As well known as King Arthur's blade or the Holy Grail of Jesus Christ, the love between Sir Lancelot and
Guinevere in Arthurian legend, the wife of King Arthur and lover of Lancelot. In the Arthurian cycle she is seen through her love for Lancelot as one of the key figures in the ultimate destruction of Arthur's kingdom, by providing an opening which can be exploited by the traitor Mordred.
Lancelot and Guinevere
Almost immediately upon his arrival, Lancelot and the young Queen Guinevere fall in love through a strange magical connection between them, and one of his adventures in the prose cycles involves saving her from abduction by Arthur's enemy Maleagant.
Lancelot fall in love with Queen Guinevere, King Arthur's wife. Their love grew slowly, as Guinevere kept Lancelot away from her. Eventually, however, her love and passion overpowered her and the pair became lovers.
Character Analysis
Despite her beauty, Guinevere was flawed; she fell in love with a man other than her husband and never had children. She was devoted to Lancelot (her lover) and her betrayal of her husband created the end of King Arthur's roundtable and the downfall of Camelot.
Arthur and Guinevere are married after Arthur establishes himself as king of England and quashes the numerous rebellions that rise up against him. In early versions, Guinevere is something of a prize won by a warrior king. The marriage ceremony is lavish and an important symbol of the newly glorious Camelot.
In the medieval legends about King Arthur of Britain and his knights, Lancelot is the greatest knight of all. In time, however, Lancelot's love for Guinevere, the king's wife, leads him to betray his king and sets in motion the fatal events that end Arthur's rule.
Well, in the first place, the marriage of Guinevere and Arthur was an arranged marriage. Not based on love, though they did come to care for one another. But Guinevere fell head over heels in love with Lancelot and he with her. In those days, to commit adultery against the King was high treason, punishable by death.
When Launcelot hears of the death of Arthur and Gawain, he comes to England in haste. He looks for the queen and finds her in a nunnery. For love of Guinevere as much as for remorse he takes on the habit of a priest. Guided by visions, he goes to Almesbury, where he finds Guinevere dead.
Chrétien de Troyes wrote the first known story depicting the adulterous affair between Guinevere and Lancelot around the year 1170 (Weigand 7).
In Chrétien's love triangle of Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot, Guinevere consummated her love affair with Lancelot when Arthur and his knights are trying to rescue Guinevere from the land of Gorre.
In Chapter 18:1, Arthur first sees Guinevere and falls instantly in love with her. In 18:3, he tells Merlin he will have only Guinevere as his wife. Merlin warns him that she will not be faithful but will fall in love with a knight called Lancelot, and he with her, and they will betray him.
This thirteenth-century manuscript, now housed at the Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana in Florence, contains, among other tales of the Round Table, the infamous kiss between Lancelot and Guinevere.
Lancelot immediately bowed to the king and begged forgiveness. Arthur laughed, and said he'd heard that Lancelot was on his way to Camelot, and came to meet him to test his skills. Arthur said Lancelot had nothing to be sorry for, and knighted him on the spot.
The child most frequently associated with King Arthur is his wicked son–nephew, Mordred, by his half sister, Morgause. Usually, the affair is arranged by his half sister Morgan le Fay without Arthur's knowledge.
Guinevere Pendragon (born Gogyrfan), 461 - 539
Guinevere married Arthur Pendragon on month day 481, at age 20. Arthur was born on December 3 455. They had one son: Gwydre Pendragon. Guinevere then partnered Lancelot du Lac.
One of these knights was Sir Lancelot. He was Arthur's best friend. But unfortunately, Lancelot was also in love with King Arthur's wife, Guinevere. And because Lancelot was the best looking and most chivalrous knight in the kingdom, Guinevere couldn't resist his allure.
Though one of the Welsh Triads (Triad 56) speaks of Arthur's three great queens (all named Gwenhwyfar), later romance generally gives him only one wife named Guinevere.
In the Tavola Ritonda, Camelot is abandoned and falls to ruin after the death of Arthur.
King Arthur marries Guinevere, daughter of the King of Scotland. Merlin tries to warn him against the marriage because Guinevere is in love with Sir Lancelot, one of Arthur's knights.
By having his affair with Guinevere, Lancelot creates a break in the table because of their stations: his as Arthur's vassal and hers as Arthur's queen and wife. In order to right the wrongs, Arthur knows that he must punish his wife upon finding out about the secret affair.
Lancelot is the best knight of the Round Table. He is never defeated unless he has been wounded beforehand, or is subject to magic. His virtue is almost as flawless as his prowess, having only error, albeit a significant one—being in love with the king's wife, who also loves him.
Merlin is tasked with giving Lancelot a proper burial and takes his body to the shore of Nemhain. Using his magic, he is able to briefly revive his friend, and it seems that it is the real Lancelot who wakes... "Merlin," he gasps.
As a result of the destruction of his kingdom and seeing the pointless death that the other races and their gods have left in their wake for purely selfish and prejudiced reasons, along with the newfound power of Chaos at his control, these have all taken a great impact on him and how he views the world.
Modred spies on them and informs Arthur of his wife's infidelity. Lancelot escapes, but Guinevere is condemned to be burned at the stake. He returns in time to save her and then offers to give himself up provided there will be no retaliation.