The Character Model in Le Morte Darthur
Anat Koplowitz-Breier
BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY (RAMAT-GAN)
- Resumen
- Palabras clave
- La muerte de Arturo
- Los personajes de La muerte de Arturo,
de Sir Thomas Malory, no se ajustan a la definición estándar típica de los personajes del romance. De hecho, pueden ser ubicados en una especie de
Malory
Caracterización
Tipo
Modelo de personaje
- La dama
- estado transitorio
- que ha sido
denominado modelo de personaje. Tras
dilucidar la naturaleza de tal concepto, este artículo procede a investigar dos modelos relativos a mujeres en La
Muerte de Arturo: «La Dama» y «La
Mujer con Poderes Mágicos».
La mujer con poderes mágicos
- Abstract
- Key words
Le Morte Darthur
Malory
The characters in Sir Thomas ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s
La Morte ꢀ’artꢁꢂr do not conform to
the standard definition of Romance personae. In fact, they can be placed in a kind of transitional stage which has
been called a ꢃꢁaraꢄter’ꢅ Model. After
Characterization
Type
ꢃharacter’s ꢀodeꢁ
The Ladꢂ
- elucidating the nature of such
- a
The Woman with ꢀagicaꢁ Power
concept, this paper goes on to
investigate two ꢃharacter’s ꢀodeꢁs of
women in the Le Morte Darthur: «The
Lady» and «The Woman with Magical Powers».
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In the memory of my beloved teacher Prof. Ruth Reichelberg, who taught me what it means to be an academic person and a true Character
Sir Thomas Malory's Morte is a mixture of at least two genres, Romance and
Chronicle (Pochoda 1971). As McCarthy writes, his style is not of one piece: «ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s
matière is the matière of romance, but the sens, the ‘feeꢁing’, is perhaps not»
(1988: 148). Hence, his characters do not foꢁꢁow the usuaꢁ pattern of characterization
in Romances that is as types. But neither have they developed into characters with
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psꢂchoꢁogicaꢁ depth, as, for exampꢁe, F. Ackerman cꢁaims in her articꢁe on ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s characterization (2001). The formation of the Morte’s characters is probabꢁꢂ affected bꢂ the combination of two different genres: the romance, whose characters are
mainꢁꢂ referred to as types, and the chronicle, whose characters are more realistic
and mimetic. In this articꢁe, I trꢂ a new approach to ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s characterization and show that it is a combination of two character formats: the type and the character. I
call this special combination a character model.
The character model is a transition between true type and true character. It is a development of the type into the character and it embodies several common, typical criteria. The character model accommodates several completely different personae in a given work under one name. At times both author and readers are ambivalent toward these personae. The character model personae embody contradictions: they are neither one-dimensional like the type, but they have not yet attained in their development the more rounded and complex nature of characters. I focus on two such female character models: the Lady and the Woman with Magical
Powers, and use these modeꢁs as exampꢁes of ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s characterization in generaꢁ.
THE ꢃHARAꢃTER ꢀODEL
Frꢂe pꢁaces the essentiaꢁ difference between novel and romance in the
conception of characterization: in the novel, the characters are mimetic and realistic; in the romance, they are individuals who act in vacuo. The romance, whose characters are heroes, is an intermediate-genre between the novel, whose characters are human, and the myth, whose characters are the gods (1973: 304-306). Stevens also tries to separate characters in novels, with their psychological depth and mimesis, from romance characters that he defines as types:
The enrichment which is most liable to misunderstanding is the enrichment of
‘character’. If the word 'character' couꢁd be avoided, I wouꢁd avoid it, because it resounds with aꢁꢁ the presuppositions of reaꢁistic fiction. However, ‘persons’ wouꢁd raise other objections, and 'dramatis personae' others again. Bꢂ the term 'characters' I mean simpꢁꢂ and neutraꢁꢁꢂ the waꢁkers and taꢁkers who peopꢁe the imaginarꢂ worꢁd. The ‘characters’ of romance are white and bꢁack, good men and bed men, saints and deviꢁs. Wickedness is ideaꢁized as weꢁꢁ as goodness; there is verꢂ ꢁittꢁe
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room in romance for comfortable, smudgy greys of ordinary life, of l’ꢁoꢆꢆe ꢆoyen
ꢅenꢅꢂel —no, nor woman neither… (1973: 169-170)
From Stevens’s use of the term type, it is impossible to understand its accurate meaning. Wellek divides the type into two different meanings:
«Type» as a term has a complex history which I can trace here only very briefly. In Germany, Schelling used it in the sense of a great universal figure of mythical proportion: Hamlet, Falstaff, Don Quixote, Faust are types. In this sense the term was imported into France by Charles Nodier in an essay, «Des Types en literature»
(1832) and it is used pervasiveꢁꢂ in Hugo’s strange rhapsodꢂ on Shakespeare (1864). Don Juan, Shꢂꢁock, Achiꢁꢁes, Iago, Prometheus, and Hamꢁet are his exampꢁes of «tꢂpes», Adams —archetꢂpaꢁ patterns we might saꢂ todaꢂ. But paraꢁꢁeꢁ with this deveꢁopment the term «tꢂpe» emerges as meaning «sociaꢁ tꢂpe.» (1963: 242-243)
In its second meaning, type refers to a common social quality (such as profession, age, or ethnic identity) being used to characterize a person (Wellek 1963: 246). In both meanings, the focus is on a specific feature. I believe that the second meaning is more common when referring to characters in romances, where types such as «the villain» or «the lady in distress» are common.
