Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Lancelot and Guinevere by Martin Day Famous Love Stories #5: Lancelot & Guinevere. Counting down to Valentine's Day, we are reminiscing famous love stories. The tragic love story of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere is probably one of the best-known stories of Arthurian Legend . Lancelot fall in love with Queen Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. Their love grew slowly, as Guinevere kept Lancelot away from her. Eventually, however, her love and passion overpowered her and the pair became lovers. One night, Sir Agravain and Sir Modred, King Arthur's nephew, led a band of 12 knights to Guinevere's chamber where they burst in upon the lovers. Discovered, Sir Lancelot made a fighting escape, but poor Guinevere was not so lucky. She was seized and condemned to burn to death for her adultery. Fear not. Sir Lancelot returned several days later to rescue his beloved Guinevere from the fire. This whole sad affair divided the Knights of the Round Table and weakened Arthur's kingdom. Poor Lancelot ended his days as a lowly hermit and Guinevere became a nun at Amesbury where she died. Lancelot and Guinevere by Martin Day. English 65B/165: Arthurian Literature Week 11.1 Malory's Tale of Lancelot and Guenevere. Introduction The Noble Tale of the Sangrail ends with Lancelot's son Galahad attaining the Quest "as a clean maid" (p. 401); before his Ascension he sends Bors to remind Lancelot "to remember of this unsure world." Then The Tale of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guenevere tells us "Sir Lancelot began to resort unto queen Guenevere again" (p. 403). In the five episodes that follow, Lancelot and Guenevere pursue their love, narrowly escaping detection. For this compilation, Malory draws upon the French Mort Artu with help from the English Stanzaic Le Morte Arthur ; he inserts a much reduced version of Chrétien's Knight of the Cart , and adds two adventures: a tournament in which Gareth comes over from Gawain's side to Lancelot's, and, finally, Lancelot's miraculous healing of Sir Urry. I. In Book XVIII, the episode of The Poisoned Apple , Lancelot has fallen into his old adulterous ways with Guenevere and Gawain's brother Agravain is spying and plotting against them. Lancelot tries to warn Guenevere that they should be guarded, but she thinks he is trying to rid her for other women and exiles him. She is accused of poisoning a knight with an apple at her feast. In Lancelot's absence. Bors stands up for her as her champion, but Lancelot himself returns in the nick to defend her. II. In the next episode, The Fair Maid of Ascolat (XVIIII.9-25, pp. 415-), Lancelot leaves the court at Guenevere's advice, to stop scandalous rumor. To disguise himself, he borrows the armor of one of Sir Barnard of Ascolat's sons and brings the other son, Lavain, along as a disciple- companion to the tournament. He wears the red sleeve of Barnard's daughter, the maid of Ascolat, much to Guenevere's chagrin when she learns of it. In his great victory on the field against his own kinsmen, Lancelot is severely wounded by Bors. An aristocratic hermit cures him gradually, as he is tended by the Maid. On his recovery he refuses her as wife or mistress and the maid dies for love of him. As she requested, her body is loaded on a barge and floated to court, where her sentimental story is divulged. His motives explained, Lancelot is forgiven once more by the wrong-headed Guenevere. III. In XVIII, 21-25 (pp.437-), Lancelot, despite a wound in the buttocks caused by a huntress's misdirected arrow, is victorious in tournament while displaying the Queen's sleeve of gold; he is aided by Gareth , who leaves the Gawain-clan to join the opponent Lancelot, because he "is the same man that made me knight" (p. 441). The section ends with Malory's paean to the steadfast love of olden days, during which Queen Guenevere "while she lived was a true lover" (p. 444). IV. The Knight of the Cart (XIX, pp. 445-) while deriving ultimately from Chrétien's Knight of the Cart is markedly different throughout the narrative; Malory's version is filtered through the French prose romance and compressed. After a comparison of springtime growth to a worshipful knight's virtuous love for God and lady, unlike the hasty love nowadays, "soon hot, soon cold," action begins with Guenevere taking ten of the Queen's Knights a-maying, minus Lancelot but with Kay. Meliagaunt makes his move with his forces against the Queen with her knights; they are wounded and the Queen surrenders on condition that her knights be