| The Tragic Love Triangle of Camelot |
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| It was the age of Camelot. Damsels in distress were rescued by valiant knights of the Round Table, magic abounded in many forms, and chivalry was the law of the land. King Arthur, the young and noble ruler of this golden city, was the epitome of the Christian monarch--pious, honorable, and fearless. His beautiful wife, Guinevere added sparkle to his court, while his greatest knight, Sir Lancelot, added power. With his Queen and dearest friend by his side, Arthur seemed destined to become one of the greatest rulers of medieval Britain. And the kingdom of Camelot would become a legend of a golden age. And yet it would all be destroyed... |
| Queen Guinevere begs for forgiveness at her husband's feet after the explosion of scandal in the court of Camelot. |
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| Welcome to my term paper. It deals with the Legend of King Arthur and the adultery that took place between his Queen, Guinevere and his greatest knight, Sir Lancelot, and the resulting scandal that led to the downfall of the fabled kingdom of Camelot. This literature, based on Celtic and Welsh folklore, has been popular throughout Europe since the first millenium. Throughout the centuries, characters and adventures were added by the British and French people. The concepts of chivalry and courtly love soon became the central theme of the legends. Now, in the present day, there are hundreds of different versions of the tale. Yet in each one, the golden kingdom of Camelot always falls. This paper will try to trace the reasons for this collapse through the adultery that blazed into a scandal which scorched the land and left no survivors. |
| "'O Lancelot, get thee hence to thine own land, For if thou tarry we shall meet again, And if we meet again some evil chance Will make the smouldering scandal break and blaze Before the people and our lord the King.'" --"Guinevere" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, pg. 226 |
| A Research Paper by Andria Hoffman |
| Go on to the Table of Contents |
| E-Mail me at... [email protected] |
| Picture source: "The King's Farewell" by Gustave Dore, The Camelot Project |
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| This site last updated on... January 6th, 2002 |