Joseph of Arimathea (ca. 1500). Of Arthour and Merlin is
based on Estoire de Merlin but is more concerned with
action sequences than internal struggles. Lovelich’s
Merlin is slavishly based on the same Latin romance
with which he had diffi culties in adapting. Another
such legendary fi gure is Joseph of Arimathea, supposed
guardian of the Grail.
By 1191, Glastonbury Abbey had declared itself as
Avalon, the resting place of Arthur, and also adopted
Joseph as its founder. This caused renewed English
interest in this fi gure. A surviving text about Joseph—
Estoire del Saint Graal by Henry Lovelich in 1450—
highlights Joseph rather than Arthur, but still links the
Holy Grail fi rmly to the end of the Arthurian world.
Lancelot never really attained great prominence in
Britain due to the continued dominance of Gawain.
Only three romances, inspired by the French tradition,
have him as chief protagonist: Stanzaic Morte Arthure,
Lancelot of the Laik (1482–1500), and Sir Lancelot du
Lac. Lancelot of the Laik opens with a spring setting and
dream, describing how Lancelot fi ghts both for and
against Arthur and has a fateful affair with Guinevere.
Gawain is Lancelot’s foil, and the poem elaborates on
their achievements and bonds. Sir Lancelot du Lake is a
late BALLAD that tells of Lancelot’s encounter with Sir
Tarquin. The Stanzaic Morte Arthure is a kind of trag-
edy derived from the La Mort le Roi Artu, which teaches
that even those who exhibit individual greatness are
still imperfect. In this poem, Lancelot is perceived as a
valiant knight, while Gawain is a peacemaker and
friend of Lancelot’s. Arthur is subordinated to both,
making a series of ill-advised decisions and shifting
allegiance from Gawain to Lancelot, rising to promi-
nence only in the fi nal catastrophe.
Again in the tragic vein, the Alliterative Morte Arth-
ure (late 14th century) highlights the inadequacies of
chivalry and the problems of territorial expansion. In
line with native tradition, Arthur is a noble heroic king
who wins many victories and amasses lands. At this
point he dreams of FORTUNE’s wheel, with eight of the
nine worthies and himself at its pinnacle. This por-
tends his end in a climatic battle caused by his son
Mordred’s treachery. It is a dramatic fall, and Arthur’s
pride, based on his initial successes, constitutes his
tragic fl aw. None of the fi gures in this poem are entirely
good or evil. In addition, the romance refl ects the
political situation in England of the time and raises the
possibility of what happens when lawlessness goes
unchecked during the absence of the king.
Romances focusing on Gawain dominate Arthurian
literature in medieval Britain. He is the epitome of chiv-
alry and courtesy, against whom all must measure
themselves. In SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT, Arthur
and his court are merely the setting for Gawain’s quest,
symbolizing the prioritizing of chivalry over piety.
Other Gawain literature emphasizes its Celtic roots.
The Tudor monarchs took the tradition of Arthur
and, from it, created a lineage for themselves in order
to validate their regime, as did earlier rulers. EDMUND
SPENSER, the most archetypal of Renaissance writers,
uses Arthur to glorify ELIZABETH I in his poetic master-
piece The FAERIE QUEENE. Arthur is a prince searching
for the awe-inspiring Gloriana.
Analysis of Arthurian literature was initially domi-
nated by surveys that tried to establish the historical
Arthur and the Celtic origins of the subsequent legends
and texts. Other criticism tended to favor the French
texts over those in Middle English, which were
regarded as derivative and provincial. Recent scholar-
ship, however, has endeavored to show how succes-
sive groups, individuals, and societies appropriated
Arthurian material and reinterpreted it to validate dif-
fering ideological, social, and political needs. Other
critics have chosen to trace a specifi c theme from one
text to another. Most scholars today share a belief that
there is a pool of elements that have grown up to form
the basis of Arthurian literature alongside varying
genres, and that these interpenetrate each other, defy-
ing simple classifi cations or even temporal and cultural
boundaries.
FURTHER READING
Barron, W. R. J., ed. The Arthur of the English: The Arthurian
Legend in Medieval English Life and Literature. Cardiff: Uni-
versity of Wales Press, 1999.
Lacy, N. J., ed. The New Arthurian Encyclopedia. New York/
London: Garland, 1991.
Morris, Rosemary. The Character of King Arthur in Medieval
Romance. Oxford: D.S. Brewer, 1982.
Pearsall, Derek. Arthurian Romance: A Short Introduction.
Oxford: Blackwell, 2003.ARTHURIAN LITERATURE 31