Introduction
The theme of conflicting loyalties is brightly shown in the Arthurian legends, especially in Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart. The contents of all Arthurian legends are based on real historical events and that is why all stories are truthful being backgrounds for thousands of myths. The story about Lancelot as many other legends of the medieval period discloses the theme of love. It shows a deep conflict between courtly love and chivalric loyalty based on some established regulations, excepted rules and norms of behavior common for that period of time.
Main body
Typical behavior and relationships between the members of loyalty are shown in the story Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart. The author wanted to disclose the feelings of Lancelot, to be more exact the combination of feelings to his dear friend, King Arthur, and to the beloved woman Guinevere. The description of the love triangle between the close people transfers the reader to the antic times of kings and queens. The conflicting loyalties theme is centralized by the author highlighting the main rules excepted for the loyalties which should be compulsory followed whatever the cost.
Due to the medieval nature of the legend style, it abounds in different expressive means and stylistic devices, that is why it is so emotional and deeply involving. The author managed to use a great number of epithets in order to show the relations of the characters to the historical events and loyal nature.
Approaching knight (p.126); vile, low-born dwarf (p.127);
fortified town (p.128); comely maidens (p.128); scornful word (p.128); miniver-lined cloaks (p.128);
The author wanted to illustrate the exaggeration of some ancient event with the help of hyperboles. These literary techniques are also used to show the presence of love in the story and reflect the feelings of the characters.
Everyone asked, how… (p. 128);
He remembered nothing at all… he forgot all others… (p.131)
The text is rather emotional and expressive because of the great usage of metaphors and metonymies. The usage of cognitive metaphors makes the story more lively and involving.
The cold water awoke him… (p.132)
Love frequently reopened the wound… (p.138)
The legend under analysis abounds in such a variety of literary techniques as a synecdoche in order to avoid ambiguity in the text. The author used synecdoche very often to underline the class division and social inequalities of that time.
…rich and poor, young and old mocked him… (p.128);
All three entered through a gate (p. 128);
To show more expressiveness of the stories the author tried to use different forms of similes in order to make some moments of the historical events a bit ironic and close to real life.
…you drive around like a cripple? (p.128)
The problematic points of Arthur legends are especially stressed by the symbolism in the form of prohibitions that should be followed and temptations that should be ignored by the characters of the stories.
The Knight of Cart was lost in thought… (p.131)
The character of Lancelot is considered to be one of the most prominent among all other characters of Arthur legends. “Lancelot is the obsessive lover being beloved by most ladies, and is known as a great fighter…” The story of love between Lancelot and Guinevere is really tragically described as it managed to bring a lot of considerable damages not only to their own fates but to the whole kingdom, to the hopes and dreams of King Arthur and his knights.
The author wanted to underline the role of Lancelot in the downfall brought by him to the Round Table. The chain of Lancelot’s success as a brave and skilled warrior is contradicted by his numerous trials. The cart was considered to be the symbol of his love for Guinevere. It meant curses usually made over criminals who used to break the law, no matter what kind of law it was: whether the law of God or law of their land.
From the very beginning, one can notice that the sense of Lancelot’s existence was concentrated on his feelings to Guinevere despite all kinds of prohibitions and loyal rules. The author shows that nobody existed for Lancelot just but his only love Guinevere and he never paid attention to the possible rise of conflicts or some threats of betraying. Guinevere was not only his love; she was his life and the only person he could see before him. The tragedy of their love is considered to be one of the most significant in the whole history of literature. The unexpected consequences of their mutual feelings resulted in the suffering of the whole society.
All Arthurian legends disclose the tragedies of love showing difficulties of feelings and mutual understanding. The author illustrates the fact that it was impossible to understand the feelings of different people to one woman who was considered to be like property of a man in that time that is why such situations resulted in great conflicts between the members of royal families and knights.
The problem of loyalties is especially stressed in the relationships between King Arthur and Lancelot. It is important to stress that Lancelot was always in the state of constant war with himself trying to understand how he can overcome his treason of the King and be together with Guinevere. Their hidden feelings were opened to everyone and it led to the global conflict of best friends. It can be explained by the fact that Lancelot got in the power of love and human feelings, which cannot be overcome even for the sake of great friendship.
Taking into account rules and views of the ancient times and its society the question of loyalty was considered to be the most important in human relations, even more, significant than love; knights who betrayed their land were ready to give their lives for the sake of forgiveness and safety of their families.
Conclusion
As one can notice from the analysis carried out all legends of Arthur are considered to be prominent and unique with the detailed description of their characters with their fights, trials, feelings, temptations, loyalties, and betrayals. The tragedy of love and the problem of conflicting loyalties closely interact in all legends of Arthur. The author wanted to underline the main values of that time such as trust, just, love and loyalty. For the sake of these qualities, people were ready to fight and give their lives.
The character of Lancelot will always be regarded as an example of a strong-willed and brave knight who was covered by the power of love being unable to get rid of it and never wanted to do it. The author managed to show the great power of love which is stronger and more powerful than any other human feeling. He proved that only love can build and ruin at the same time… It fills our soul and brings some sense to our life but can ruin the fate of other people and be the reason of conflicting loyalties…
References
Wilhelm, J. James. The Romance of Arthur: Lancelot, or The Knight of the Cart. Garland Publishing, inc., 1994.