Reflection

Rough Thoughts

There is much to think about Le Morte D'Arthur as it is a passing long text full of a variety of styles, images, and stories. On first questing of my mind, the most striking thing is how relatable and understandable so much of it is. Old english diction (which can be made much easier to understand by listening to to be narrated) aside, the happenings and characters all make sense to the modern reader with only a light bit of context and dissection. Also, it's often quite funny (sometimes unintentionally, as it can be quite absurd) and I found myself laughing and smiling along with the text. The fights depicted can be quite cool and as I mentioned many times in discussion, many of the tropes found within the text could slot directly into a Shōnen anime; moments of heroic inspiration, dramatic flashbacks, deeply held rivalries, power rankings, it's really got it all.

Phases Within the Text

As described by one of my reading partners, it appears that there are 3 key periods described within the text:

• A period of power
• A period of chivalry
• A period of holiness

I'd assert that there also seems to be a 4th to be found in the ending which is a period of void, where all the aforementioned traits seem to wane and exit Camelot. The wound caused by Launcelot cannot be mended by the raw might of Arthur and his army (nor Gawain for that matter), nor can Launcelot's misdeed be justified by his prowess within the chivalric code. Likewise, with the departure of Galahad, narratively it feels like holiness has left the scene; even the Pope is incapable of reconciling the divide. The golden age of chivalry under Arthur ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.

Examples of the end of Power

• Gawain's impotence to extract his revenge upon Launcelot
• The pitious battle between Arthur and Mordred

Examples of the end of Chivalry

• Looters returning to the field of battle after being missing from the narrative
• The people who rally behind Mordred (possibly) as they choose ease over loyalty

Examples of the end of Holiness

• Launcelot returning to his old ways after the quest for the grail
• Arthur's disregard for his vision from Gawain

It could be argued that holiness still abides, but it feels like it only remains in what feels like the coda. Launcelot and Guenever do seem to finally find their way to a state which aligns with that order, but it feels very sad and worn. Further, it seems that the state of the kingdom does not return to this state nor reflect it in any way.

A Personal Note

I found that I enjoyed the first and second periods more than the third. The rapid departure from chivalry to holiness found during the grail quest was jarring and I oft felt that it seemed like an unfair and overbearing rule change (some might call it an apocalypse). Perhaps they should have known better, but I sympathize with folks like Launcelot and some of the other knights who failed the quest entirely. I take my dis-pleasure during this portion of the narrative to likely mean something about me; perhaps I don't enjoy the unveiling just as much as the characters (it can often seem better to just not know). Also, I find it interesting that there is a sort of match with Kierkegaard's Either/Or character setup (aesthete=chaos/power, judge=order/chivalry, preacher=holiness). It too, feels a bit like a juke at the end, though that's sort of the point. D'Arthur would be quite different in my reading of it if it had ended with the grail quest rather than with the conclusion it had.