An Analysis of two Arthurian Knights of the Round Table: Tristan and Lancelot

Abstract

King Arthur is one of the most famous literary characters of all time. He has been a literary source all over the world, from medieval times to the present. His arduous battles and knightly adventures have turned this figure into a legend, giving way to countless studies on his heroic traits and origins. King Arthur won many illustrious victories with the help of the most loyal and chivalrous men of his kingdom, the Knights of the Round Table. In Le Morte d’Arthur , by Thomas Malory, one hundred and fifty knights are found to be loyally in the service of King Arthur. However, two of them stand out for their drastic evolutions in the story: Tristan and Lancelot. Because of their love affairs, his blind allegiance to his king is turned into despair driven to madness. This paper seeks to analyse the development of both characters, their connection to the main themes of the work (loyalty, betrayal, love and madness) and the characteristics that both stories share. The blind loyalty to their king and commitment as knights might not prevail before love romance; or both could collide, upsetting both their identities and their mental health. So love could mean the beginning of the end for the best Arthurian knights ever known.