Susan Rojas Malory’s Gawain: Characterizing Fragmentation and Unification Aquila – The FGCU Student Research Journal Volume 2 Issue 1 (2016) DOI 10.24049/aq.2.1.5 © 2016 Rojas Distributed under Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 OPEN ACCESS Aquila - The FGCU Student Research Journal 0DORU\¶V*DZDLQ&KDUDFWHUL]LQJ)UDJPHQWDWLRQDQG8QL¿FDWLRQ Susan Rojas: English In Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings that “Britains were better at boasting and making threats” of Britain, Gawain1 is portrayed as a respected warrior WKDQ ¿JKWLQJ DQG FXWV RII KLV KHDG LJQLWLQJ WKH FODVK and brave and valiant knight. His leadership in battle is between the Romans and Britains (241). This incident without question, and his troops are successful under his is also found in the Alliterative Morte (1263-76, 1352- command. The Quest of the Holy Grail, however, paints a 1354), and in both texts, after the beheading Gawain leads very different picture. This Gawain is much less noble, a his men skillfully, holding their own until reinforcements “bad and faithless” knight (77) so concerned with earthly arrive (Alliterative 1368-1405, Geoffrey 242). adventure and glory he cannot realize this spiritual lack In both The History and the Alliterative Morte, Gawain’s will cause him to fail in his quest. In what might be abilities as knight and leader are common knowledge described as a blend of the two, Sir Thomas Malory’s among his opponents, who savor the opportunity to Le Morte Darthur limns a very different Gawain, taking engage with him. Geoffrey does not stint in his praise of threads from The Quest, the Alliterative Morte Arthure, Gawain, stating “No better knights than Hoel and Gawain and the French The Death of King Arthur and intertwining have ever been born down the ages” (254), and calling them. When this Gawain dies, he has arguably become him “fearless” and “the bravest of all the knights,” as he a more honorable, noble, and introspective character “decimated the enemy” (254). These superlatives not only than the one found in either Geoffrey or The Quest. A GH¿QH*DZDLQ¶VDELOLWLHVEXWDOVRSODFHKLPDVDNQLJKW comparison of these sources with Le Morte Darthur of the highest order.2 Additionally, Geoffrey takes care to suggests that Malory employs aspects of several versions recount how easily Gawain orders his troops, as well as RIWKH*DZDLQFKDUDFWHUDYDLODEOHLQWKH¿IWHHQWKFHQWXU\ KRZVXFFHVVIXOO\WKH\¿JKWXQGHUKLVFRPPDQGREVHUYLQJ to skillfully renew and resituate the knight. Although re- “[Gawain’s troops] agreed to what he proposed. They all establishing Gawain as honorable and noble at the end of turned back and each of them killed his man” (242). He 0DORU\¶V ERRN UHÀHFWV D KRSH IRU UHVROXWLRQ RI FRQÀLFW notes that Lucius, commander of the Roman troops, is and forgiveness in the face of the disintegration of the ³NHHQ´WR¿JKWKDQGWRKDQGZLWK*DZDLQDQG³UHMRLFHG Round Table, the process also shows loyalty and valor that his opponent was so famous a man” (254). Although as attributes able to cut both ways: they may heal, but in Geoffrey’s history Lucius “fell dead, pierced through they may also harm, revealing through the fellowship by an unknown hand” (256), his pleasure in battling with of the knights the essence of Malory’s Arthurian world. Gawain makes clear that Gawain’s status as warrior knight ZDVVROLGDQGKLVUHSXWDWLRQIRU¿JKWLQJZHOONQRZQE\KLV GAWAIN IN GEOFFREY AND THE foes. This fame is echoed in the Alliterative Morte, where $//,7(5$7,9(0257(±9$/,$17.1,*+7 the knight is deemed “Sir Gawain the Good” (1368) and $1'67521*())(&7,9(/($'(5 “Sir Gawain the Gracious” (1468); it also chronicles the Critics disagree about evaluating Gawain in a positive ease with which Gawain dispatches the enemy and how or negative light, but clearly, labelling him as either/ ZHOOKHFRQGXFWVKLPVHOIRQWKH¿HOG RUGRHVQRWUHÀHFWDOODVSHFWVRIKLVFKDUDFWHU³9LOODQ\´ 1368-75). The poet recounts Lucius taunting Gawain to and “troublemaker” are words sometimes associated with ¿JKWKLP³:KDWZLOOWKRX:DZDLQ":RUNIRUWK\ZHSHQ"´ Gawain, yet so are descriptions such as “complex” and (2223); it does not appear they exchange blows, as Lionel “a valiant knight of great achievement, who can be both dispatches the commander (2226-29), but the fact that magnanimous and diplomatic” (McCarthy 12-13). To /XFLXV ZRXOG EH ³NHHQ´ DQG GHVLURXV RI ¿JKWLQJ ZLWK understand Malory’s Gawain, it is necessary to look at his Gawain is another indication of his respect and renown. direct source, the Alliterative Morte Arthure, as well as To battle a knight with no fame would bring no accolades, the book from which the Alliterative ultimately derives its but engaging one known for bravery and military prowess positive account of the knight, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s brings the possibility of greater glory and knightly status. The History