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Taylor Daly

Dr. Francis

Special Topics

20 November 2017

Sir Lancelot: Literature and Pop Culture Portrayals

One of the greatest knights to ever exist within Arthurian literature is, Sir Lancelot.

Lancelot is a revered knight best known for being a skilled fighter, romantic chivalric hero, and

for his involvement in having an adulterous affair with Queen Guinevere. Lancelot has two

notable characteristics associated with his character. The first is being the best knight in the

world, and the second is his forbidden romance with Queen Guinevere; King Arthur’s wife.

However, these two main qualities conflict with one another. Lancelot is unable to properly

balance the two codes of chivalry that deal with courtly love and knights’ nobility. He is a great

courtly lover because he is willing to do anything to rescue Guinevere, however, this affair is a

betrayal to the king and frequently effects his skills in battle.

Although Lancelot is typically portrayed as being a perfect knight, his character can

certainly be interpreted as being imperfect. Lancelot’s conflicting attributes have been a topic of

interest for many writers. His character has been borrowed and remastered to appeal to modern

audiences in various film and literature adaptions. Lancelot’s character can be interpreted in

multiple ways which allows many writers to portray him in unique ways. He can be perceived as
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being a great knight struggling between his chivalric codes, as a villainous betrayer of King

Arthur’s court, or depicted as being a queered modern character.

One of the most enduring aspects of Arthurian literature is Lancelot’s dual portrayal as

the unsurpassed knight and the cause for the downfall of King Arthur’s court. Sir Lancelot’s

easily adaptable character allows for multiple interpretations and portrayals. Chretien de Troyes

is the first writer to introduce Lancelot’s character within medieval literature. In Chrétien de

Troyes’s, The Knight of the Cart, Chretien portrays Lancelot as being a romantic hero on a quest

to rescue Queen Guinevere. His text discusses Lancelot and Guinevere’s relationship in greater

detail than most medieval literature, making their relationship more apparent. However, an

analytical article written by Esther Bernstein believes Chretien’s Lancelot is much more

ambiguous and contradictory. She believes Chretien did not view Lancelot as the epitome of

perfection and shows this through his opening statement that hints at his reluctance to write

Lancelot’s story (Troyes 21-29). Bernstein also questions Chretien’s use of love by saying:

From the beginning of the narrative, the author moves into asides about the nature of

love many times, commenting on what is happening to Lancelot and examining what love

is and what love does. The first time this happens is when Lancelot hesitates before

getting into the cart. Though in this case Chrétien has love win over reason, it is unclear

what exactly he thought about this. The result of this victory is that Lancelot rides in a

cart, a shameful experience… At the same time, though, the queen punishes Lancelot

later for his hesitation, guided by reason over love, so that while he is mocked for

allowing love to ultimately win, he is also punished for allowing reason to even engage in

a battle with love. This raises the question as to whether the victory is justified, in
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Chrétien’s mind, or Lancelot is acting foolishly in allowing love to win over reason.

(Bernstein 151)

Bernstein explains how Chretien may have not actually believed Lancelot was a perfect

representation of a romantic hero. This example shows how Lancelot can be perceived as being a

magnificent knight while other readers may perceive him as being an ambiguous flawed

character. Again, Chretien allows room for interpretation when Lancelot first sees Guinevere

from his window. He is so engaged and focused on seeing Guinevere that he nearly falls from the

window (Troyes 565-7). If Lancelot fell from the window it would show how his obsessive love

for Guinevere renders him powerless; which a true chivalrous knight would never allow.

Bernstein says, “This could be interpreted as a sign of Lancelot’s complete and utter devotion to

the queen, so that Lancelot is a perfect lover, ready to die for his love. But this can also be read

as a foolish move on Lancelot’s part, where he is no longer capable of reason” (Bernstein 151).

Bernstein again points out how Chretien’s portrayal of Lancelot can be interpreted in two ways.

Lancelot is showing how devoted he is to Guinevere but also shows how his lack of reason and

unawareness almost kill him.

An article written by John F Benton explains how Chretien’s portrayal of Lancelot is also

vague, and credits this to Chretien’s writing style. Benton says Chretien “wrote courteously of

Lancelot…not because he found his behavior admirable but because he was writing in the

medieval tradition of irony… the unadorned and gentle use of words to convey disdain and

ridicule…for it is nothing but vituperation to commend the evil deeds of someone through their

opposite” (Benton 28-9). Chretien’s intended portrayal of Lancelot can be identified by his subtle

language and satirical situations Lancelot is involved in (Bernstein 152). For example, Lancelot

is thought to be an admirable knight embodying the code of chivalry, however, Chretien

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contradicts this theory by making Lancelot betray King Arthur. Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair

wholly contradicts the codes of chivalry, yet Lancelot is perceived to be the perfect knight

because he shows his apparent genuine love for Guinevere. An article written by Rowan

Bridgwood examines Lancelot’s portrayal in Chretien’s text and concludes that “the excessive

exaggeration of the dangers of Lancelot’s love nonetheless appears more comedic in its satire

than truly critical” (Bridgwood 482). Chretien’s satirical writing allows Lancelot’s character to

be open for interpretation and explains why Lancelot’s character is not concrete.

