Section 1 Chapters 1-11 pg 315-372
Summary:
Lancelot is determined to be the best knight despite his ugly appearance. He wants to aid Arthur in his fight against might. He spent much of his time training under his Uncle Dap. When Lancelot was 18 Merlyn came and told him he would become the best knight in the world and Merlyn hints about Guenever. Merlyn while there falls in love with Nimue and the two lovebirds leave. Lancelot makes up his mind that he is going to England.
On his way he meets a black knight whom he beats tilting, this knight turns out to be King Arthur. They go to the castle where Lancelot is knighted. King Arthur gives Lancelot a jerfalcon to give him something to do. Queen Guenever tries to help Lancelot but makes things worse, but after Lancelot causes her pain with his words, they begin to fall in love. Arthur knows that it is inevitable that Lancelot and Guenever will fall in love and Arthur takes Lancelot to war with him, which lasts several years. Arthur dismisses Merlyn’s prophecy concerning Lancelot and Guenever.
After being home a short time Lancelot asks to be sent away so to prevent Guenever from coming between him and Arthur. Lancelot’s first adventure is a run in with Sir Carados who had taken Sir Gawaine prisoner. Lancelot soon kills Carados. Lancelot is soon joined by his cousin Lionel. While riding one day Lancelot becomes extremely tired so Lionel rides on leaving Lancelot to sleep. Lionel rides to challenge a knight chasing three others but Lionel, along with the three, are taken prisoner by Sir Turquine. While Lancelot sleeps, Morgan Le Fay arrives with three other queen witches and takes him prisoner. When Lancelot finally awakes he is soon greeted by a young girl telling him that she cam free him the next night. The next morning the four queens come and tell Lancelot to choose one of them as his mistress by he refuses.
Later that day the girl comes back and says she will help him if he helps her by fighting in a tournament for her dad, King Bagdemagus. In the morning, she gives Lancelot instructions on where to go however, Lancelot gets lost. He comes across a pavilion that appears to be vacant so Lancelot hangs up his armor, eats, and goes to bed. Lancelot awakes a while later to see a man with no clothes on trimming his nails. Both Lancelot and the other man are shocked to see each other and quickly retrieve arms. Lancelot ends up getting the man in the stomach and his wife rushes out and accuses Lancelot of being a murderer. However, they work it out, allowing Lancelot to spend the night and they direct him to the abbey in the morning.
After arriving at the abbey, he is then taken to King Bagdemagus. He fights in the tournament as neutral along with three other knights and before the tournament is over injures three knights of the round table opposing King Bagdemagus. After the tournament, Lancelot goes in search of Lionel. He goes back to the place where he last saw Lionel and there he meets a damsel. She tells him where to find Sir Turquine, the captor of sixty-four knights. He goes and fights Sir Turquine. After fighting for quite a long time Sir Turquine tells Lancelot that, he’ll make a truce with Lancelot if he wasn’t Lancelot who murdered his brother. Thus, they continue to fight and Lancelot eventually triumphs and all the captured knights are freed.
Lancelot, on another adventure is tricked into taking off his armor to save a falcon. However, Lancelot is still triumphant. Lancelot while riding encounters a man trying to kill his wife because he claims she is an adulterer. The man ends up killing his wife and running off after asking Lancelot to have mercy and not kill him.
Lancelot soon returns to court for Pentecost and all the knights confess to have been beaten by Sir Lancelot and Lancelot has all of them kneel at Guinevere’s feet. Arthur expresses his concerns about the round table and the Orkney faction’s need for revenge.
Lancelot struggles with his feelings for Guenever and what he should do about them. After several weeks, his Uncle Dap suggests that he leave. Therefore, Lancelot heads to Corbin and is asked to save King Pelles daughter who was stuck is enchanted boiling water. He succeeds and King Pelles asks Lancelot to stay awhile.
Vocabulary: none
Reflection:
I miss Merlyn already.
If I was Lancelot, I would not know how to react to Merlyn. For this guy who I had never meet shows up and tells me I’m going to be the best knight in the world and then he speaks of someone who I have never meet sending her love. I know I would have been very confused after that encounter. In addition, it would be quite exciting to beat the king at tilting and be accepted so readily. I’m sad to know that Merlyn is no longer going to be a prevalent character for he brought a sort of comic relief to the story.