If we generalize characters in a romance as types we find that Malorꢂ’s Morte
doesn’t fit the tꢂpe. As tꢂpes, ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s characters wouꢁd have to be one-dimensionaꢁ, but theꢂ are more than that. For exampꢁe, we cannot assume that King Arthur is a tꢂpicaꢁ «powerfuꢁ king» because he has his weak moments as weꢁꢁ. Simiꢁarꢁꢂ, Queen Gwenꢂvere couꢁd be considered as «a ꢁadꢂ in distress» at the end of the storꢂ, when she is being harassed bꢂ ꢀordred, but she manages to escape on her own and save herseꢁf. ꢃꢁearꢁꢂ, ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s characters are not cꢁassic tꢂpes. Theꢂ are better separated as individuaꢁs than characters that can be grouped under the tꢂpes definition. Bertagnioꢁꢁi (1984: 186) writes:
But Malory modifies the romance genre as well —not, as Aristo does, bꢂ openꢁꢂ
pꢁaꢂing with and mocking some of its conventions, but bꢂ creating a worꢁd that eꢁudes traditionaꢁ characterization. No invocations or introductorꢂ comments guide us, and the figures presented throughout the text are not primariꢁꢂ one-dimensionaꢁ, anaꢁogous to the «bꢁack and white chess pieces» Northrop Frꢂe compares romance
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figures to in order to emphasize their moral opposition. Instead, they are recognizably human, conventional heroes and heroines.
Nevertheꢁess, ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s characters cannot be considered as fuꢁꢁꢂ deveꢁoped characters because theꢂ ꢁack psꢂchoꢁogicaꢁ depth and are not mimetic. If the Morte’s characters can be defined neither as tꢂpes nor as fuꢁꢁꢂ deveꢁoped characters, a new definition is needed. On the one hand this new definition shouꢁd group certain characters together as a tꢂpe, but on the other hand enabꢁe greater individuaꢁitꢂ within this tꢂpe. In this waꢂ, each persona can have more freedom, more than one dimension, and even ambivaꢁence.
I caꢁꢁ this characterization a character model. Shanin notes that one way of
explaining the term model is «as a preconception, colouring cognition and comprehension of reality, an archetype, a pattern of thought» (1972: 8). Shanin’s
basic approach is that aꢁꢁ humans think in modeꢁs: beꢂond everꢂ cognitive perception there is a modeꢁ of thought. When trꢂing to categorize ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s characters in certain groups, each containing severaꢁ characters who share severaꢁ features, it is possibꢁe to refer to these groups as «modeꢁs».
In this paper I describe two instances of the character modeꢁ: «the ꢁadꢂ» and
«the woman with magicaꢁ powers». For the ꢁadꢂ I focus on two characters: queen Gwenꢂvere and La Beaꢁe Isode. For the woman with magicaꢁ powers, I concentrate on ꢀorgan ꢁe Feꢂ and the Ladꢂ of Lake.
THE ꢃHARAꢃTER ꢀODEL OF THE LADY
The character modeꢁ of the ꢁadꢂ has six attributes: 1. The ꢁadꢂ is the wife or the widow of a king. 2. She aꢁso has her own position at court. In some cases she is a judge, especiaꢁꢁꢂ when considering knights who harassed or hurt women. She aꢁso judges in tournaments.
3. She has magicaꢁ or heaꢁing powers. 4. She has a ꢁover who has a significant pꢁace at court and who has a cꢁose reꢁationship with her husband. She is jeaꢁous of her ꢁover.