spared. Guenevere sends a child with a message ring for Lancelot to rescue her; Meliagaunt, who owns the castle, orders his archers to attack Lancelot 's horse. Asking Lavain to follow after, Lancelot crosses the river at Westminster Bridge, and the defenders shoot his horse, so he commandeers a cart. Lancelot challenges Meliagaunt, "knight of the Table Round" (!), who promptly throws himself at the Queen's mercy. Lavain arrives to bring first aid to the ten knights, whom the Queen has put in her chamber as a recovery room. Lancelot at Guenevere's invitation arrives by night with ladder, pulls open the iron bars, rips his hand, and lays with her (as in C). In the morning, Meliagaunt churlishly pulls back the bed curtains to reveal the bloodied sheets; the ten (!) wounded knights are accused of royal commerce. Lancelot takes the challenge to defend their honor in eight days, but is led to a trap door by Meliagaunt. A damsel offers to release Lancelot from his imprisonment for sex, but settles for a kiss. Lancelot appears and kills Meliagaunt with one hand tied behind his back, to the admiration of Arthur and Guenevere. V. In the added Tale of Sir Urry (XIX, 10-13, p. 460-), whose wounds by enchantment could not be healed "until the best knight of the world had searched his wounds" (p. 460), Lancelot proves the sacral physician whose touch is more effective than the king's or any other knight's. The two young associates of Lancelot, Lavain and Urry, having proved themselves worthy on the tournament field, become knights of the Round table, and Lavain marries Urry's sister. But even while "they lived in all that court with great noblesse and joy" (p. 466), Sir Agravain, Gawain's brother, plotted to put Guenevere and Lancelot to shame. Lancelot. I still do have a small shred of honor left. Sir Lancelot , also known as the Leviathan, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time . He débuts in the third episode of the second season and is portrayed by guest star Sinqua Walls. Lancelot is based on a character of the same name from the Arthurian Legend. Contents. History. As a child, Lancelot is raised near a lake by his mother, a powerful woman known as the Lady of the Lake. ("Lady of the Lake", "Broken Heart") In Camelot, Lancelot travels with Percival and Arthur to track down the sword in the stone after Merlin prophesies that Arthur will pull it out and become the ruler of the realm. They are beaten there by Sir Kay, who foolishly tries to take the sword out, only to be turned into ash by the sword's power. As Lancelot and Percival look on, Arthur succeeds in pulling out the sword, but strangely, the tip of the blade is missing. Arthur momentarily panics at this, but he then decides the kingdom's people don't need to know about it, and that all they need to know is he is now their king. ("The Dark Swan") Afterwards, Lancelot and Percival return home with Arthur, who is met with fanfare by the local villagers in celebration of his ascension. Sometime after becoming king, Arthur bestows the Round Table's Siege Perilous seat, which is only fit for a knight with the purest heart, to Lancelot. ("Siege Perilous", "The Broken Kingdom") During his reign as king, Arthur becomes consumed with finding the missing piece of Excalibur, Dark One Dagger, while neglecting his wife Guinevere, who tries to coax him away from his research to dance with her on her birthday. During the party, Lancelot notices her sitting alone and joins her, trying to reassure her that Arthur will be arriving soon. While Guinevere is dancing with Lancelot, a fellow villager announces Arthur has prepared a surprise for his Queen, before showering flower petals into the air. At first, Guinevere is pleased, until she realizes Arthur didn't prepare anything, and it is Lancelot who wanted to make her happy. For this, she thanks him, shortly before they are interrupted by Arthur rushing to them, exclaiming that he discovered the dagger is only a day's ride away. Assuming he will be the one going, Lancelot prepares to get his horse for the journey, but Arthur asks him to stay and protect Guinevere, while he himself will go. That night, Lancelot catches Guinevere trying to leave on her own, as she found the true location of the dagger with a Magic Gauntlet, which revealed the dagger as Arthur's greatest weakness. Lancelot accompanies her there, and the gauntlet takes them to the Vault of the Dark One, where Guinevere unlocks a staircase into it. In the vault, Lancelot is attacked by the Darkness, but Guinevere scares it off with fire. Relieved to have not lost him, she kisses him