I think that Lancelot’s attempt to stay busy in order to stay away from Guenever is honorable. He knows that if he stays around he will in a way betray his friend so he attempts to take the steps to prevent that from happening. I think that Lancelot is portrayed as ugly because if he was handsome he really would, “have it all.” Also, since this story breaks the mold in other ways it is only fitting that Prince Charming isn’t completely charming.
The phrase “what a tangled web we weave” really applies to this book. Where it comes into play in this section is that Arthur’s half sister Morgan Le Fay tries to seduce Lancelot, Arthur’s best knight. It is truly amazing how all the characters are tied up in one another’s affairs.
This is quite a busy section for Lancelot, he reminds me of an energizer bunny who just keeps going and going and winning although one would think he would need a year to recoup (maybe that was why he fell asleep under that tree).
I think it was cowardly that the fat knight trapped Lancelot in a tree without armor, but I find it humorous that he lost anyway, that really shows how skilled Lancelot is. In addition, Lancelot tries to prevent that man from killing his wife. To have someone kill the person riding right behind you on a horse would be very difficult for me to difficult. Lancelot has an innocence about him in how he doesn’t boast about being the best and he really wants to perform a miracle. Rescuing a naked maiden from a boiling pot though is definitely a unique miracle.
Section 2 Chapters 12-22 pg 372-412
Summary:
Lancelot was still staying at the Corbin Castle and he gets drunk one night and is tricked into sleeping with Elaine, the girl he rescued from the boiling water. He was tricked because he was told that Guenever was waiting for him. He is very upset for he no longer has the ability to perform miracles. Elaine plans to name her child Galahad if she has a child.
Guenever, unlike Elaine isn’t childlike. Guenever has the sixth sense balance, and the seventh sense, knowledge of the world, is yet to come. She misses Lancelot and he soon returns after the incident with Elaine. Here is where Guenever cheats on Arthur with Lancelot just as she had always known she would.
Arthur receives a letter from Lancelot’s father stating that he is under attack. Thus, Arthur makes the decision to leave and has Lancelot stay to look after Guenever for a year. They have a variety of conversation and Lancelot tells Guenever about his miracles and how he had to give them up for her. He doesn’t tell her of Elaine except for the miraculous rescue.
When Arthur returns so does news of Elaine and her son Galahad this news of Lancelot's son makes Guenever very angry. Lancelot tries to explain that he was tricked but Guenever doesn’t believe it. Elaine was ready to try to get Lancelot back and travels to Arthur’s castle to do so. Arthur and Lancelot talk about it briefly and Lancelot believes he could under no circumstances love her. Guenever tells Lancelot that she wants to see if Lancelot could love Elaine.
Guenever welcomes Elaine but she does tell Lancelot that she doesn’t want Elaine and him to sleep together under her roof. Guenever also tells Lancelot that she will send for him that night. Lancelot goes to see his son and Elaine tries to throw herself into his arms. That night Lancelot is tricked into sleeping with Elaine again thinking it was Guenever. Guenever is raging mad and tells Lancelot to get out. Lancelot ends up jumping out of a window. Elaine believes Guenever to have driven mad and is told by the Queen to leave and keep silent.
Sir Lancelot is assumed dead and King Pelles and Sir Bliant discusses a Wild Man who has the values of a gentleman. They speak of how Lancelot supposedly died and they talk of how Sir Bliant encountered the Wild Man and how he stayed with them for a time in the barbican chamber with iron fetters. The Wild Man had broken our and saved Sir Bliant from an attack. The Wild Man sticks around for another couple months before he disappears during a boar hunt.
Sir Bliant leaves and King Pelles attempts to trace Lancelot’s lineage. Soon a Wild Man is discovered and the King plans to make him a jester. The knighting of the king’s nephew is celebrated and the Wild Man is brought in as a jester and given the king’s robe but he walks back to the pigeon coop to sleep.
Elaine, the next morning, with her three-year-old Galahad is informed that there is a man sleeping by the well. When Elaine goes and sees him, she recognizes him as Lancelot. She goes and tells her father who says he will take care of it. After rest, Lancelot comes to in his right mind though he had to rest for two weeks. Elaine wants him to stay even though he says he could never love her, but she says him staying would make her extremely happy.
In the end Lancelot, Elaine, and Galahad live together in a castle of King Pelles. He assumes the name the Chevalier Mal Fet (Ill-Starred Knight) so none will come looking for him. Sir Castor however confronts Lancelot about his identity but with a few wise words, Lancelot gets him to let it go.
