KEY CHARACTERS
Many characters are involved in the Arthurian legends – some are
forces of good, while others bring about the destruction of Arthur’s
court at Camelot. Besides most of the knights (see right), a key figure
on the side of good is Merlin – a wizard, prophet, and Arthur’s mentor.
Flawed characters include Lancelot, a chivalrous knight with one
serious moral defect – his love for Queen Guinevere. Lancelot also fails
Arthur because he arrives too late to help the king in his battle with
Mordred. In some versions of the story, Lancelot becomes a priest
upon finding out that Guinevere has repented and become a nun.PERCEVAL
A young man of noble birth, Perceval became a knight after proving
his worth at King Arthur’s court. The Grail legends portrayed him
as rather naive, a “pure fool”. It was this purity, however, that made
him worthy of the Grail and helped him resist the seduction of
Kundry, a mysterious figure sent to distract him from the Grail quest.
His story inspired Richard Wagner’s
opera, Parsifal, where he heals the
mortal wounds of Amfortas, the
guardian of the Holy Grail.
THE KNIGHTS
The Knights of the Round Table were
chivalrous men. They were fair in their
dealings with others, courteous to
women, and helpful to people in need.
They were daring and killed monsters
and defeated outlaws. There were many
tales of their deeds, such as Galahad’s quest
for the Holy Grail; the adventures of Arthur’s
nephew, Gawain; the exploits of Pellinore;
and the deeds of the naive Perceval. Some
stories were about their loves, others about
their involvement in political disputes.THE ROUND TABLE
Descriptions of the circular table in Arthur’s castle at Camelot
vary – some said it could seat 100 or more knights – but the
key principle always remained constant: every knight had equal
prominence. One particular seat, known as the “Siege Perilous”,
or the “Seat of Danger”,
was traditionally left
empty because it was
believed that the knight
to sit on it would find
the Holy Grail, and die,
thereby ending the days
of the Round Table.Galahad
The son of Lancelot, Galahad was celibate and pure at heart.
He was truly worthy of finding the Grail, although the quest
was long and weary, and he died soon afterwards.Lancelot
The dashing Lancelot was brought up by the “Lady
of the Lake”, who gave him a shield with three
stripes that would magnify his strength in battle.Queen Guinevere
The different versions of the story
vary in the degree of blame assigned
to Guinevere for betraying Arthur by
having an affair with Lancelot.Mordred and Arthur
The battle between the two rivals, son and
father, over the throne of Camelot, culminated
in a single combat in which Mordred was
killed and Arthur received a fatal wound.Kundry and Perceval
A female shaman-figure,
Kundry was sent to corrupt
the Grail knights, but failed
to seduce Perceval.KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTSKnights at the TableThe Holy Grail73