in the heat of the moment, before apologizing and stating that it can never happen again. From one door, they enter a jungle-like region and find the dagger on a table stand, but it's protected by a barrier. In exchange for the gauntlet, the Dark One offers Guinevere magic sand that will give the illusion that Excalibur is whole. Lancelot begs her not to, but Guinevere accepts the deal. On their return to the village, Lancelot bids her farewell, deciding to leave Camelot forever, knowing that she has chosen Arthur over him. ("The Broken Kingdom") Afterwards, Lancelot comes to the Enchanted Forest, becoming King George's new general, and aiding him with hunting down Prince Charming. During a battle, he captures Snow White and brings her to the King. Upon order by King George, he fetches Snow White a cup of water. The water curses Snow White to be barren forever, and unable to bear any children. Afterwards, she is let go, but Lancelot follows her into the forest. Snow White is furious, and attacks him. He begs her to spare him because he, too, was unaware of the poison the king put into the cup. She allows him to come with her, and together, they return to Prince Charming and his mother, Ruth. The king's men have them surrounded by the time they reach back, and worse yet, one of their poisoned arrows has struck Ruth. Prince Charming suggests they go to Lake Nostos and gather some of the lake's waters, which has healing powers. When they reach there, they find the lake completely dry, except for a few droplets of water left. However, Ruth only pretends to drink the water, and as her dying wish, she asks to see her son and Snow White married. During the ceremony, Lancelot fills a cup with the lake water, stating that in Camelot there is a legend of a cup and it's believed whoever drinks from it will become immortal. Snow White drinks it, and after the marriage is complete, Ruth passes away. Afterwards, Snow White discovers she is no longer barren and figures out Ruth must have given the water to Lancelot to put in the cup. ("Lady of the Lake") Sometime after the first curse is cast, Cora begins glamouring herself as Lancelot, helping to manage a refugee camp for survivors that were not taken by the curse. Mulan becomes one of his allies at the haven, and Cora pretends to be held as a prisoner there because of her association with the caster of the curse. When Mary Margaret and Emma end up stuck in the Enchanted Forest, Lancelot immediately recognizes Mary Margaret as his old friend Snow White and agrees to help them figure out a way home. With Mulan, and later Aurora, the women head to the old royal castle to look for the magic wardrobe. Lancelot appears before Mary Margaret and Emma, explaining that he followed them to ensure their safety and how they will get home. Mary Margaret senses something is amiss when Lancelot mentions Emma's son Henry since Cora is the only one in this world who knows about him. When Mary Margaret calls her out for this, Cora emerges from the facade, claiming that Lancelot is dead and she had killed him long ago since the refugees would have never listened to her. After a brief scuffle, Cora is forced to retreat. Mulan is aghast that she was tricked by Cora's disguise for so long, while Mary Margaret persuades her to tell the survivors that Lancelot died an honorable death. ("Lady of the Lake", "The Doctor") Somehow, Lancelot deceived Cora and remained alive, though how he survived is not known. At some point, he returns to Camelot and sneaks into King Arthur's castle. During the night David is bestowed the Siege Perilous seat by Arthur, Mary Margaret goes out to the hallway to calm down her crying baby son, where she sees a shadowy figure walk past. When she calls out to the person, Lancelot steps out, much to her astonishment. He assures her it is truly him, and after putting aside the story of his struggles, he warns her about a villain that is currently in the castle. At first, Mary Margaret assumes he is speaking about Emma, who is now the Dark One, but instead, Lancelot reveals Arthur is the villain and Camelot is not what it seems. ("Siege Perilous") To keep his return a secret from everyone else, Mary Margaret brings Lancelot to the diner, where he stays until she comes back with the Dark One Dagger, asking his help to hide it from Arthur. As he leads her to the Vault of the Dark One, Mary Margaret asks him about his past with Guinevere. Lancelot avoids getting detailed and simply says it no longer matters, while she reasons it must if he still loves her. To this, he admits he still does. After they enter the