Lancelot's Identity In Sir Gawain '
Chretien creates a paradox between Lancelot's name and his identity. There is a dispute between whe he is and how he is seen through the story. This struggle between Lancelot's identity and name reflects on the various running themes of the nature of Love in the tale.
Section 1: In the aristocratic society in which Lancelot lived, one's identity was almost entirely dependent on one's name. This is why Lancelot's feat of accepting a ride in a cart is so devastating. To ride in the cart was an act of shame, as the cart was used to transport criminals. Throughout the story, there are many instances where characters, such as Gawain, insist that death is preferable to the shame of riding in a cart. Because of his actions, for much of …show more content…
the story, Lancelot is known only to us as "the Knight of the Cart." The news of Lancelot's ride in the cart spreads quickly and he isoften judged or even mocked for his actions. While no one ever addresses him as "the Knight of the Cart," it essentially becomes his name. The narrator is predominantly the one who refers to Lancelot as that shameful title, although when Lancelot arrives at the meadow where there are many people playing games he is almost immediately recognized.
"Everyone shouted, See See It's the knight Who rode in the cart " (ll. 1670-1673)
Lancelot is also recognized as the Knight of the Cart later in the story by an arrogant knight thirsty for a fight. He taunts Lancelot by asking him if he'd thought everyone had forgotten about his bout with the cart and calls him shameless and foolish. Clearly, Lancelot's decision to accept a ride in the cart tarnished his reputation. However, this decision of Lancelot's gives some insight into his true identity. Lancelot's identity is indeed that of a knight. He shows many of the qualities of the stereotypical knight throughout the text. He is generous (after the girl releases him from Meleagant's tower, he refuses the gift horse that they want to give to him and he insists that the gift be given to the two men who rode with him), courageous (his many battles), determined (he rides in the cart in order to get to Guinevere), and loyal (he returns to his prison because he gave his captor his word that he would). However, the power of Love makes him somewhat unstable. He is too trusting and a bit naive. After he leaves the Queen, he accepts a ride from a Dwarf who ends up bringing him to Meleagant. He is also so affected by Love that is drives him to a suicide attempt and also, it almost causes him to faint on two separate occasions. Lancelot's name changes over the course of the story. How the narrator refers to Lancelot is telling of how his character is being viewed at the time. When the story begins, he is referred to only as "the knight." We do not know much about him; only that he seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere. Next, he is referred to as "the Knight of the Cart" after he accepts that shameful ride. For many lines, this act is the only one we have to judge Lancelot by. At line 735, the narrator beings to use the phrase, "our knight." This is after Lancelot has a glimpse of the Queen, but cannot reach her. He is left shaken and at this point, the reader learns how deeply Lancelot's love for her runs. He is so tightly in Love's grip that he does not remember who he is, where he comes from or if he truly exists at all. All he has are the thoughts of his lovely Queen. The phrase "our knight" implies some feeling of ownership. This is due to the fact that it is at this point that the reader begins to fully empathize with Lancelot. From this point on, the narrator alternates using "our knight" and "knight of the cart." The names are not chosen randomly, though. For example, he is referred to as "our knight" when he thinks about Guinevere, when he rescues the girl from rape (lines 1101-1199), when he is honored, and when he grants the girl in the field's wish by beheading the arrogant knight. He is referred to as "the knight of the cart" only by other people (line 1671), when the author speaks directly about him (line 2340), or when he "curses himself" (line 2723). The instances where he is referred to as "the knight of the cart" predominantly have a negative connotation. On the other hand, when he does a good deed or appeals to the reader, he is called "our knight." We do not learn Lancelot's true title until line 3666. At this point, at least two characters had begged to learn his name, but they were both denied. When we learn Lancelot's name, he is fighting Meleagant for the first time. A girl who is enamored with him asks the Queen if she knows who he is, and then Queen replies, "...As long As I've known him, this knight's name Has been Lancelot of the Lake."
It is fitting that the Queen is the one who finally reveals his name, because she is such a huge part of his identity. The name Lancelot is well-known; Lines 2299- 2307 tell of rumors of "...a knight who's fought All over the world... ...and no one's Strong enough to block His way, he goes wherever He wants, no matter who tries To stop him. And they say he'll free All the prisoners, and grind The others into the ground."
He is a legendary knight.