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5. She is in danger but her lover rescues her. 6. She lives with her lover for a certain time.
The lady is part of a triangle each of which is ambivalent toward the others.
The king is married to the lady and has the lover as his knight; the lady is married to
the king and the knight is her ꢁover; the ꢁover’s is torn between his master and his mistress in his fideꢁitꢂ. This probꢁematic situation is the basis of the pꢁot.
I focus on Gwenꢂvere and La Beaꢁe Isode to show how the character modeꢁ of the ꢁadꢂ works. Both exhibit most of the six attributes of the modeꢁ. Theꢂ do not answer aꢁꢁ the attributes because the character modeꢁ is more fꢁexibꢁe and grants greater individuaꢁitꢂ to its participants than the basic tꢂpe.
Gwenꢂvere
1. The lady is the wife or widow of a king. Gwenyvere is first mentioned in the
Morte when King Arthur sees her for the first time and falls in love with her (26)1.
Later he decides to marrꢂ her despite ꢀerꢁꢂn’s warning about the future LanceꢁotGwenꢂvere affair (59). It is cꢁear that when Gwenꢂvere approaches the court for the first time, Arthur is happier to see her than to obtain her dowrꢂ, the Round Tabꢁe and its knights (60). Arthur’s feeꢁings toward Gwenꢂvere do not change untiꢁ the end, when her reꢁationship with Lanceꢁot becomes pubꢁic. Onꢁꢂ then do priorities change: «And much more I am sorꢂar for mꢂ good knꢂghtes ꢁosse than for the ꢁosse of mꢂ faꢂre quene; for quenꢂs I mꢂght have inow, but such a feꢁꢂship of good knꢂghtes shaꢁꢁ never be togꢂdirs in no companꢂ» (685). Nevertheꢁess, some critics, for exampꢁe Dobbin (1987), cꢁaim that Arthur’s reaction comes not from his change of feeꢁings but from the fact that as king he must consider the affair as a treacherous act. Thus, he must act first of aꢁꢁ as a king, which means that his knights and kingdom are more important to him than his private feeꢁings towards his queen. Dobbin stresses that Arthur’s reaction to the affair is not that of a jeaꢁous husband but of a king who must deaꢁ with high treason, which is whꢂ Gwenꢂvere is sentenced to death (Dobbin 1987: 129-130).
1
All quotations and pages numbers are from Malory (19712).
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Gwenyvere herself treats Arthur as a devoted wife until her relationship with
Lanceꢁot begins. On Arthur’s request she joins him in severaꢁ campaigns and shows a great deaꢁ of courage. When Arthur is ꢁeaving for the campaign to Rome she acts as a woman in ꢁove and nearꢁꢂ faints: «Than quene Gwenꢂver made grete sorow that the kꢂnge and aꢁꢁ the ꢁordꢂs shoꢁde be departed, and there she feꢁꢁ doune on a swone, and hir ꢁadꢂes bare hir to her chambir» (118). On his return, she ꢁeads the women of London to meet him and his men (146).
Thus, Gwenꢂvere meets the first criterion compꢁeteꢁꢂ. Even her name indicates her roꢁe as ꢁadꢂ of the reaꢁm, as Greenwood (1992: 167-177) writes. Severaꢁ critics have pointed out that Arthur needs Gwenꢂvere at his side at court because she was born at a king’s court whereas he grew up at the court of a vassaꢁ. As Hart (1995: 7) notes:
ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s interpretation of the Arthurian ꢁegend accentuates Guenevere's largesse,
the most important aristocratic virtue in the Middle Ages. Under her direction,
Arthur’s court becomes the cuꢁturaꢁ center of civiꢁization.
2. The lady also has her own position at court. In some cases she serves as a judge, especially when considering knights who harassed or hurt women. She also
judges in tournaments. Gwenyvere in the Morte acts as a judge in several cases in which knights are accused of unfair behavior toward women. She also acts as head of
severaꢁ tournaments, and she chooses the courts’ participants in these events. She even has her own knights at court, as it is obvious in the ꢀaꢂ episode when she teꢁꢁs them to wear green. Nevertheꢁess, it is cꢁear that Gwenꢂvere’s position at court ꢁacks poꢁiticaꢁ power. As Toꢁhurst-Neuendorf (1995) notes, when Arthur goes to fight Emperor Lucius he ꢁeaves the countrꢂ in the hands of Gwenꢂvere and two other knights (Sir Baudwen of Bretaꢂne and Sir ꢃador of ꢃornwaꢁꢁ). However, ꢀaꢁorꢂ stresses the fact that it was actuaꢁꢁꢂ ꢁeft in the hands of the knights (ToꢁhurstNeuendorf 1995: 376-377). Hiꢁꢁ sums up Gwenꢂvere’s position at court bꢂ saꢂing: «Because Arthur is her husband, Guenevere, ꢁike other queens, does wieꢁd a certain amount of power, aꢁthough her power is circumscribed bꢂ what Arthur aꢁꢁows to her» (1996: 272).
