly Sir Percivale the most. No other knight has had so much trouble with the devil on their journey as sir Percivale has. so it made me question why this knight is facing so many challenges and whether or not it this is perhaps his redeeming moment in the book for past sins. It is almost as if he is trying to purify his soul by defeating the devil in so many forms and proving his worthiness to god and his fellow knights. I was also intrigued by the fact that most of the hermits within these stories are actually holy men, or give holy advice to the knights who cross paths with them. It seems strange that these knights put so much faith and trust in these people how hide themselves away in the woods. Within this section you also see the author Malory using the knights code of chivalry against them which i found superbly interesting. Sir Percivale is approached by a beautiful seemingly scorned woman and promises to be at her service. What he doesn't know is that she is actually the fallen angel Lucifer who has come to collect him and try to get him to denounce his religion. It seems as though the quest for the holy grail will not have as much external battling, as the other chapter had, but more internal struggles of good and evil; also of god versus the devil.

Malory: King Arthur's Sadness

Throughout Malory's writing, there have been many instances in which he emphasizes the brotherly love of the knights, their close connections to each other, and the honor codes to which they abide as a group. However, one of the most interesting insights into the relationships the knights have with each other comes on page 365, when the knights decide to go on their search for the Holy Grail, and King Arthur speaks up about his fear of losing his knights. He says, "Shall not our fellowship of the Round Table be irremediably broken? A fellowship I have loved better than my own life, and one which is surely unique for its peerless knights, many of whom will now ride away in search of the Holy Grail, never to return! How can I be reconciled to the dissolution of so close a fellowship, and of the ancient customs by which we have been held?" (Malory 365). This is one of the first times (in the passages we have read) that the brotherhood is mentioned by the characters themselves, rather than by Malory in a commentary way. Arthur speaks very openly about his emotions in this passage, and Malory writes that "The king wept as he spoke" (365), indicating that he is truly being open with his emotions. The knights seem to have a closeness that is unmatched by others, except possibly direct relations and biological connections. This scene seems to be an important one for analyzing the types of relationships that occurred between the males around this time period, as well as Malory's idea of what being a part of the Round Table was like.

Malory: King Arthur's Power

The question of King Arthur's power and personality is one that kept jumping into my mind as I was reading Malory's text. Assuming that the stories he writes take place in mostly chronological order (as they appear to), chapter 5 or Arthur and Accolon takes place not very long after Arthur has become king. Even if he did rule for many years previous to this occurrence, Arthur's authority over those around him--both his own knights and absolute strangers--is remarkable. At least for the time being, Arthur seems to continually have the upper hand on all situations, regardless of his loss of Merlin or even his magical sword (although he does struggle without it). His power and strength are so tremendous that he is able to overcome Accolon in battle with a broken sword, and although he does not kill him, he certainly proves his worthiness. Where did Arthur's power originate from, and how is he able to maintain it for so long? Similarly, Arthur's power in battle and throughout his kingdom leads to his authoritative nature. Many times throughout the novel he makes demands of other kings, knights, or seemingly important figures that he does not know or that do not know him. Although this is something that all of the knights do, Arthur does it best, and most often. For example, in chapter 5 after he has battled Accolon, he instructs those around him. He begins with Accolon, granting him forgiveness but swearing off Morgan Le Fay. Then he moves on to Sir Damas, saying he must "yield to your brother not only his rightful estates, together with all their appurenances, but all of your own estates as well."(77). After throughly covering Sir Damas he addresses Sir Outlake, offering him a place in his kingdom. Arthur consistently not only wins battles within these first few chapters of Malory's text, he also becomes such a strong, authoritative figure that he can command a room full of strangers to his will. It is unclear whether this quality of Arthur's is a device used by Malory, similar to other instances of exaggeration (such as the knight's horses falling dead beneath them from riding), or intended to be more sincere and legitimate.