of the Kings of Britain. Geoffrey’s Gawain is THE GAWAIN OF “THE QUEST” AND THE brave, commanding, and heroic; Thomas Hahn speaks of FRENCH DEATH OF ARTHUR - LOYAL, BUT his importance, noting the knight’s “stirring exploits” and “UNLUCKY” “preeminent role” (“Chivalric” 218-219). In The History, Gawain is one of Arthur’s high-ranking emissaries sending The Quest of the Holy Grail differs from Geoffrey and an ultimatum to Lucius Hiberius and his Roman troops: the Alliterative Morte in that the author implies Gawain OHDYH *DXO RU ¿JKW IRU SRVVHVVLRQ RI WKH ODQG *DZDLQ is not a knight to be emulated, despite his loyalty to however, takes offense when Lucius’s nephew mutters the king and desire for chivalric adventure3. Gawain’s 1 Throughout, I will use the spelling “Gawain” as it is found in 2 The “scale of merit” in Geoffroi de Charny’s Book of Chivalry the cited editions of Geoffrey, The Quest, and the French Death. .DHXSHU GHVFULEHVVXFFHVVDQGYDORULQDFWXDOFRQÀLFWDVWKHDSH[ The spelling of the knight’s name is highly inconsistent in both the of knightly attainment. Geoffrey’s and the Alliterative poet’s accounts Alliterative Morte and Malory, so for the ease of both author and of Gawain in battle show he earns this level of recognition. reader, I have selected a commonly used form. 3 In endnotes to his translation of The Quest, P.M.Matarasso also 33 Rojas DOI 10.24049/aq.2.1.5 military prowess and leadership are not described, but when Gawain and Hector encounter a hermit who tells his allegiance to Arthur is displayed early on through his them they are “most heinous sinners” and since they are obeying the command to attempt to draw the sword in in “mortal sin” should leave the quest (174). Gawain in the stone. Although Gawain originally will not make an particular is told he is an “old tree” who has done “little attempt, after Arthur says “You shall try all the same… enough for [his] Maker” since he was knighted (175). His not to win the sword, but because I ask it” (Quest 35), response, that he would “gladly” talk with the hermit, the knight immediately does, and fails. Lancelot tells but has to catch up with his companion (175), once more him he will regret the action, but Gawain replies he was shows his lack of concern for the condition of his soul and only following Arthur’s command, regardless of the spiritual life; his priorities are catching up with Hector and outcome (36), displaying the attributes of a good knight seeking adventure. The exchange not only foregrounds who obeys his king’s wishes despite the threat of personal Gawain “as the outstanding instance of relentless harm.4 It is perhaps this loyalty to Arthur and his court, devotion to physical exertion and knightly honor,” but as well as his desire for “adventure…the raison d’être of also “pays tribute to his unique stature and broad celebrity the kingdom at peace” (McCarthy 11), which prompts as the knight of adventure” (Hahn, “Chivalric” 220). *DZDLQWREHWKH¿UVWWRYROXQWHHUIRUWKH4XHVW 4XHVW Clearly, Gawain’s status and “celebrity” are not good 44). He certainly recognizes this adventure as primarily enough for the author of The Quest. Its Gawain episodes an opportunity for gaining personal glory and honor, surround the knight with settings and situations that yet participating will also bring prestige to the name of underscore his poor spiritual condition, as well as the Arthur and the Round Table (Hahn, “Romances” 2). idea that he is unworthy of and unable to understand the Arthur, however, sees the situation in a different light, sacred. In an “ancient chapel, set on an upland in between lamenting and accusing Gawain of “a mortal blow, for two crags, and seemingly abandoned and deserted” (163), you have deprived me of the best and truest companions Gawain and Hector unarm, kneel before the altar, and DPDQFRXOG¿QG´ 4XHVW *DZDLQZRXOGWKHQKDYH pray “as good Christians should,” then sit and “chat…of reneged on his promise, but “the occasion had been too this and that” (164). Their actions imply the poverty of public to permit it” (45), the implication being that his their faith, as it is clear that they go through the motions pride would not let him -- although Arthur’s unexpected RQO\ UDWKHU WKDQ WDNLQJ SUD\HUV WR KHDUW ZLWK UHÀHFWLRQ retort may also have caused him some guilt and shame. and meditation, they pray “as [they] should,” then fall Gawain’s decision not to go back on his vow helps into idle conversation. Gawain and Hector also choose to reveal the complexity of the character: a man of his shelter with a forester, rather than with a hermit (175), word, but somewhat “proud and frivolous” (Lacy & Ashe one of the only times in the text that questing knights do 136), foreshadowing both his failure in the Quest and not lodge in a castle, hermitage, or chapel. Per the OED, (by extension) his failure to be a solid and noble knight.