vault and travel into the jungle room, Lancelot cautions Mary Margaret against putting the dagger on the table stand since it has a barrier. When she insists on trying, he tries to persuade her into letting him do it instead. Upon seeing her hesitation, Lancelot questions if she doesn't trust him, but before she can answer, Arthur arrives, having followed them. Arthur threatens to kill Lancelot unless Mary Margaret gives him the dagger, and after he moves to make good on his threat, she finally hands it over. While relishing in his victory, Arthur tries to summon Emma, only for it to fail, as Mary Margaret admits the dagger is fake, before David corners him from behind. Lancelot, David and Mary Margaret take Arthur to the diner, where the trio make plans to install Guinevere as the new ruler of Camelot, but suddenly, they are ambushed by Camelot soldiers led by Guinevere. Realizing she is under the the magic sand's influence, Lancelot attempts to talk her out of helping Arthur, but she takes back Excalibur and orders the guards to take him to the dungeon. Thrown into a cell, Lancelot quickly becomes acquainted with another prisoner, Merida, who suggests they can be allies since Arthur is their common foe. ("The Broken Kingdom") Still imprisoned, Lancelot is quickly rescued by David, Hook and Belle with Merlin's help. After Merlin magically obliterates the prison bars, Lancelot and Merida escape the dungeon with the group. ("The Bear and the Bow") After Emma turns Hook into a Dark One, Lancelot and the others go to the Vault of the Dark One to find Hook, but they find him already gone. With time running out, Lancelot is sent off to his mother, the Lady of the Lake, who might be able to help them, though the journey will take him two days to get there. ("Broken Heart") Lancelot and Guinevere. Lancelot and Guinevere is the fourth episode of second series of Merlin which was first broadcast on the 10th of October, 2009. It marks the second appearance of Lancelot. Contents. Synopsis [ edit | edit source ] Guinevere is mistaken for Morgana and is kidnapped by the savage outlaw Hengist. Uther refuses to pay the ransom or send a rescue party to save a mere servant. A tormented Arthur defies his father and sets out with Merlin to rescue Guinevere himself. Meanwhile Gwen and Lancelot have been reunited in Hengist's castle, where Lancelot makes his feelings for Gwen clear. He pledges to save her from Hengist or die trying. Unaware of Lancelot's efforts to save Gwen, Arthur has confessed his love for Gwen to Merlin, Gwen remains unaware of the depths of his feelings and is clearly conflicted between the two men. How will Arthur react when he arrives for Gwen to find that her old flame has got to her first. Plot [ edit | edit source ] As Morgana and Gwen leave Camelot on a pilgrimage to Morgana's father's grave, they are ambushed in the forest by outlaws. Morgana and Gwen try to flee but are met by the lead outlaw, Kendrick, who proclaims that Morgana is more valuable to him alive. As Morgana and Gwen put an escape plan into action at the outlaws' camp, Arthur is ordered by Uther to find Morgana since they haven't heard back from the travelling party. In the forest, Morgana and Gwen attack Kendrick and flee. They are chased through the forest but Gwen is injured and she urges Morgana to run on and find help. Morgana, scared, runs on as Gwen defends herself by killing one of the outlaws. Arthur and his men come by the scene of the original ambush and check for any survivors. Merlin finds a ransom note left by Kendrick, and Arthur leads his men through the forest following a trail. Armed with his crossbow, Arthur almost shoots upon hearing a noise; but is instead met by a terrified Morgana. He asks where Gwen is, to which Morgana can only respond by shaking her head tearfully. At the outlaws camp, Gwen is given Morgana's robes to wear as the outlaw Hengist (who perpetrated Morgana's abduction) has never seen Morgana before, therefore Gwen is to assume her identity. Morgana, meanwhile is returned to Camelot and a relieved Uther, who refuses to send a rescue party out for Gwen once he realises Hengist is behind the abduction. Morgana begs Arthur - who tries to hide his reaction to the possibility that Gwen has died - to do something to save her, but he insists there is nothing he can do. Gwen is taken to a savage village where she is met by Hengist. Hengist marvels over Gwen's beauty as she. demands to be released, however, she is imprisoned in the dungeons. In the castle, Morgana chastises Arthur until he tells her he is packing to rescue Gwen and could not do