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The Lancelot-Gawain Parallel in Malory's Le Morte

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The Lancelot-Gawain Parallel in Malory's Le Morte THE LANCELOT-GAWAIN PARALLEL IN MALORY’S LE MORTE DARTHUR by DANIELLE RENEE TAYLOR Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (English) Acadia University Fall Graduation 2013 © by DANIELLE RENEE TAYLOR, 2013 This thesis by Danielle Renee Taylor was defended successfully in an oral examination on August 29th, 2013. The examining committee for the thesis was: ________________________ Dr. Michael Stokesbury, Chair ________________________ Dr. Kathy Cawsey, External Reader ________________________ Dr. Patricia Rigg, Internal Reader ________________________ Dr. Kevin Whetter, Supervisor _________________________ Dr. John Eustace, Head of Department I, Danielle Renee Taylor, grant permission to the University Librarian at Acadia University to reproduce, loan or distribute copies of my thesis in microform, paper or electronic formats on a non-profit basis. I, however, retain the copyright in my thesis. ______________________________ Author ______________________________ Supervisor ______________________________ Date Table of Contents Abstract v Note on quotations vi Acknowledgements vii Introduction 1 Chapter One: Background and Sources 6 Chapter Two: Establishing the Parallel 38 Chapter Three: Culmination of the Parallel 72 Conclusion 108 Bibliography 111 iv Abstract This thesis is an exploration of a parallel between Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain found within Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur which has been previously overlooked in Malorian scholarship. The Lancelot-Gawain parallel runs through the entirety of Malory’s narrative, and is an important element in both his thematic structure and his characterization of both knights. By comparing and constrasting Lancelot with Gawain, Malory is able to emphasize Lancelot as the protagonist of his narrative and presents him as a flawed, but still noble knight. The thesis begins with an exploration of Malory’s sources, and some of the changes he has made in regards to Lancelot and Gawain. An in-depth study of the the early tales outlines the creation and ongoing construction of this parallel. The early examples create a model for the extensive and elaborate parallel found in the Sankgreall Quest and the fall of the Round Table. This parallel offers new insights into Malory’s characterization of Gawain and Lancelot, as well as his conception of knighthood. v Note on Quotations All quotations from Le Morte Darthur are taken from The Works of Sir Thomas Malory, ed. Eugène Vinaver, 3rd ed., rev. P. J. C. Field, 3 vols. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990). In quoting Malory, I do not reproduce Vinaver’s various emendation brackets. vi Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my family, especially my parents, Kirk and Sandra Taylor. Their unconditional love and support has given me the confidence and the opportunity to pursue my passion for English literature. In addition to my family I would like to thank my friends for always supporting and believing in me. I would especially like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Kevin Whetter for his help and guidance throughout the year. Working with Dr. Whetter has been a truly rewarding experience and his expertise and encouragement have helped me throughout this process. I am also grateful to the numerous professors who I have had the pleasure of working with this year. This includes Dr. Patricia Rigg in particular, for agreeing to be my internal reader. Her comments and suggestions were incredibly informative and helpful. I would also like to thank the Department Secretary, Christine Kendrick, for all of her help. vii Introduction Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur is one of the most widely known Arthurian texts, and has enjoyed both a popular and an academic following. As one of the main characters in this narrative, Gawain has been a source of contention for scholars of Arthurian literature. Seen often as an inconsistent character, Malory’s Gawain has not yet been fully examined for his role in the overall structure of the narrative. At times, Gawain is honoured as a great knight, while at other times he experiences great failures in his adventures. He also displays both positive and negative characteristics. Often, the different Gawains have been considered simply a result of the varying portrayals of this character found in Malory’s sources. However, Malory was very deliberate in his portrayal of Gawain, and the so-called “inconsistencies” between the “good” and the “bad” Gawain are choices that Malory has made that affect the overall structure of the narrative. In particular, and throughout Le Morte Darthur, Malory uses the various attributes of Gawain in parallel with Lancelot. The latter is Malory’s protagonist, but this does not make Gawain the antagonist. Rather, Malory uses the character of Gawain continuously to help establish and maintain Lancelot