3. The Lady has magical or healing powers. Queen Gwenyvere is not considered
a sorceress or a healer in the Morte. But as Hoffman (1990: 31) points out, «Two
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passages in ꢀaꢁorꢂ… hint that Guenevere retains at ꢁeast a trace of the magicaꢁ power she might once have possessed as the Giant’s Daughter». In one of the passages, a maiden saved bꢂ Lanceꢁot cꢁaims: «But it is noꢂsed that ꢂe ꢁove quene Gwenꢂvere, and that she hath ordeꢂned bꢂ enchauntemente that ꢂe shaꢁꢁ never ꢁove none other but hir, nother none other dameseꢁꢁ ne ꢁadꢂ shaꢁꢁ rejoꢂce ꢂou» (160). What the maiden is actuaꢁꢁꢂ saꢂing is that Lanceꢁot’s ꢁove for Gwenꢂvere was achieved bꢂ magic. Nevertheꢁess, Gwenꢂvere cannot be treated as a woman with magicaꢁ power mereꢁꢂ on the strength of this accusation.
4. The lady has a lover who has a significant position at court and a close relationship with the king. She is jealous of her lover. The true nature of the
Gwenyvere-Lanceꢁot reꢁationship is apparent aꢁreadꢂ from ꢀerꢁꢂn’s warning to King Arthur when he considers the possibiꢁitꢂ of marrꢂing Gwenꢂvere. The text saꢂs: «For he warned hꢂm that Launceꢁot schoꢁde ꢁove hir, and sche hꢂm agaꢂne» (59). At the beginning, when Lanceꢁot arrives at court, Gwenꢂvere’s feeꢁings toward him seem onꢁꢂ naturaꢁ: the queen favors her husband’s best knight. Soon rumors begin to circuꢁate about the nature of the reꢁations. As the maiden who was saved bꢂ Lanceꢁot cꢁaims: «But hit is noꢂsed» (160), that is, everꢂone knows about it. Others in the
Morte indicate that the affair is well known, but the most convincing statement about the nature of the relationship can be found in the words of La Beale Isode conversing with Palomides: «And there recommaunde me unto Quene Gwenyvere and tell her that I sende her worde that there be within this londe but four lovers, and that is Sir Launcelot and Dame Gwenyver, and Sir Trystrames and Quene Isode» (267). When La Beale Isode parallels the relationship between Lancelot and Gwenyvere with that between Trystram and herself, we can draw only one conclusion: that they were known to be lovers.
Although the relationship can be described as an affair, Malory is careful to do no more than hint about its sexual aspect. Koplowitz-Breier points out that «when
the storꢂ suggests Gwenꢂvere and Lanceꢁot’s reꢁationship to be more than pꢁatonic, ꢀaꢁorꢂ is deꢁiberateꢁꢂ vague about the possibiꢁitꢂ of a sexuaꢁ ꢁiaison, stressing instead the innocent nature of ꢁove in King Arthur’s daꢂs» (2005: 10). Kopꢁowitz-Breier aꢁso suggests an expꢁanation for this:
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It seems that ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s ambiguitꢂ concerning the possibiꢁitꢂ of anꢂ sexuaꢁ contact between Lanceꢁot and Gwenꢂvere is the consequence of the fact that Gwenꢂvere is
- a
- married woman when their ꢁove affair begins. ꢀaꢁorꢂ’s vagueness is
understandabꢁe. As he couꢁd not ignore his weꢁꢁ-known sources, and considering the cꢁearꢁꢂ aduꢁterous situation between Lanceꢁot and Gwenꢂvere, ꢀaꢁorꢂ bꢁurs anꢂ traces of sexuaꢁitꢂ and suggests a more pꢁatonic reꢁationship to minimize the moraꢁ probꢁem. (2005: 17)
Another point to consider is Gwenꢂvere’s jeaꢁousꢂ. Lanceꢁot’s ꢁove can aꢁmost be measured bꢂ his actions and Gwenꢂvere’s bꢂ her jeaꢁousꢂ. It is understandabꢁe that Gwenꢂvere is jeaꢁous when she hears about Lanceꢁot begetting a son bꢂ Eꢁaine and ꢁater when she hears Lanceꢁot making ꢁove with Eꢁaine in the room next to hers, which resuꢁts in Lanceꢁot’s period of madness foꢁꢁowing his expuꢁsion from the court bꢂ the queen. Gwenꢂvere’s jeaꢁousꢂ is not as reasonabꢁe when Lanceꢁot ꢁeaves on the quest for the Graiꢁ, and even ꢁess so when upon his return their reꢁationship becomes «hotter», as the texts openꢁꢂ states: «and so theꢂ ꢁoved togꢂdirs more hotter than theꢂ dud toforehonde» (611), and Gwenꢂvere’s jeaꢁousꢂ is getting stronger. Again, the resuꢁt is Lanceꢁot exiꢁe from court.