The fact that he insisted on going through his journey anonymously is symbolic of Lancelot's life without his Love. For the first half of the story he is without a name and without his Queen. When they are finally in the same area, he becomes Lancelot. Only with her by his side can he be the strong, loyal knight that everyone knows him to be. Once we know Lancelot's true identity, we are able to fully appreciate the stark contrast between his name for the first half of the book and his selfhood. He was known as "the knight of the cart." With that title came shame and judgement. The irony is that while people called him this and judged him, he was, in reality, possibly the best knights to exist. Knightly honor is one of the main themes that runs throughout the story. King Bademagu is a man concerned with "keeping the laws of knighthood," which include being honorable, noble and, in all ways, good. The most important characteristic a knight must have is pureness of heart. This is why Meleagant could never be considered one of the best knights. While he is fearless and strong, his heart was "as cold as a stone, devoid of pity" (ll. 3171-72). Lancelot is the sheer opposite of Meleagant. While just as strong, Lancelot is portrayed as a good man and pure of heart. He does not relish the thought of killing people and is often seen granting people mercy in the story. Meleagant is the one who should be shamed, …show more content…
but Lancelot's ride in the cart created a rift between his identity and name.
Section 2: Lancelot's decision to accept the ride in the cart was not unfounded. A major theme of this story revolves around determining the nature of Love. And it is indeed Love that prompts Lancelot to decide to jump in the cart. One of the ongoing battles in the story is not of man vs. man, but Love vs. Reason. "Reason, which warred With Love, warned him to take care; It taught and advised him never To attempt anthing likely To bring him shame or reproach. Reason's rules come From the mouth, not from the heart. But love, speaking from deep In the heart, hurriedly ordered him Into the cart. He listened To Love, and quickly jumped in, Putting all sense of shame Aside, as Love had commanded."
The Love that Lancelot feels for Queen Guinevere simply transcends all logic. Lancelot's actions can often be seen as erratic or even dangerous, but they are motivated by Lancelot's heart. His ride in the cart is not the only occasion where Reason is defeated by Love. The end of the story showcases a tournament between many knights. Upon having just been freed by Meleagant's wife, Lancelot appears with his identity concealed. The Queen sees his red shield and orders a servant girl to go tell that knight to fight badly. She knows that if it is indeed Lancelot, he will do whatever she wills. Lancelot receives the message and obeys without question. He fights badly, with clumsy blows and heavy feet, and earns the contempt of every person present. Lancelot's love for her allows him to overcome the great dishonor of fighting as an inept knight. The battle between Love and Reason can be represented by Lancelot and Gawain. While Lancelot obviously represents Love, Gawain is the logical one. When confronted with the option to ride in the cart, he sees it as "absolute folly," and would not climb in. He opts, instead, to follow.
Lancelot's obstacles and plights are often tools for the author to determine the nature of Love. Love plays many roles in this story; it never has one absolute definition. One of the natures' of Love is that Love is pain. "Love kept scratching open The wounds he'd suffered for Love. He'd never bothered to bandage them Over, or tried to heal them." (ll. 1341 - 1344)
Love is pain in that it hurts him that he can't be with Guinevere and her memory is still fresh in his mind.
Later, though, we see another contradictory form of Love. When Lancelot crosses the sword-blade bridge, he takes off his shoes and faces the blade. He endures much pain and suffering, but then Love helps him and turns "his pain to pleasure" (ll. 3120) This shows that while Love has the potential to cause pain, it can also heal. Another facet of Love is it's power over men. It is described as the most potent weakness of man. One knight cries out that he would "rather strip [his] shield of every buckle and strap, and lose all faith in [himself]...than give up this girl [he] loves." (ll. 1725 - 1730) Lancelot himself is ashamed when one of the many women he encounters on his trip sees him weakened by Love's grip (ll. 1454-55). Love causes him to be so sad that for a moment, "the blood in his face disappeared, and his mouth could not move. The girl slipped from her horse and ran to his side as fast as she could, to hold him up and keep him from falling." (ll. 1440-46) Clearly, Love has an especially strong hold on Lancelot. So strong is it that after the false news of Guinevere's death, Lancelot haphazardly attempts suicide. Finally, one last theme of Love is that Love conquers all. Love can transcend any boundaries, including of course, the adulterous relationship between Lancelot and Guinevere. Their relationship seems pure because Lancelot is so immersed in
it, but in reality their relationship is a very dangerous one. After Meleagant discovers the blood on the Queen's bed, he's quick to accuse her of adultery with Sir Kay. She lies and even gets Lancelot to lie on his behalf, despite the fact that lying is not becoming of a knight. Lancelot even makes a false oath in order to protect not only Sir Kay, but also the dignity of the Queen. Even at the end of the story, after Lancelot has escaped from his prison, the two lovers have to restrain from running to each other. Thus, Love has the power to do many things: to hurt, to heal, to weaken and to overcome. Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart is a story which, at the heart, contains epic battles between men, between Love and Reason, and between name and identity. Lancelot's journey to find his Queen sees him through many hardships; all of which demonstrate the contrast between his name and his selfhood. His obstacles, in turn, create a paradox of Sir Lancelot as he learns first-hand the true natures of Love.
