To repeat -- just read what I have on-line, don't worry about the page numbering (we're just going to focus on Perceval's story and not read Gawain's adventures).
Use these questions as a guide (if you want) for your blog posting.
1. The Grail Castle and Procession – How does Chrétien present this scene to the reader? Why? What do you think is problematic about this scene? Why the emphasis upon mystery? (If you are familiar with the Jewish Seder meal – how might this procession mirror the meal, especially concerning questions asked during the meal and the significance of the meal? How have Christians appropriated this meal into their own rituals and mythology?) What is the (potential) outcome of this meal? How do you explain this?
2. The blood on the snow – The blood on the snow reminds Perceval of Blancheflor. How do you read it as an image of Blancheflor? What might its purpose be as an image of her? Might you see other meanings though in this very strong image? Blood…hmmmm….where have we seen this before? In what context? Might there be a connection here? (I think so!) In other words, how might this one image function on two (or more) levels of meaning -- some of which is still hidden from Perceval.
3. The scene with the hermit on Good Friday – How do you read this scene? Why is the day significant?
You can: (1) speak about the “build up” to this scene – the group of penitent soldiers and women – what do they signify? Why is Perceval so affected by them? How might this scene mirror what we have in the opening scene of the romance?
(2) Perceval’s repentance. What does he learn here (beyond the obvious)? How do you read the fact that the hermit happens to be his maternal uncle?
4. The Grail has entered into our modern vocabulary as that “elusive element” forever out of reach that we desire greatly. How do you interpret the Grail of this romance? What mythological signification might it have within or even beyond Chrétien’s tale? Why do you think this to be the case?
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Good Friday and the Hermit
ReplyDeleteThis scene depicts Perceval's reunion with God, whom he had "forgotten". His mother had taught him before he left to always pray to God and worship Him however he managed to mess that up as he did her teachings on how to treat women. The hermit informs Perceval (as his cousin did earlier) that it is due to the neglect he showed his mother that he suffers so. Luckily for Perceval, through his encounter with the hermit his "sins [are] humbly repented". All his trangsgressions due to his foolishness in his adventures are absolved and so he may maintain his honor as a knight and "receive [his] communion with a pure heart". He learns of Christ's crucifixtion as well as a prayer which the hermit has him memorize including all the names of God, presumably so that he will never again forget Him.
Perceval does not recognize the hermit as his maternal uncle which is not surprising considering how quickly he forgot his mother as well as his first cousin. This is indicative of how he apparently does not hold familial ties as strongly as he claims.
As I read the second half of this story, I took careful notice of both the actions and character or Perceval as it related to “knighthood.” I also noted several themes that were prevalent in this section.
ReplyDeletePerceval’s character is good, though he has issues with speaking and being impulsive. He chases the glory and honor associated with knighthood; this is evident on page 372 when Clamadeu challenged Perceval to a fight. Despite the fact that Clamadeu is known to be one of the finest knights there ever was, Perceval agrees, despite Blanchflor and everyone close to him who pleads with him that he might not go. The youth’s reply is simply “Not for any man or anything in the world will I ever abandon combat,”(p. 372). Perceval is further provoked by Blanchflor affectionate pleas for him to stay, and her actions backfire because Perceval is so mesmerized by her beauty and affection. “All her words, however, were in vain, and that was a wondrous marvel, for he found her attentiveness to him deliciously sweet since with each word she kissed him so tenderly and softly that she put the key of love into the lock of his heart. Yet there was no possible way for her to dissuade him from going into combat,”(p.372). Here we see the more youthful, tender side of Perceval, combined with his infatuation of knighthood and fighting.
One quote I found to be intriguing, and believe that Perceval was a firm believer in its verity. “Cowardly is the man who forgets shame or injury done to him. In a strong and vigorous man, pain passes, and shame endures; in the coward, shame grows cold and dies,”(p, 375). So much of what Perceval is focused on is revenge against wrongdoers, and the happiness of victims of wrongdoing. This section of the story focuses primarily on Perceval avenging the maiden who was slapped by Kay, and the maiden and palfrey who were tortured by King Heath. Kay foreshadows his own injuries when he exclaims; “God bless me, lord king. Now the slap will be avenged. And don’t regard this as mockery, for Kay will be unable to prevent his arm from being broken and his collarbone dislocated,”(p.375). This comes to pass when Kay attempts to bring Perceval back to the king, promising to do so by force. Perceval then seals Kay’s fate; “he struck Kay under the boss of the shield and hurled him onto a rock so that he dislocated his collarbone and, between the elbow and the armpit, broke the bone of his right arm as though it had been a splinter of dry wood. Such had the fool often foreseen and relate, and accurate indeed was the fool’s prediction,”(p. 392). Kay was the second of three knights who attempts to bring Perceval to the king. The first was Sagremor, who is known for his “unruliness,” he cannot contain his emotion and begins a fight with Perceval, ordering him to come to the king, and Perceval easily defeats him.
(CONTINUED FROM ABOVE) During this time, Perceval appears to be “in a daze, asleep,” as he stares at three drops of blood from the neck of a goose in the white snow. He is angered by the presumptuous nature of Sagremor and Kay as they approach him and order him to go and see the king. The red blood on the pure, white snow mesmerizes Perceval because it reminds him of the image of the face of his beloved, Blanchflor. Her skin is pure white, and her cheeks dotted with rosiness, much like the blood on the snow. Blanchflor seems to have Perceval completely infatuated and obsessed, as quoted above: “…she put the key of love into the lock of his heart,”(p. 372).
ReplyDeleteAfter the failed attempts of Kay and Sagremor, Sir Gawain suits up and heads over to talk to Perceval and beckon him to see King Arthur. Kay mocks Gaiwain’s docile and intuitive, he recognizes that Perceval is not merely asleep, but deep in thought. “It is not right, lord-well you know, as you yourself have always declared and rightly judged-that one knight distract another from his thoughts, whatever they be, as the two have done,”(p. 393). At this time, the sun had melted the drops of blood into the snow, and Perceval was no longer deep in thought as he stood over the blood on the snow. Gawain represents a virtuous and truly noble knight, he is not fueled by violence and fighting, but rather engages Perceval in conversation and earns his trust and attention so that he is able to deliver Perceval to the king. Kay mocks Gawain again for his gentle demeanor, and claims that he is not a good knight because he was not injured, nor did he risk anything with his non-confrontational approach to Perceval. This only reinforces the image of “bad knights” versus “honorable knights,” these knights are blind to what is truly honorable and virtuous, except for Gawain.
Finally, I thought that King Heath’s explanation on the nature of women was very interesting. His justification for torturing and punishing his maiden because she confessed that a young man kissed her by force, and that since one act leads to the next, he undoubtedly laid with her. He goes on to explain; “A woman who surrenders her mouth, easily grants the remainder, if the man earnestly requests it. It is well known, beyond doubt, that a woman wants to win everywhere, except in that one contest where she holds the man by the throat, and claws, and bites, and struggles, yet wants to be overcome. She defends herself against this, yet longs for it. She has such cowardice about surrendering, yet wants to be taken against her will, never then showing good will or thanks,”(p. 387). His description of women “pretending to not want to be overtaken by a man,” but really they desire to surrender is interesting to me. I think that he is speaking of a very extreme form of woman playing “hard to get,” which is very much true and real. I think that this description is true to a degree, but in no way justifies his cruel treatment of the maiden based on assumption. Women play hard to get, and enjoy it – even I will admit to that.