Thematically and as a narrative technique, interlace, the complex weaving together of many different story-telling strands, comes to its full development in the intriguing conclusion of the Prose 'Lancelot'. The Grail appears on the horizon and although Lancelot's love for Guenevere still makes him the best knight in the world, it becomes clear that this very love disqualifies him from the Grail Quest. Meanwhile, the adventures of a myriad Arthurian knights continue to be followed.
This study explains how the interlace works and shows that it is the perfect vehicle for the relation of the events. It discusses the division of the narrative into threads, their interweaving, convergence and divergence, the gradual introduction of the Grail theme and its first climax (the begetting of Galahad), the distribution of information to the audience, the use of dramatic irony and emotions, and many other aspects of this major innovation in story-telling technique.
Author(s): Frank Brandsma
Series: Arthurian Studies, 76
Publisher: D. S. Brewer
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 308
City: Cambridge
Preface ix
Editorial Conventions x
List of Abbreviations xi
Plot Summary of the Prose 'Lancelot' and Vulgate Cycle xiii
1. Introduction 1
1.1. 'Lancelot' Part 3: composition, manuscripts, editions, and the audience 6
1.2. Interlace: appreciation and research 16
2. Interlace: The Narrative Technique in 'Lancelot' Part 3 24
2.1. Source fiction and definition of interlace 24
2.2. The narrator and the tale: the 'Or dist li contes' formulas 29
2.3. Characters and narrative threads 34
2.4. Time 75
2.5. Space 92
2.6. Conclusion 112
3. Interlace: The Themes of 'Lancelot' Part 3 113
Prologue 113
3.1. Status 115
3.2. Love 140
3.3. The Grail 164
Epilogue 195
4. Conclusion: Narration (Revisited) and the Audience 200
4.1. Interlace and the distribution of information 201
4.2. Discussing Lancelot's dilemmas 207
4.3. Characters and listeners, secrets and emotions 214
Appendix 1. Survey of Prose 'Lancelot' Manuscript According to (1) Date and (2) Contents 228
Appendix 2. The Interlace of the Primary Narrative Threads in 'Lancelot' Part 3 239
Appendix 3. Reading Time 255
Bibliography 259
Index