anything but agree with his father in front of the court. Gaius wishes Merlin a safe journey and the two set off out of Camelot. As Gwen is forced to eat with Hengist and his people, she is subjected to watch a bout of cage fighting; where she is reunited with Lancelot, who is a competitor. Lancelot wins the fight but does not kill his opponent after seeing Gwen. Lancelot's opponent is then killed by a ferocious creature. Meanwhile, Arthur grows impatient as Merlin seems to be slowing their trip down; stating that they do not have time to waste as Gwen's life is at stake. In the dungeon, Gwen communicates with Lancelot through a grate in the wall. Gwen reiterates to Lancelot the story of how she got there and how she fears she will meet the same fate as the fighter in the cage, but Lancelot reassures her he will not let that happen. Lancelot reveals he has been earning a living fighting for entertainment as he hasn't had many opportunities to lead a noble life since they last met in Camelot. They share a tender moment as Lancelot reveals he has thought of Gwen often. In the forest, after pouring water over Merlin to wake him up, Arthur says he couldn't sleep because he is so worried about Gwen. Merlin states he hasn't seen Arthur like this over anybody before but Arthur attempts to divert the conversation. Hengist becomes suspicious after he has not heard back from Uther with a response to the ransom, and threatens Gwen with her death if he does not hear from Uther by dawn. Arthur and Merlin try to figure out the best way to get to Gwen, by passing through the tunnels of Andor; which are infested with Wilddeoren, which are giant human-eating rats. Lancelot secretly visits Gwen and tells her he will not let her die and Gwen admits her feelings for him, giving him a reason to live. He states that he will return by nightfall. As Arthur and Merlin wash the berries used to deter the Wilddeoren off their faces, Arthur apologises for risking Merlin's life. Merlin challenges Arthur to admit his obvious feelings for Gwen, to which a frustrated Arthur states that he can't admit he thinks about her constantly, that he cares for her more than anyone and that he doesn't know what he'd do if she is harmed because there is no opportunity for them to be together. Merlin questioning the reason for Arthur saving Gwen. By admitting his feelings for Gwen, knowing that he cannot bring their relationship to fruition, hurts Arthur too much. When asked why nothing can happen, Arthur simply states that his father wouldn't even consider sending a rescue party out for a servant, much less allow. Kendrick presents the Lady Morgana to Hengist. Arthur to marry one. Saddened, Arthur laments to Merlin that what he and Gwen have can only ever be all talk; to which Merlin says with conviction that Arthur can change the class standards when he is king. Arthur. Merlin - Love makes you do strange things (S02E04 Subtitles) Love makes you do strange things. dejectedly states that he can't expect Gwen to wait for him, but Merlin says she will because she feels the same way for him. Merlin reassures Arthur that Gwen is still alive and the two set off after Arthur makes Merlin promise not say anything about his feelings for Gwen. Meanwhile, Hengist grows evermore suspicious of the lack of contact between Uther and the kidnapped 'Morgana'. Kendrick is killed when confronted by Hengist about his deceit. Lancelot, having successfully sedated Hengist's men, rescues Gwen and they escape the dungeons. Hengist arrives to find Gwen's. cell empty and they pursue Gwen and Lancelot. Gwen refuses to leave Lancelot as he prepares to fight for her. They share a kiss and Gwen promises that her feelings for Lancelot will not fade as she runs through the tunnels. Lancelot faces Hengist's men and he is put back into the fighters' cage. Lancelot is promised pain by Hengist, however Lancelot proclaims his love for Gwen. As the door to the cage is opened, Gwen is brought in and trapped with him. On the outer of the castle, Arthur and Merlin scale the walls. As they make their way inside, Merlin distracts Hengist's men as Arthur knocks them out. They disguise themselves as Hengist's men and continue looking for Gwen. In the cage, Gwen and Lancelot are sentenced to death. The Wilddeoren is released into the cage just as Arthur and Merlin enter the room. Arthur jumps into the cage and he and Lancelot fight the Wilddeoren together. As they fight, Arthur learns Lancelot is there to save Gwen as well and they escape through the tunnel. Lancelot offers to stay. Merlin - The rescue. back to fight and Merlin uses