Section 1: In the aristocratic society in which Lancelot lived, one's identity was almost entirely dependent on one's name. This is why Lancelot's feat of accepting a ride in a cart is so devastating. To ride in the cart was an act of shame, as the cart was used to transport criminals. Throughout the story, there are many instances where characters, such as Gawain, insist that death is preferable to the shame of riding in a cart. Because of his actions, for much of …show more content…
the story, Lancelot is known only to us as "the Knight of the Cart." The news of Lancelot's ride in the cart spreads quickly and he isoften judged or even mocked for his actions. While no one ever addresses him as "the Knight of the Cart," it essentially becomes his name. The narrator is predominantly the one who refers to Lancelot as that shameful title, although when Lancelot arrives at the meadow where there are many people playing games he is almost immediately recognized.
"Everyone shouted, See See It's the knight Who rode in the cart " (ll. 1670-1673)
Lancelot is also recognized as the Knight of the Cart later in the story by an arrogant knight thirsty for a fight. He taunts Lancelot by asking him if he'd thought everyone had forgotten about his bout with the cart and calls him shameless and foolish. Clearly, Lancelot's decision to accept a ride in the cart tarnished his reputation. However, this decision of Lancelot's gives some insight into his true identity. Lancelot's identity is indeed that of a knight. He shows many of the qualities of the stereotypical knight throughout the text. He is generous (after the girl releases him from Meleagant's tower, he refuses the gift horse that they want to give to him and he insists that the gift be given to the two men who rode with him), courageous (his many battles), determined (he rides in the cart in order to get to Guinevere), and loyal (he returns to his prison because he gave his captor his word that he would). However, the power of Love makes him somewhat unstable. He is too trusting and a bit naive. After he leaves the Queen, he accepts a ride from a Dwarf who ends up bringing him to Meleagant. He is also so affected by Love that is drives him to a suicide attempt and also, it almost causes him to faint on two separate occasions. Lancelot's name changes over the course of the story. How the narrator refers to Lancelot is telling of how his character is being viewed at the time. When the story begins, he is referred to only as "the knight." We do not know much about him; only that he seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere. Next, he is referred to as "the Knight of the Cart" after he accepts that shameful ride. For many lines, this act is the only one we have to judge Lancelot by. At line 735, the narrator beings to use the phrase, "our knight." This is after Lancelot has a glimpse of the Queen, but cannot reach her. He is left shaken and at this point, the reader learns how deeply Lancelot's love for her runs. He is so tightly in Love's grip that he does not remember who he is, where he comes from or if he truly exists at all. All he has are the thoughts of his lovely Queen. The phrase "our knight" implies some feeling of ownership. This is due to the fact that it is at this point that the reader begins to fully empathize with Lancelot. From this point on, the narrator alternates using "our knight" and "knight of the cart." The names are not chosen randomly, though. For example, he is referred to as "our knight" when he thinks about Guinevere, when he rescues the girl from rape (lines 1101-1199), when he is honored, and when he grants the girl in the field's wish by beheading the arrogant knight. He is referred to as "the knight of the cart" only by other people (line 1671), when the author speaks directly about him (line 2340), or when he "curses himself" (line 2723). The instances where he is referred to as "the knight of the cart" predominantly have a negative connotation. On the other hand, when he does a good deed or appeals to the reader, he is called "our knight." We do not learn Lancelot's true title until line 3666. At this point, at least two characters had begged to learn his name, but they were both denied. When we learn Lancelot's name, he is fighting Meleagant for the first time. A girl who is enamored with him asks the Queen if she knows who he is, and then Queen replies, "...As long As I've known him, this knight's name Has been Lancelot of the Lake."
It is fitting that the Queen is the one who finally reveals his name, because she is such a huge part of his identity. The name Lancelot is well-known; Lines 2299- 2307 tell of rumors of "...a knight who's fought All over the world... ...and no one's Strong enough to block His way, he goes wherever He wants, no matter who tries To stop him. And they say he'll free All the prisoners, and grind The others into the ground."
He is a legendary knight.
