Hither and Yawn: Malory’s Drowsy Lancelot in the Morte Darthur – ‘shew me somthynge of that I seke’ (MD 773.23–26).

Abstract

Abstract Early in Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte Arthur Merlin predicts that the child Lancelot will become ‘the moste man of worship of the world’ (MD 100.7). Later, in King Arthur and the Emperour Lucius, the still-youthful Lancelot is heralded as having ‘no felowe’ in ‘wyse wytte and . . gret strengthe of his ayge’ (MD 168.17–19). Still a major character in the next four sections of the Morte Darthur – ‘Sir Launcelot du Lake’, ‘Sir Gareth of Orkney’, and the two ‘books’ of ‘Sir Tristram […]’, he loses his dominant role in The Sankgreal. As the Grail Quest begins, in fact, Malory revises his presentation of his chief knight. Thus Lancelot learns from a suddenly-appearing damsel that he is now only ‘the best knyght […] of ony synfull man of the worlde’ (MD 672.9, 14–19). Thus lessened, he begins his Quest only to be lessened further, first defeated by Galahad, then by virtually every knight he challenges. Moreover, he is beset by sudden nap-attacks. Thus hampered – by his unconfessed sin, we learn – Lancelot fails at almost every chivalric endeavor he attempts in the Quest. The ‘hero’ of The Sankgreal is Galahad, of course – but the thematic center and the most ‘conflicted’ character is Lancelot – who, contradicting his earlier valor and success, yawns or at least naps through many of the high points of The Sankgreal. Ironically, his greatest success is a final defeat – for which he thanks God.