magic to lock Hengist in with the Wilddeoren (thus killing Hengist). As they escape the tunnel, Gwen realises that Arthur has come without his knights and as she is helped up by Lancelot they share a meaningful glance; upsetting Arthur and surprising Merlin. Lancelot thanks Arthur for saving them as they leave. In the forest, Arthur and Gwen share tense glances as Lancelot points out the bravery of Arthur and Merlin risking their lives. Arthur points out that he defied his father in order to save Gwen, only through the begging of Morgana and as Gwen looks offended, she announces she is going to get rest. Arthur, looking even more upset follows suit and suggests everyone does the same. Lancelot offers to stand guard and Merlin joins him. Lancelot asks Merlin about Arthur's true agenda for rescuing Gwen and comes to the conclusion he too has feelings for her. Merlin asks Lancelot if he feels the same towards Gwen, to which he responds that he does but they don't matter as he will not come between Arthur and Gwen. He asks Merlin to tell Gwen that she has changed him forever and that some things cannot be. As Gwen wakes, Merlin reluctantly tells her Lancelot has gone and passes on his message. Arthur notices how affected Gwen is by the news but does not say anything, merely stating they should continue home, leaving her in tears. The trio return to Camelot where Morgana waits for them. Morgana and Gwen happily embrace as Arthur shoots Gwen a rather heartbroken glance before leaving. Lancelot: Or, the Knight of the Cart Summary and Analysis of Lines 4114-5051. Word of Lancelot’s triumph quickly spreads throughout Gorre. As Lancelot travels towards the Sunken Bridge to find Gawain, the citizens of Gorre attempt to capture him, fallaciously believing King Bademagu would sanction it. Lancelot's insistence that Bademagu has granted him safe passage does not assuage the angry citizens, and a false rumor soon reaches King Bademagu and Guinevere, claiming that Lancelot has been not only captured, but killed. Guinevere is so distraught at the news of Lancelot’s death that she almost dies from grief and guilt over her coldness towards him. She contemplates suicide, but then decides that a life of suffering would prove a more fitting punishment. After her second day without eating or drinking, a rumor of her death spreads. Lancelot hears of it, and grows equally distraught. He attempts to kill himself by tying one end of his belt around his neck and the other around his saddle, so that his horse will drag him to death. However, his companions see him fall from his horse, and rescue him. Filled with shame and regret, Lancelot falls into a reverie, contemplating his life and love for Guinevere. Fortunately, both lovers soon learn that the rumors were false. Soon afterwards, Lancelot returns to Bademagu’s castle. Bademagu is furious and shamed that Lancelot encountered difficulties after the king had guaranteed his safety, but Lancelot insists he not take any rash action against anyone. Finally, the moment arrives when Lancelot and Guinevere are reunited in happiness. When Lancelot asks about Guinevere's previous coldness, she replies, “Didn’t the cart / Shame you the least little bit? / You must have hesitated, / For you lingered a good two steps. / And that, you see, was my sole / Reason for ignoring your presence” (4491-4496). In other words, she was upset that Lancelot hesitated before leaping in the cart, even though he knew the dwarf would bring him towards her. Lancelot begs her forgiveness, and she grants it. Worried about being too conspicuous, they make plans to meet in secret that night, when Lancelot will meet Guinevere at her window. That night, Lancelot feigns extreme fatigue, and retires early. Once everyone else has gone to bed, he slips out and enters the orchard beneath Guinevere’s window through a broken segment of wall. She appears at the window in a snow-white gown, and the two clasp hands through the window bars. She explains that despite her desire to be with him, the iron bars cannot be moved and she shares a room with Sir Kay. Undeterred, Lancelot breaks the bars, so focused on sleeping with Guinevere that he does not realize how badly the iron cuts his fingers in the process. The two finally sleep together, spending all night wrapped in each other’s arms. Kay is not woken by their lovemaking. For Lancelot, the encounter is elevated to an almost religious experience; when he leaves her arms, he bows and crosses himself as if before an altar. He returns safely to his room after bending the bars back into place, and only then realizes