The fact that he insisted on going through his journey anonymously is symbolic of Lancelot's life without his Love. For the first half of the story he is without a name and without his Queen. When they are finally in the same area, he becomes Lancelot. Only with her by his side can he be the strong, loyal knight that everyone knows him to be. Once we know Lancelot's true identity, we are able to fully appreciate the stark contrast between his name for the first half of the book and his selfhood. He was known as "the knight of the cart." With that title came shame and judgement. The irony is that while people called him this and judged him, he was, in reality, possibly the best knights to exist. Knightly honor is one of the main themes that runs throughout the story. King Bademagu is a man concerned with "keeping the laws of knighthood," which include being honorable, noble and, in all ways, good. The most important characteristic a knight must have is pureness of heart. This is why Meleagant could never be considered one of the best knights. While he is fearless and strong, his heart was "as cold as a stone, devoid of pity" (ll. 3171-72). Lancelot is the sheer opposite of Meleagant. While just as strong, Lancelot is portrayed as a good man and pure of heart. He does not relish the thought of killing people and is often seen granting people mercy in the story. Meleagant is the one who should be shamed, …show more content…
but Lancelot's ride in the cart created a rift between his identity and name.
Section 2: Lancelot's decision to accept the ride in the cart was not unfounded. A major theme of this story revolves around determining the nature of Love. And it is indeed Love that prompts Lancelot to decide to jump in the cart. One of the ongoing battles in the story is not of man vs. man, but Love vs. Reason. "Reason, which warred With Love, warned him to take care; It taught and advised him never To attempt anthing likely To bring him shame or reproach. Reason's rules come From the mouth, not from the heart. But love, speaking from deep In the heart, hurriedly ordered him Into the cart. He listened To Love, and quickly jumped in, Putting all sense of shame Aside, as Love had commanded."
The Love that Lancelot feels for Queen Guinevere simply transcends all logic. Lancelot's actions can often be seen as erratic or even dangerous, but they are motivated by Lancelot's heart. His ride in the cart is not the only occasion where Reason is defeated by Love. The end of the story showcases a tournament between many knights. Upon having just been freed by Meleagant's wife, Lancelot appears with his identity concealed. The Queen sees his red shield and orders a servant girl to go tell that knight to fight badly. She knows that if it is indeed Lancelot, he will do whatever she wills. Lancelot receives the message and obeys without question. He fights badly, with clumsy blows and heavy feet, and earns the contempt of every person present. Lancelot's love for her allows him to overcome the great dishonor of fighting as an inept knight. The battle between Love and Reason can be represented by Lancelot and Gawain. While Lancelot obviously represents Love, Gawain is the logical one. When confronted with the option to ride in the cart, he sees it as "absolute folly," and would not climb in. He opts, instead, to follow.
Lancelot's obstacles and plights are often tools for the author to determine the nature of Love. Love plays many roles in this story; it never has one absolute definition. One of the natures' of Love is that Love is pain. "Love kept scratching open The wounds he'd suffered for Love. He'd never bothered to bandage them Over, or tried to heal them." (ll. 1341 - 1344)
Love is pain in that it hurts him that he can't be with Guinevere and her memory is still fresh in his mind.
Later, though, we see another contradictory form of Love. When Lancelot crosses the sword-blade bridge, he takes off his shoes and faces the blade. He endures much pain and suffering, but then Love helps him and turns "his pain to pleasure" (ll. 3120) This shows that while Love has the potential to cause pain, it can also heal. Another facet of Love is it's power over men. It is described as the most potent weakness of man. One knight cries out that he would "rather strip [his] shield of every buckle and strap, and lose all faith in [himself]...than give up this girl [he] loves." (ll. 1725 - 1730) Lancelot himself is ashamed when one of the many women he encounters on his trip sees him weakened by Love's grip (ll. 1454-55). Love causes him to be so sad that for a moment, "the blood in his face disappeared, and his mouth could not move. The girl slipped from her horse and ran to his side as fast as she could, to hold him up and keep him from falling." (ll. 1440-46) Clearly, Love has an especially strong hold on Lancelot. So strong is it that after the false news of Guinevere's death, Lancelot haphazardly attempts suicide. Finally, one last theme of Love is that Love conquers all. Love can transcend any boundaries, including of course, the adulterous relationship between Lancelot and Guinevere. Their relationship seems pure because Lancelot is so immersed in
it, but in reality their relationship is a very dangerous one. After Meleagant discovers the blood on the Queen's bed, he's quick to accuse her of adultery with Sir Kay. She lies and even gets Lancelot to lie on his behalf, despite the fact that lying is not becoming of a knight. Lancelot even makes a false oath in order to protect not only Sir Kay, but also the dignity of the Queen. Even at the end of the story, after Lancelot has escaped from his prison, the two lovers have to restrain from running to each other. Thus, Love has the power to do many things: to hurt, to heal, to weaken and to overcome. Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart is a story which, at the heart, contains epic battles between men, between Love and Reason, and between name and identity. Lancelot's journey to find his Queen sees him through many hardships; all of which demonstrate the contrast between his name and his selfhood. His obstacles, in turn, create a paradox of Sir Lancelot as he learns first-hand the true natures of Love.