Vocabulary: None
Reflection:
Lancelot truly gets himself into a mess with Elaine. It is sad though because he did not intend to have anything to do with Elaine but she gets him into a mess anyway. However, he could have saved himself a lot of trouble if he had decided to stick to not allowing Guenever to cheat on Arthur.
Arthur is very trusting to allow Guenever and Lancelot to stay together but I think that Arthur does the right thing about ignoring Lancelot and Guenever’s affair. He knows that they are but I think he made the choice of the lesser of the two evils. He could have exposed them but having an angry queen and having the best knight made at you would probably be in Arthur’s best interest, also he didn’t look for proof.
At first it surprised me that Lancelot went mad, but the more I thought about it the less it surprised me. HE had a lot on his plate and those two particular women really didn’t leave him much room to do anything except crack like an egg. Sir Bliant doesn’t appear to be very observant. He had the wild man version of Lancelot but didn’t realize what he had.
I can’t imagine how it must feel to go mad. It really gives you something to think about. Would you comprehend what is going on around you or would everything be like a blur in a dream. This is going to puzzle me for a while.
I wouldn’t be able to stand being around Guenever, I admire some of her qualities but overall don’t care for her for mainly one reason. Granted this trait is often just human nature but she is so quick to judge and get a temper tantrum. When she wants to believe something is a certain way it can’t be changed in her mind. She is stubborn and I think our two personalities would clash the majority of the time just due to a slight few of her traits.
Section 3 Chapters 23-33 pg 412-470
Summary:
It is decided that the Chevalier Mal Fet will hold a tournament, which he dominates. Afterwards Elaine finds Lancelot on the battlefields and notices for the first time that the woman on Lancelot’s shield is crowned. She realizes that is must be representative of Guenever and hot herself.
Lancelot on morning is told of the arrival of two knights who wish to tilt with him. He readies himself and fights but not to his true potential and when asked he reveals his true identity. Lancelot is informed of all the Queen has invested in trying to find him. Sir Ector, Lancelot’s brother, is one of the two knights and the brothers are overjoyed to see each other.
The knights ready for Lancelot to leave with them but he doesn’t want to leave behind Elaine although the Queen has spent much to find him. Lancelot is surprised to be informed that his Uncle Dap was waiting for him with all of Lancelot’s paraphernalia.
Fast-forward fifteen years and Lancelot is at Arthur’s court and the dynamics between Arthur, Guenever, and Lancelot have stayed the same. Arthur has achieved his goal of a safe place enforced by his round table. Things had finally changed and two particular young knights arrive at the court, Gareth and Mordred. Lancelot and Arthur speak of Gareth and other events surrounding the Orkneys such as the developing feud between the Orkneys and the Pellimores. Arthur also points out to Lancelot the major flaw in the round table in that it used force to conquer force.
Gawaine and Mordred return to Arthur’s court after murdering Queen Morgause, their mother, and Sir Lamorak with the help of Agravaine. Arthur talks to them briefly and pardons them for their act. Arthur then goes into more detail explaining to Lanc3elot and Guenever the problem with the table in that now there is no outlet for the might used to establish the right. Arthur adds how Gawaine and Mordred prove this and Lancelot suggests they should be sent to the pope. This sparks an idea that Arthur should send his knights on holy quests to rescue relics on crusades.
After Pentecost, the knights of the round table are sent out and after two years, they begin to straggle back in, in a very different state then when they left. The first of these returning knights that is a reliable witness is Gawaine who went in search of the Holy Grail. He speaks of Sir Galahad and Galahad’s flaws. His adventure at the Castle of Maidens, the murder of his cousin Uwaine, and the tournament he and Ector fought in before returning home. He also tells them he murdered King Bagdemagus.
Lionel was the next to return home. He informs Arthur and Guenever of his adventures and his annoyance with his brother, Bans, who is obnoxious in how righteous he appears for he doesn’t kill Sir Brides. Bor’s second trial was that he rescued a maiden rather than his brother Lionel. The third trial involved choosing between committing a mortal sin and saving a life or leaving someone to die by not committing the sin. He chooses the latter because he believes that he can only control his own actions. The woman he was to save takes women with her to jump off the building and commit suicide but they all in truth were fiends. The last was that Bors wouldn’t put up a fight against Lionel who wanted to kill him. Lionel ends up killing a hermit but Bors lives to go on in search of the Holy Grail.