that his fingers are bleeding. He does not regret the pain, and thinks nothing further of it. Guinevere awakes happily the next morning, also blissfully unaware of Lancelot’s blood spread on the curtains and on her bed. Checking in on the queen, Méléagant discovers the blood staining the room. Unfortunately, Kay’s wounds had re-opened during the night, covering his own bed in blood as well. Méléagant assumes that Kay has slept with the queen. Guinevere denies the accusation, claiming that she suffered a nose bleed during the night. Unconvinced, Méléagant accuses her of dishonor and infidelity before his father, who initially disbelieves Méléagant but is unable to deny the evidence once he sees it himself. Again, Guinevere defends her honor and Kay’s, insisting that Kay is too honest a man for such depravity, and that she would never sell her body like that. When Méléagant insists Kay be punished and the queen be shamed, Kay requests the opportunity to defend himself in combat. However, he is too weak from the strain of his newly re-opened wounds, so Guinevere suggests that Lancelot fight in his stead. She sends for him in secret, and he soon arrives in the hall. Chivalry stipulated that this kind of challenge take place under oath, so they send for the relics on which to swear. All beg God to ensure justice through the combat, and the battle then begins. Lancelot and Méléagant are as evenly matched and ferocious as before. King Bademagu begs Guinevere to stop the fighting, and she agrees. When Lancelot hears her request, he immediately stops. As before, Méléagant continues attacking, until his father convinces him that he will earn more honor by waiting to defeat Lancelot at King Arthur's court, as they had previously agreed. Analysis. In the first part of this section, rumors prove to have an extreme power. For Chrétien, rumors are not only expedient in terms of progressing the plot; they also allow him to explore the importance of the interpretive act. Though rumors are by nature mutable, changing as they move from person to person, they are accepted here by their audiences as absolute truth. Both Lancelot and Guinevere face great despair when they hear of the other's death, never for a moment doubting the veracity of the claim. How a person interprets a rumor - whether to spread it further or to accept it as truth - helps to understand who they are in this romance. For instance, the rumor of Lancelot's death reveals to the audience that Guinevere's obsession for Lancelot is equally to his for her. Her beauty diminshes when she believes him dead (4197, 4199). Literally, this phrase communicates that her anxiety and guilt have caused a loss of appetite, resulting in pallor and listlessness. However, the phrase also suggests a conflation of inner and outer beauty. When she believes herself sinful, she loses her outer beauty as well. She is tainted by her actions - and they are literally embodied in her. The truth of the rumor does not matter - her own guilt is so honest and persistent that it immediately responds as though the worst had occurred. Lancelot's immediate acceptance of the rumor of Guinevere's death speaks to his own obsession, and also allows Chrétien to explore the importance of perspective in discerning truth. When Lancelot believes her dead, he for the first time wonders whether her coldness reflected the shame he suffered by riding in the cart. He justifies his actions, however: “Nothing / Done in the name of Love / Can be held against a lover: Whatever a lover does / For love is love, and is right” (4363-4367). In redefining morality in terms of love, Lancelot underscores Chrétien’s argument that truth is dependent upon perspective. The argument is further apparent when Lancelot muses about the incident: “she should have known it was done / For Love, had she seen it correctly” (4380). Seeing an act is not what is important; what matters is seeing correctly . Perspective matters, and varies depending on the context. In reflecting on this idea, Lancelot proves his own point, since he has pinpointed the incident that upset Guinevere, but not the exact reason. He does not have her perspective. Of course, all of Chrétien’s ideas on perspective underscore his larger point: the codes which bound the medieval elite did not always embody the same truths and values. What they considered necessary and central - like the idea of honor - were not as universal as they might have believed. The night spent in Guinevere’s tower room is one of the romance's most significant. The poetry of this section is particularly gorgeous and evocative. For