Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

In 1964 Charles Moorman stated that Malory “wished to omit all unnecessary detail, be it religious or secular” from his source, the Queste del Saint Graal from the French Vulgate Cycle ( Moorman 1964 : 189). Over four decades later, critics continue to debate the complexities of the “Tale of the Sankgreal,” Malory's closest translation and adaptation of an original French romance. The importance of this section of the Morte Darthur cannot be overestimated, as Malory recontextualizes the Grail quest to fit into his worldly Arthuriad; in the process, he alters not only some of the narrative links, but also the portrayal of the Grail knights, and Lancelot in particular. These changes present a sharp contrast with the French author's view that chivalry is in decline as a result of the knights' neglect of Christian duty and their failure to pursue personal salvation. In choosing to identify the Grail with the holy vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper, and in which Joseph of Arimathea collected Christ's blood at the crucifixion, Malory also departs from earlier versions of the Grail story, like that of Chrétien de Troyes, and instead follows the Queste ( Mann 1996 ; see chapter 14 in this volume). This development has puzzled critics for decades, since it goes against evidence that Malory favored worldly chivalry in earlier tales. The Grail itself is for Malory the symbol ... log in or subscribe to read full text