“We are witnessing a frequent renewal of interest in the myth of King Arthur, mostly through Hollywood films and series that have the power to familiarize millions with one idea in a short time, but often in a superficial manner. One particular aspect of this complex myth that attracts the attention of many is the love triangle between Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot. For centuries, this tragic story has been a symbol of the concept of “falling”. For some, it is confirmation that the heart is stronger than reason, for others a clear indication that duty should be placed above feelings, and for others simply a tale of ordinary infidelity. And there are those who try to find the key to a deeper understanding of the myth.”
“In the 15th century, Thomas Malory, in his work ‘The Death of Arthur,’ explores themes of friendship and noble love (amour courtois), portraying it as a betrayal that destroys even the strongest bonds due to ‘personal feelings’.”
“Jean Chevalier points out that the myth is something ‘like a symbolic theater of the external and internal battles that a person embarks on in their journey of growth, in the search for…” “aspects of their personality.”
Myth serves as a means of transmitting ideas whose messages are of crucial importance for individual and collective cultural development. Every nation, whether a current creator of world history or one who created it earlier, has its own myths that live in the collective consciousness. Myth possesses a specific narrative structure whose beauty and inner power ensure a place in the memory of each new generation, regardless of the level to which we approach the myth.
In any case, all serious authors who have studied this topic agree on one thing: myths carry powerful and important messages that need to be discovered.
Summary of the story
After Arthur has already become king, he and Guinevere fall in love and unite in a beautiful wedding. The entire nation, court, and nobility celebrate this moment, knowing that the land needs a queen for life to be “complete,” as rule without a queen is an “incomplete” rule. At that moment, the kingdom enjoys the greatest benefits. All internal and External enemies, the land gives birth to abundance, and there is no shortage of knights eager to prove themselves in honor and bravery. One of these knights is Lancelot, the bravest and most steadfast in loyalty to the king, and of exceptional beauty and masculinity. This harmony is disrupted by the emergence of love between Lancelot and Guinevere, which begins a tragedy from which the entire kingdom will suffer the consequences. At first, they both resist the passionate love that clouds their judgment, torn between loyalty to Arthur and what they feel for each other. They try in various ways to prevent and postpone what seems inevitable. Arthur cannot and does not want to take any action, although he observes everything and suffers deeply. Finally, Lancelot and Guinevere give in to passion and forbidden love. This breaks the unity of the Round Table and the kingdom begins to crumble. The king falls ill and loses strength. The land no longer bears fruit, and justice is lost to the onslaught of injustice. The people are unhappy and oppressed. Sadness prevails everywhere, hope is lost. Lancelot teeters on the brink of madness throughout the kingdom, while Guinever retreats to a monastery to cleanse herself of sin. Arthur will ultimately return to battle against the forces of destruction represented by Mordred and Morgana. Lancelot, the bravest of knights, and Guinever, by handing Excalibur to Arthur, believed to be forever lost, play their parts. Galahad, the purest of knights, finds the Grail, and spring returns to the land. The injured Arthur is taken to the island of Avalon. According to prophecy, he will one day return and reign once again.
One of the most beautiful and profound explanations of the symbolism of the Grail is found in Wagner’s work, Parsifal. The Grail is found when one truly wonders about the secret of the Grail. In a time when all values are lost and forgotten, the one who genuinely questions the meaning that no one else thinks about, also finds the Grail.
Psychological interpretation is also one possible interpretation of the myth of King Arthur. In this interpretation, In his individual plan, Arthur symbolizes higher human consciousness, one’s true identity, and the immortal soul. He rules over a court that symbolizes fulfillment and spiritual perfection. The court is a place where ideals are alive and dreams are real. The symbolism of Arthur points to the correct order in the triple division of the world mentioned by ancient Greek philosophers: Nous (spirit), Psyche (soul), and Soma (body). Spirit should have priority over soul and body. It is the one who justly leads the soul and enables it to have a proper understanding of the essence of things. Spirit or Arthur cannot achieve this by force (which is why Arthur cannot and does not want to take any action, even though he sees what is happening with Guinevere and Lancelot), but the soul must see for itself, comprehend, or, according to Plato, remember because “all knowledge is recollection”. Arthur is the beginning and the end of all things, the level of spirit from which everything originates and to which everything returns.
Guinevere is the soul, the psyche. Although united in a sacred marriage with Arthur, she has divided desires, higher and lower passions. She has the freedom. Choice is not always a blessing. In her freedom to choose between good and evil lies the tragedy of the soul, its true pathos, but also an opportunity for growth and gaining necessary experience. From the beginning, she belongs to Arthur (the spirit), but at one point she turns to Lancelot, who symbolizes the material with all that it carries: attraction and allure, power and strength that are difficult to resist. However, matter is something that cannot be done without, and when it is given proper significance and becomes an instrument of the spirit, it becomes the best ally and great help.
Lancelot is the most powerful knight because matter is where the strength of the spirit manifests itself. Arthur cannot do without Lancelot just as he cannot have spirit without matter, or matter without spirit. The problem is not in the choice where one is abandoned in favor of the other, the “or” concept, but in establishing priorities, making decisions based on criteria that are not subject to the fleeting nature of time and customs, which then allows the concept of “and” to come alive. So, Guinevere will return to Arthur not because she is one She discarded not because she was rejected, but because she realized. In the beginning, her choice results in the collapse of the court, a perfect world. She suffers until she reestablishes the primal connections with Arthur. And Lancelot returns to Arthur to help achieve the goal, which is the restoration of the court – a perfect world.
Everything unfolds through struggle, through war. War is a universal pattern in every myth, a path walked through the paths of life. It is primarily an inner category and encompasses the type of conflict necessary to transcend the existing state, to overcome the given trial. The protagonists of every myth must fight for the values or for the happiness they seek. For the court – a perfect world, the engagement of all is necessary: a wise wizard, a righteous king, and brave knights. They all reside within us, and by awakening them, we awaken the ideal of chivalry, always portrayed through the fight for true values. This is the struggle for our true identity, a way to conquer our own freedom.
It is hard not to notice that. So much beauty that mythological stories barely conceal, from the oldest to the most modern, such as Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. In them, numerous paths are described, all leading to the same goal. Not much can be said about the goal, but as Marthe Arnould suggested: “Let us seek the keys to beautiful paths…beyond the visible, let’s search for truth, joy, the sacred and hidden meaning of everything that exists in this magical and frightening land…that is the path of existence.”