in this position by maintaining Gawain as a good, but flawed knight who is not developed in complete contrast with Lancelot but rather in parallel. The parallel between both knights is used in order to either raise Lancelot’s status, such as when he outshines Gawain as a knight, or to mitigate any of Lancelot’s failings by having them pale in comparison to Gawain’s faults. Through both of these knights, Malory shows a consistent interest in the way in which his characters must try to uphold the ideals of knighthood, and the difficulties of always 1 performing well on each adventure. It is this Lancelot-Gawain parallel that I outline within my thesis. In my thesis, I use the term parallel to refer to an ongoing connection Malory creates between Lancelot and Gawain. This parallel exists in a number of forms. In some instances, there is a direct comparison between both knights. In other instances, the parallel explores a specific and deliberate constrast between Lancelot and Gawain. In all instances, Lancelot and Gawain are in parallel positions as prominent knights. While both Lancelot and Gawain are key figures in Malory’s narrative, there has yet to be an in-depth study of the parallel between them within the text of Le Morte Darthur. This study offers a new way to explore the characterization of both knights. Gawain is not simply a bad knight to Lancelot’s good knight, nor is he a character without positive attributes. Many of these positive attributes are overlooked when Gawain is studied only in opposition to Lancelot. By exploring the characters in parallel throughout the narrative, and not just their literary heritage, it is evident that there are similiarites as well as differences between the two knights. Beverly Kennedy is the one scholar who comes closest to the type of study I propose, with her work Knighthood in the Morte Darthur. Kennedy compares these two knights as epitomes of “True” knighthood (Lancelot), and “Heroic” knighthood (Gawain). In comparing them, Kennedy examines key passages and events in Malory’s text which I also examine. However, a number of Kennedy’s interpretations do not appear to have enough textual evidence to support the assumptions she makes, and her categories of knighthood are not presented as equal in terms of their worthiness. It is more than evident that in her opinion, the Heroic Knight represents an older type of knighthood based more upon family loyalty. For Kennedy, that type of knighthood is not as honourable as the True or Worshipful 2 categories. By identifying Gawain as a Heroic Knight, Kennedy highlights his negative qualities while overlooking many of the positive attributes which are evident when he is studied in parallel to, and not in contrast with, Lancelot. Beyond the fact that I disagree with some of her conclusions, Kennedy differs from my study, as she uses Lancelot and Gawain to compare and contrast her categories of knighthood while I look specifically at how Malory uses Gawain in order to promote Lancelot as a successful knight in terms of military prowess and courtly behaviour. In addition to Kennedy, there are some critics who have studied Lancelot and Gawain in comparison in terms of Malory’s alterations to his sources. P. J. C. Field, Robert H. Wilson, and Ralph Norris are all examples of scholars who give examples of Malory’s tendancy to transfer positive actions or speeches associated with Gawain to Lancelot. However, these scholars do not go beyond source study, and do not examine the overall parallel between the knights that exists throughout Le Morte Darthur. As a result, they overlook the literary consequences of theses alterations. No one has given meaningful attention to the overall parallel and the ways in which it functions within the narrative. As such, the characterization of Gawain is understudied or misinterpreted. He exists not as an antagonist or in mere opposition to Lancelot. Gawain’s characterization is very deliberate, and he has a number of quailities which Malory highlights which are worthy of further study. In the first chapter of this thesis, “Background and Sources,” I outline Malory’s use of his sources. This chapter not only highlights Malory’s changes to his sources, but it also highlights the emphasis on parallels that exist in Le Morte Darthur and other Arthurian texts. In addition, Malory’s alterations from his sources in his creation of a 3 parallel between Gawain and Lancelot indicate a level of artistry which is not always afforded to him by modern scholars. In Chapter Two, “Establishing the Parallel,” I explain how Malory first creates the parallel between Lancelot and Gawain early in his narrative. I then highlight the various elements in the first five tales of Le Morte Darthur which help to extend the parallel and explain how Malory establishes the link between Lancelot and Gawain. The parallel gives insight into the characterization of both knights, as Malory humanizes both knights, having them struggle through their understandings of knighthood and facing both success and failure in their journeys.
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