Throughout Sir Thomas Malory’s epic romance, Le Morte D’Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table repeatedly find themselves pressured to behave in ways that are contradictory to their knightly code . The restrictive social structure of Camelot, along with the problematic nature of the Pentecostal Oath , produces a paradoxical environment where knights find themselves compromised by opposing obligations and expectations. For example, King Arthur’s finest knight, Sir Launcelot, is compelled to go incognito after struggling with the inevitable discrepancies between his chivalric duties as a Knight of the Round Table and his courtly duties as Queen Guinevere’s secret lover. The incompatibility of chivalry when paired with courtly love demands that
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With a distinct set of laws and codes to follow, the Pentecostal Oath plays a large part in knights’ identity-building process, as it provides knights with a guideline of behavior to refer to¬– both within the closed world of the Arthurian court and within the otherworldly spaces of quests and adventures. However, the inherent problem with the Pentecostal Oath is that it is, “at once too general and too specific; its clauses delineate proper knightly behavior– that which knights should do– and improper behavior– that which knights should avoid– without addressing a possible intersection of the two” (Armstrong 32). Moreover, within a medieval chivalric community, an individual’s personal identity is largely found in public judgment and the renown associated with one’s name rather than determined by one’s own self-perception (Crane 65). In 5th and 6th century England, technology, communication and transportation was limited to the extent that a renowned name such as Launcelot’s would be known for the deeds attached to the name, but it is most likely that many who knew the name would have never known what Launcelot actually looked like. Therefore, “when a knight becomes temporarily anonymous, the lack of a name raises questions about the …show more content…
Although the Knights of the Round Table are pledged to a set of vows and standards mandated by the Pentecostal Oath, it proves impossible to maintain this standard of behavior as knights are prompted to conceal their identity when acting in ways that do not align with both their public and private sphere obligations. Today, such multilayered and incompatible social demands continue to vex identity formation and often result in identity crises not much different from that Sir Launcelot experiences. When one identifies with multiple groups, or when one is being lead by conflicting directives, when one struggles to seek an appropriate identity so to fit within specific social parameters, or a combination of the three, contemporary identity and related crises rely upon internal meaning-making and a socially and environmentally mindful perspective in order to make sense of their individual role or direction in society just as Launcelot attempts to comprehend his individual selfhood through disguise once his identity determined by name and social expectations
With a distinct set of laws and codes to follow, the Pentecostal Oath plays a large part in knights’ identity-building process, as it provides knights with a guideline of behavior to refer to¬– both within the closed world of the Arthurian court and within the otherworldly spaces of quests and adventures. However, the inherent problem with the Pentecostal Oath is that it is, “at once too general and too specific; its clauses delineate proper knightly behavior– that which knights should do– and improper behavior– that which knights should avoid– without addressing a possible intersection of the two” (Armstrong 32). Moreover, within a medieval chivalric community, an individual’s personal identity is largely found in public judgment and the renown associated with one’s name rather than determined by one’s own self-perception (Crane 65). In 5th and 6th century England, technology, communication and transportation was limited to the extent that a renowned name such as Launcelot’s would be known for the deeds attached to the name, but it is most likely that many who knew the name would have never known what Launcelot actually looked like. Therefore, “when a knight becomes temporarily anonymous, the lack of a name raises questions about the …show more content…
Although the Knights of the Round Table are pledged to a set of vows and standards mandated by the Pentecostal Oath, it proves impossible to maintain this standard of behavior as knights are prompted to conceal their identity when acting in ways that do not align with both their public and private sphere obligations. Today, such multilayered and incompatible social demands continue to vex identity formation and often result in identity crises not much different from that Sir Launcelot experiences. When one identifies with multiple groups, or when one is being lead by conflicting directives, when one struggles to seek an appropriate identity so to fit within specific social parameters, or a combination of the three, contemporary identity and related crises rely upon internal meaning-making and a socially and environmentally mindful perspective in order to make sense of their individual role or direction in society just as Launcelot attempts to comprehend his individual selfhood through disguise once his identity determined by name and social expectations