The Interlace Structure of the Third Part of the Prose "Lancelot"

312 Pages·2010·1.822 MB·English

by  Frank Brandsma

spine 27mm
14 jan 10
ThTh The
Interlace Structure
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Thematically and as a narrative technique, interlace, the complex weaving together
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of many different story-telling strands, comes to its full development in the P Third Part of the
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intriguing conclusion of the Prose Lancelot. The Grail appears on the horizon ae of the
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and although Lancelot’s love for Guenevere still makes him the best knight in the r
world, it becomes clear that this very love disqualifies him for the coming Grail tla Prose Lancelot

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quest. Meanwhile, the adventures of a myriad Arthurian knights continue to be
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This study explains how the interlace works and shows that it is the perfect
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vehicle for the relation of the events. It discusses the division of the narrative into
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threads, their interweaving, convergence and divergence, the gradual introduction u
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of the Grail theme and its first climax (the begetting of Galahad), the distribution c
of information to the audience, the use of dramatic irony and emotions, and many rt
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other intriguing aspects of this major innovation in story-telling technique.
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FRANk BRANDSMA is Senior Lecturer in Comparative Literature (Middle Ages) ee

in the Department of Modern Languages at Utrecht University. o
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Front: Watched by Brisane, Lancelot slips into the bed of Pelles’s daughter, from a
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fifteenth-century manuscript of the Vulgate Cycle, BnF 119, f. 398 v. Image reproduced
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by permission of the Bibliothèque nationale de France. l
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Series: Arthurian Studies
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GENERAL EDITOR Norris J. Lacy R
A
N
D
S
M
A
FRANk BRANDSMA
Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge IP12 3DF (GB) and
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY 14620-2731 (US)
www.boydellandbrewer.com

ARTHURIAN STUDIES LXXVI
THE INTERLACE STRUCTURE
OF THE THIRD PART OF
THE PROSELANCELOT
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.TheGrailappearsonthehorizonandalthoughhislovefor
Guenevere still makes Lancelot the best knight in the world, it
becomes clear that this very love disqualifies him from its Quest.
Meanwhile,theadventuresofamyriadArthurianknightscontinue
to be followed.
This study explains how the interlace works and shows that it is
theperfectvehiclefortherelationoftheevents.Itdiscussesthedivi-
sion of the narrative into threads, their interweaving, convergence
anddivergence,thegradualintroductionoftheGrailthemeandits
first climax (the begetting of Galahad), the distribution of informa-
tion to the audience, the use of dramatic irony and emotions, and
many other aspects of this major innovation in story-telling
technique.
DR FRANK BRANDSMA is Senior Lecturer in Comparative Literature
(Middle Ages) in the Department of Modern Languages at Utrecht
University.
ARTHURIAN STUDIES
ISSN 0261–9814
General Editor: Norris J. Lacy
Previously published volumes in the series
are listed at the back of this book
Cover image:
Watched by Brisane, Lancelot slips into the bed of Pelles’s daughter,
from a 15th century manuscript of the Vulgate Cycle
(BnF 119, F. 398 V)
Image reproduced with permission of
the Bibliothèque nationale de France
THE INTERLACE STRUCTURE
OF THE THIRD PART OF
THE PROSE LANCELOT
Frank Brandsma
D. S. BREWER
© Frank Brandsma 2010
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
The right of Frank Brandsma to be identified as
the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
First published 2010
D. S. Brewer, Cambridge
ISBN 978–1–84384–257–6
D. S. Brewer is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 3DF, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
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website: www.boydellandbrewer.com
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
The publisher has no responsibility for the continued existence or accuracy
of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book,
and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is,
or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Papers used by Boydell & Brewer Ltd are natural, recyclable products
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Contents
Preface ix
Editorial Conventions x
List of Abbreviations xi
Plot Summary of the ProseLancelotand Vulgate Cycle xiii
1. Introduction 1
1.1 LancelotPart 3: composition, manuscripts, editions, 6
and the audience
1.2 Interlace: appreciation and research 16
2. Interlace: The Narrative Technique inLancelotPart 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 ofLancelotPart 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 ProseLancelotManuscript According to 228
(1) Date and (2) Contents
Appendix 2.
The Interlace of the Primary Narrative Threads inLancelot 239
Part 3
Appendix 3.
Reading Time 255
Bibliography 259
Index 273
‘Has it got any sports in it?’
‘Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge.
Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies.
Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain.
Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases.
Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.’
‘Sounds okay.’
The Princess Bride
(S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
The ‘good parts’ version abridged byWilliam Goldman)