Next to return is Sir Aglovale, a Pellimore. He wants to avenge his brother’s death by killing Gawaine, Mordred, and Agravaine. Arthur however talks him out of it. Aglovale then explains a letter he received concerning his brother Percy and how Percy has gotten on the boat to bring people to the Grail. He also speaks of Galahad and his sister and the magical things they found on board a barge before his sister gave up her life because it was said to be the only way a woman with leprosy would survive.
Little information returns concerning Lancelot’s state as surviving knights continue to arrive and others are marked deceased. Eventually Lancelot returns, he tells them of his adventures concerning the quest for the Grail. Lancelot tells them of his accident, which in turn brought him closer to God. This accident was a tilting defeat in which Galahad unhorsed Lancelot to first time and Lancelot is robbed of his title of the best knight in the world, though that bothered Guenever more than Lancelot. Lancelot speaks of how all his knightly thing were stolen twice and how confession had brought them back.
Lancelot attempts to come clean about his affair with Guenever but she prevents it. He then explains the ship that conveyed him. He says how he spent some time getting to know Galahad and how Lancelot was unable to go to the Holy Grail although Galahad was. However, Lancelot was content with seeing as much as he was permitted to.
Vocabulary: Priggish- smugly well-behaved person
Reflection:
I give Elaine credit for how easily she takes Lancelot it and doesn’t bully him around. She just gives him the space he needs at this point in his life. I think Lancelot was going through his mid-life crises. I feel bad though, that Elaine noticed the crown on the woman on Lancelot’s shield. Funny how Lancelot is at first sure he doesn’t want people to know who or where he is then he changes when the two knights come and reveals it, I guess he just felt as if it was time to go back to the court.
Mordred and Agravaine scare me more than any of the other Orkneys. Agravaine scares me because he keeps killing people and things. The fact that he murdered his own mother is quite creepy even though she was who she was. Agravaine seems to have no conscious whereas his younger brother Gareth seems normal because he appears to have a heart. Mordred scares me because he seems sneaky and based on how he received what Arthur had to say about killing their mother this event also makes me believe that Mordred thinks he is above the law.
Arthur had a good idea to send out his knights on quests for items such as the Holy Grail it was really too bad that it didn’t work out the way he had planned. To know that you sent your knights out only to have about half return would be very difficult for me to live with. Especially because I feel bad if
I admire Lancelot’s Uncle Dap and how committed he is to serving Lancelot. It is admirable how he has all Lancelot’s armor ready and polished, I realize that as a squire it is his job but considering that Dap was under no obligation to be Lancelot’s squire it is really cool how dedicated it is.
I like Sir Agravole a lot from what little I know of him. He comes back ready to kill each and every one of the Orkney’s. after telling his story though and listening to Arthur’s advice, he lets it go. Sure, he is still mad at them, as he should be, but he at least attempts to understand where they are coming from. I admire that.
Section 4 Chapters 34-45 pg 470-514
Summary:
In Chapter 34 White makes some speculation on Guenever’s character and why she is the way she is. Also White states how her central tragedy was that she couldn’t have children. Lancelot doesn’t plan to go back to being Guenever’s lover because he knows he is in love with God. However, she thinks that Lancelot will come back to her in time. Eventually Guenever sends him away so they don’t fight.
The court has finally achieved knowledge of the world, the seventh sense, and the better half of Arthur’s knights have been killed in searching for the Grail. People are beginning to target Guenever by sending things that only a faithful wife could use. Another thing that was coming about was a strange form of fashion that Guenever couldn’t pull off. She decides to hold a dinner to try to sooth some rifts, especially in the Orkney family. Since Gawaine loved apples she made sure that, there were some however, Sir Pinel decided to poison them. His plan fails and Sir Patrick perishes due to this deed but the queen is accused of poisoning the apples by Sir Mador.
Thus, trial by combat was arranged to test her guilt. Sir Mador decided he would represent himself. Since Lancelot was not around Guenever had to find someone else to represent her. After begging on her knees, Sir Bors consents. Before the day of the trial, Sir Bors disappears to find Lancelot. He finds Lancelot at an abbey and Lancelot gets back in time to fight for Guenever. Lancelot wins although he suffers a wound in the groin and makes sure that Sir Mador puts nothing involving this incident on Sir Patrick’s grave.
Arthur decides to hold a tournament at Corbin. Guenever is slightly upset by this because it means that Lancelot may go see Elaine. However, she stays behind as well as Lancelot who claims his injury will prevent him. Lancelot ends up going anyway after they have a small fight. He goes and sees Elaine for he promised her that he would come back but Elaine takes this as he will be staying for good.
