Chretien De Troyes "lancelot"

The Man, The Myth, The Legend:

Chrйtien de Troyes' Lancelot

The romance of Lancelot and Guinevere has endured for many years and has been told in different languages to different generations. The pure, undying love Lancelot carries for his lady seems to spark fascination in people's hearts and minds. It is the reflection of courtly love pitted against reason that keeps each retelling fresh. Lancelot is moved from a mere character to a legendary figure because of this. Chrйtien de Troyes' Lancelot faces many obstacles, leaving the reader to ask: is Lancelot a true hero, or merely a man put into extraordinary situations, flaws and all? Or perhaps he is just a victim of fate. In The Knight of the Cart we see Lancelot at his best- and perhaps worst.

Since the story of Lancelot has so many different versions it is important to know where Chrйtien's version came from and how he shaped it. He developed his story under the influence of Marie de Champagne, who was fond of love stories in this genre. Because of the reaction to another famous story, that of Tristan and Iseut, Chrйtien was encouraged to compose a story with similarities. His approach, according to Lori J. Walters, rejected the idea that marriage could resolve a plot (as shown Tristan's story), and instead used the ideas of romance against ideas of social order (Walters xiii-xiv). However others, like Stephan Knight, feel that Chrйtien's story was more an attempt to display the observances of courtly love and was not a well told story (Knight). While Chrйtien's story does rely on courtly love to justify the actions of its hero, his journey does include complexities that add to Lancelot's character. Agreeing with Knight would over look the structure of Chrйtien story, one that shows Lancelot as an individual and conveys him as a true and loyal hero as he is guided by courtly love.

Knowing more information about Lancelot gives us more insight into Lancelot as a character. Though Chrйtien was the first to fully develop Lancelot's story, he does not include some information because it was common knowledge at the time. His story was already well known, as original poetry was not a large desire. People were content to hear stories of already loved characters. Despite the omission of his background in Chrйtien's version, Lancelot does have origins that make him unique from other heroes. Derek Brewer tells us that while his origins cannot be clearly defined, other stories give us an idea as to where Lancelot came from. Ulrich von Zatzikhoven tells the story of Lanzelet, who as a baby is stolen by a sea fairy ("lady", "a wise mermaid", "queen") and taken to a land lost in the sea. It is said she loveingly raises him, teaching him chivalry and giving him a thorough education, but keeps him ignorant of his name and rank. At fifteen he decides to leave and in doing so finds out his name (Brewer 4). Chrйtien delves directly into the story under the assumption that the reader would already know this. Because of his rare upbringing it stands to reason that Lancelot would differ from other men of his time.

Also missing from Chrйtien de Troyes' story is the development of Lancelot and Guinevere's love for each other. The first time we are introduced to Lancelot he has already exhausted himself to get to Guinevere, but he is determined to find her. The depth of his love for her is evident. Chrйtien describes love in great detail; it is all en-compassing and true. This love is an entity of its own, choosing only the most righteous and worthy of hearts. Lancelot allows love to control his very heart, as Chrйtien beautifully describes:

Love, which rules

All hearts, allows them only

One home. "All heart?" No:

All that Loves finds worthy

A great deal. And Love valued

Our knight higher than any... (Chrйtien ll. 1237-1243)

Love certainly has a guiding hand in Lancelot's tale, but Fate also plays a part. Those confronted by fate often reach the point where they curse its presence, and Lancelot also reaches this point of desperation toward the end of his journey. We see this when he cries "Oh Fortune! How cruelly your wheel/ has turned against me!" (Chrйtien ll. 6477). Lancelot believes his life is being manipulated. Though some events can be blamed on Mйlйagant, there is something else keeping Lancelot from his love. A belief exists the Lancelot should not be with Guinevere simply because she is the wife of Arthur. Chrйtien tells us that though love has a strong hold on Lancelot and manipulates him, fate keeps him from accomplishing his tasks.

Lancelot is stronger and braver than any other knight, and loyal to his love beyond reason. His loyalties lay with Queen Guinevere, wed to King Arthur of Camelot. It was not uncommon for a knight to fall in love with a queen, but Lancelot and Guinevere's love is so deep and intense that Lancelot will stop at nothing to save her. He sets off immediately for her, knowing she is danger. He is in the company of Gawain in the beginning, having exhausted two horses and in need of another. Gawain offers him one his. Throughout the story we see Lancelot being tested. Our hero manages to prove repeatedly that he is loyal and never falters, minus a brief hesitation when getting into the cart.

He is tested time and again; but with love's aid he proves his loyalty. He undergoes public ridicule and proves his courage when he sleeps in The Perilous Bed. This also shows a bit of cockiness on his part, as he is told not to sleep in the bed but does so anyway. The danger is unnecessary and seems to be included only to show his masculinity and how nothing can hurt him (anecdotes like this are not uncommon in tales like Chrйtien's, and most are just done to satisfy the expectations of the audience). He is accosted by a maiden and refuses all her advances, then suffers serious injuries when crossing The Sword Bridge. Even with his hands and feet sliced to pieces he still refuses rest. When he finally reaches Guinevere and faces Mйlйagant, he won't even take his eyes off his love. Lancelot does combat the villain, only he faces the window Guinevere stands in and still defeats Mйlйagant. Lancelot is presented with a long series of trials, which he ultimately overcomes, but he is surrounded by support for his quest and loved by all around him.

Others in the story are given the opportunity to be a hero. Arthur, another legendary figure, is not represented as a hero in