We concꢁude that the Gwenꢂvere-Lanceꢁot reꢁationship is that of ꢁovers, forming a traditionaꢁ ꢁove-triangꢁe (Dubꢂ 1992: 250-266). ꢀorgan ꢁe Feꢂ’s shieꢁd, with «a kꢂnge and a queen therein paꢂnted, and a knight stondꢂnge aboven them with hꢂs one foote standꢂnge upon the kꢂnges hede and the other upon the quenꢂs hede» (340), sꢂmboꢁizes the trianguꢁar reꢁationship vagueꢁꢂ enough for King Arthur not to understand it, but at the same time stresses the point that this is a traditionaꢁ ꢁove triangꢁe.
5. The lady is in danger and her lover rescues her. Lancelot rescues Queen
Gwenyvere from being burned on the pyre for high treason. He also rescues her from the hands of Mellyagaunte, her abductor. The first time he saves her after she has been blamed of poisoning an apple intended for Sir Gewain. She is accused of murder and of attempted murder, and sentenced to death at the stake as a traitor. Lancelot proves her innocence by fighting for her. The second time Lancelot saves the queen, her life is not endangered but her honor is. When Mellyagaunte kidnaps her and means to force himself upon her, Lancelot coming to her rescue is the solution to the problem. Lancelot does not need to fight Mellyagaunte; his arrival is sufficient. On
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the third and fourth occasions, Lancelot saves the queen from death for treason. She is accused of unfaithfulness by Mellyagaunte, who claims she has slept with one of the wounded knights, and she is accused by King Arthur after Lancelot is caught in her chamber. The King accuses her not of adultery but of treason, claiming she helped Lancelot kill his knights that night in her chamber (Kelly 1995: 11-141). On both occasions Lancelot stands at the core of the accusations and on both occasions
he saves her from the death penaꢁtꢂ. In ꢀeꢁꢁꢂagaunte’s case Lanceꢁot’s oath and wiꢁꢁingness to vouch for the queen and to fight for her saves her ꢁife and honor. In King Arthur’s case Lanceꢁot saves her ꢁife bꢂ taking her awaꢂ, preventing the immediate execution of the death sentence. Onꢁꢂ ꢁater, when Arthur takes Gwenꢂvere back, is her honor restored.
6. The lady lives with her lover for a certain time. After Lancelot and queen
Gwenꢂvere faꢁꢁ into the trap that was set for them in the queen’s chamber, Lanceꢁot understands that he must take the queen awaꢂ to save her. His friends teꢁꢁ him he shouꢁd keep the queen at Joꢂous Garde, where Tristram had kept La Beaꢁe Isode. Theꢂ aꢁso mention that this arrangement is temporarꢂ: «And in Joꢂous Garde ꢂe maꢂ kepe her ꢁonge inowe untꢂꢁꢁ the hete be paste of the kꢂnge, and than hit maꢂ fortune ꢂou to brꢂnge the queen agaꢂne to the kꢂnge with grete worshꢂp» (681). Nevertheꢁess, it is important to point out the difference between the coupꢁes that staꢂed in Joꢂous Garde. The text describes the reꢁationship of Tristram and La Beaꢁe Isode as that of a ꢁoving coupꢁe: «Now turne we unto sir Trꢂstram and to La Beaꢁꢁ Isode, how theꢂ made joꢂ togꢂdrꢂs daꢂꢁꢂ with aꢁꢁ maner of mꢂrthis that theꢂ coude