Lancelot does well in the tournament but there is an incident where three knights gang up on him and a spear head becomes lodged in his side. He tries to go off alone but fortunately, a knight follows and helps him to remove it. He returns to Elaine that night and she asks him to wear her token at first he declines but since he feels bad about having to leave her he wears, it saying it will help his disguise.
News of the tournament gets back to Guenever and she is mad that Lancelot was wearing Elaine’s token. Guenever in her rage claimed that she was happy three knights ganged up on him and hopes that he dies. Sir Bors the receiver of this temper tantrum really doesn’t want to hear it and that is why he doesn’t like women. Guenever has got it in her head that Elaine has become Lancelot’s mistress. However, Elaine committed suicide when Lancelot told her he couldn’t stay.
Before the next tournament began Lancelot wounded his backside when he was hit by a female archer would mistook him for a rabbit. However, Lancelot still fought in the tournament. Arthur for a brief time turns on Lancelot during the tournament and goes head to head against him but no one was injured and they went right back to being friends again. Another surprise at the tournament was that Gareth fought on the opposite side as is brothers.
One day while Lancelot and Arthur were talking about what befell Sir Tristam, Sir Meliagrance kidnaps Guenever because he is in love with her. When Lancelot hears of it, he jumps into action to go save her. Sir Meliagrance though sets up a trap for Lancelot but he still triumphs although Meliagrance’s hidden archers killed Lancelot’s horse. Lancelot gets into the castle and Sir Meliagrance yields. That night while they are all still at the castle Lancelot sneaks in though the iron bar windows of the room Guenever is staying in to talk to her. Lancelot cut his hand though and got blood all over the sheets. In the morning, Meliagrance sees this and accuses the Queen of infidelity with one of the injured knights that were sleeping in her room’s antechamber.
That incident was qualified for another trial by combat. Lancelot makes sure that if he goes through with it he will be fighting against Lancelot. He does and makes sure that it is okay with Lancelot if they stay friends until the trial. Therefore, Meliagrance asks Lancelot if he wants a tour of the castle and Lancelot accepts. However, it is a trap and in one of the rooms, there is a trap door in the floor in which Meliagrance makes sure Lancelot falls into to ensure god picks the right victor.
Just before the second trial Lancelot shows up to replace Sir Lavine who was to take Lancelot’s place. He gets there just in time. Seeing Sir Lancelot Meliagrance no longer wants to fight. However, they do but Lancelot evens the odds. He fights with armor only covering his right side, without a shield and his left hand tied behind his back. The two face off but it ends badly for Meliagrance who is dragged off the field with his helm and head in two pieces.
Arthur has finally established his court of law. A challenge for the knights of the round table comes about. Sir Urre who had been cursed could only have his wounds heal if the best knight in the world was to tend to them and salve them with his own hands. One hundred and ten of the knights attempt to heal the wounds and finally Lancelot is the knight to succeed, as Arthur knew he would.
Vocabulary: None
Reflection:
I’m slightly confused for in Chapter 34 it says that Arthur had two illegitimate children. One was Mordred, who was the other one?
I think it is really sad that Elaine commits suicide for someone who hadn’t seen Lancelot in so long had a lot of stock in that he was going to stay. However, (this one of Guenever’s actions I respect) Guenever makes a comment to Lancelot about how this may have been prevented if he had shown her a little more love. This comment though is strange coming from the mouth of the woman who wanted Lancelot to have nothing to do with Elaine.
Guenever needs to get over herself. She sends Lancelot really mixed signals on what she is feeling and what she wants him to do. She’ll tell him to do something such as go to the tournament. Then she gets mad and hopes that he dies just because he tried to put a smile on Elaine’s face. Guenever doesn’t make even an effort to try to understand the reason why before jumping to conclusions.
Sir Meliagrance is a peculiar character. I really don’t know what to think of him for although he did several very wrong things he in a way did them for the best reasons possible. He shouldn’t have kidnapped Guenever, but he at the very least did it because he loved and cared for her. Not to mention he treated both her and her knights with respect. In addition, he shouldn’t have tricked and trapped Lancelot but he did it because he was sure he was right that Guenever had been unfaithful to the king and he wanted to make sure there was at least a possibility for justice to be served.
That Lancelot gets to perform a miracle, as he has always wanted to, is a really cool way to end Book 3 that has the primary purpose of telling Lancelot’s story. I can’t imagine the joy that Lancelot must have felt having been able to perform that miracle, I don’t think there is any way to truly explain exactly what he was feeling at that moment.