instance, “then finally the thick, dark / Night fought the day / To its knees and slowly covered it / Over with its heavy cloak” (4550- 4553). Guinevere appears to her lover in a snow-white gown, which symbolizes her purity and virginity. She is, of course, not a virgin, nor is she particularly pure (considering her adultery). However, her gown's color suggests that her love for Lancelot is transcendent, meant to be judged by its own standards. Similar to the way religious imagery has functioned throughout the romance, the heavy religious imagery throughout the scene signifies Chrétien’s ironic and critical treatment of the courtly love tradition, and of the behavior that it sanctioned. Love here appears as its own religion, which is of course necessary, since strict Christianity could never sanction this affair. The queen’s naked body is “the holiest relic;” leaving her bed is “some terrible martyrdom;” and her chamber is “an altar” to be bowed before (4660, 4697, 4726). Yet again, Chrétien is able to conform to the expectations of his audience, while also criticizing their desire for those very elements. Chrétien leaves the dirtiest details to the imagination, but sex pervades the scene's symbolism. The bloodied curtains and bed are perhaps the most important of these symbols. The blood comes from Lancelot’s fingers, but bloodied sheets are closely tied to questions of virginity. In some time periods (including the middle ages), a bloodied sheet on a wedding night was taken as proof of a woman's virginity. As Guinevere has been established as virginal through her gown, this symbol serves to reinforce the idea that their love is sanctioned and pure. Of course, the world outside their room considers the blood as a reflection of illicit behavior, again suggesting that the purity of the lover's world stands in stark contrast to the expectations of larger society. The bloodied sheets and curtains also play a prominent role in Chrétien’s exploration of perspective, truth, and interpretation. They are the first clue to Méléagant that anything is amiss when he enters Guinevere’s chamber. As critic Paul Strohm contends, “he is condemned to an act of interpretation, and carries it forward in the most reasonable and empirical way, only to fall short of anything approaching an account of what has actually transpired” (203). Though Guinevere offers a falsehood (a nosebleed) as explanation, Méléagant chooses to focus on a different falsehood (a liaison with Kay.) The symbol means something different to everyone. The question of adultery, therefore, is not as straightforward as one might anticipate in such a highly Christian time period. This ambiguity, too, plays into the larger theme of interpretation, by remarking on the limits it imposes on any situation. Lancelot and Guinevere certainly commit adultery, but the romance suggests that their affair transcends conventional morality. However, adultery barely plays into the accusations. As critic Edward I. Condren astutely observes, “not even when Guinevere is caught almost literally red handed is her possible shame called adultery. Méléagant, believing that Kay has slept with Guenevere, complains not of the Queen’s having broken her conjugal obligations but only of Kay’s having failed in his knightly duty by not guarding her properly” (436). He further points out that Guinevere never insists on her fidelity to Arthur as evidence of her character, but only asserts that she “does not expose her body on the marketplace” (436). As much as anything else, fidelity appears to be a matter of interpretation. It is not the primary sin that anyone is thinking of. Like other knightly confrontations in the romance, this matter of love, shame, and honor is to be resolved on the battlefield. Unlike previous encounters, however, this one is sworn under oath, meaning it is expected to be adjudicated by God. Swearing on relics alludes to how Guinevere's body had previously been compared to a relic, thereby placing has as central to the oath. They are literally and figuratively swearing over and for her body. Chrétien constructs a difficult situation for himself here - to have Lancelot triumph would be to suggest that God allowed the false party to win (since Guinevere was in fact guilty of sexual activity), but to have Méléagant win would be an unsatisfying development and a suggestion that their affair is unholy. Luckily, the voice of Reason (King Bademagu) halts the battle, suggesting that in a world so full of interpretations and mutable truths, violence in the name of immutable values is not the wisest course of action.