Contrary to Chretien’s depiction, Malory’s writing focuses Lancelot’s character toward

representing a courageous chivalric knight. Malory strays from the extreme romance first seen in

Chretien’s text by making Lancelot’s strength and chivalric duties the central theme. Malory

frequently implies that Lancelot’s role as a chivalrous knight is incompatible to his role as a

courtly lover. Rowan Bridgwood analyzes the depiction of Lancelot in Chrétien de Troyes’ The

Knight of the Cart and Malory’s ‘Book of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere’ in Le Morte

Darthur. Bridgwood further explains the difference between Chretien and Malory’s depiction of

Lancelot by saying:

It is suggested that Chrétien introduces the notion of Lancelot’s attributes as courtly lover

as detrimental to other aspects of his knighthood, whereas Malory arguably attempts to

subvert this concept by emphasizing Lancelot’s strengths in moments of failure caused by

his actions as a lover. Despite Chrétien and Malory’s differing times, attitudes and goals,

it will be proposed that both texts depict Lancelot as a knight whose adherence to one

code of chivalry prevents success in another. (Bridgwood 480)

This quote further explains how, regardless of which depiction, Lancelot is unable to balance the

two conflicting codes that are hindering his success. Chretien’s text is a prime example of
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Lancelot representing the perfect courtly lover whose main objective is to rescue his love from

imminent danger. Chretien’s portrayal suggests that Lancelot’s role as a courtly lover effects his

success as a knight. However, Malory’s work highlights the remarkable abilities Lancelot

possesses as the ideal knight and making his affair with Guinevere more uncertain. Malory

removes the obvious physicality between Lancelot and Guinevere, and instead vaguely suggests

the couple may or may not be sexually involved with one another. Malory does this to restore

Lancelot’s weakened reputation. He distances Lancelot from the affair and concentrates on the

successful knight that Lancelot can be instead of focusing on his failures. Bridgwood claims:

Malory refuses to admit any [adultery] in the relationship. The explanation given is that

love was more virtuous than modern day definitions, and is therefore not as sinful… This

justification appears more of an awkward sleight of hand however, than a reasoned

argument for [virtuous love], placing blame on the reader’s misunderstanding rather than

Lancelot… This is achieved by refraining from bodily descriptions, replacing the

physical with metaphysical. These devices reconfigure the terms in which Lancelot’s

affair should be understood, re-empowering him in his most obvious moments of

weakness. (Bridgwood 484)

Malory attempts to solidify Lancelot’s reputation and show readers that Lancelot and

Guinevere’s relationship should not be condemned because their love is genuine, and the love

between Guinevere and the king is not true love.

Although Lancelot possesses qualities that make him an amazing knight and courtly

lover, he fails to treat these two attributes properly. His betrayal of the king makes one question

whether Lancelot is a romantic hero or a villain. Lancelot became a symbol of perfect chivalry

because readers interpreted him as such based on a literary ideal, irrespective of reality or
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Chrétien’s own point of view. (Bernstein 153) However, another conflicting element to

Lancelot’s character are the few occurrences his love for Guinevere strengthens him as a knight.

For example, when a damsel tells Lancelot and Gawain where the queen has been taken, she

demands that each knight promise to do what she asks of them. Lancelot “swore / (Like one

whom Love has made powerful / And strong and bold for any endeavor)” (Troyes 629-31). His

love for the queen conjures more determination and motivation, and reinforces his prowess.

Contrary to the instances when love weakens his prowess and distracts him from his journey, his

love for Guinevere strengthens him thus enabling him to fulfill his promise and rescue the queen.

Bernstein says:

Even if love is a positive force, however, Lancelot’s chivalric propriety comes into

question, since in acting with complete devotion to his lady-love, Lancelot is inevitably

committing a misdeed, as his love, Guinevere, is a married woman. The attitude of the

medieval audience toward adultery suggests that they would not have been sympathetic

to a character whose main goal is to engage in an adulterous affair with a married

woman. (Bernstein 152)

Adultery was considered an act of treason which results in death, even for a queen. The severity

of this crime reflects how brutally Lancelot is betraying King Arthur thus explaining how

Lancelot can be viewed as a villain. An article written by Natalie Beals explains the severity of

adultery saying, “Lancelot’s adultery is not merely an infringement upon his knightly oath but is

an attack upon and a removal of loyalty from his liege lord, who also happens to be his king;

thus, his indiscretion becomes an act of treason” (Beals, 2009). Beals explains how Lancelot’s

affair with Guinevere is an infringement on his knightly oath and even discusses another

interpretation of Lancelot being unloyal.

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Although Lancelot was often portrayed as a hero, modern literature interpretations seem

to gravitate toward the negative portrayal of Lancelot. A modern depiction of Lancelot in

literature can be found in Percy Walker’s 1977 novel, Lancelot. This novel’s main character is

named Lancelot Lamar. Lancelot is a man who longs to escape society’s excess in the 1970’s

(Lehmann-Haupt). Lancelot faces some difficulties like being admitted into a hospital, treating

an educated African American like a slave, treating others as if they are beneath him, and being

particularly critical of modern art and liberated women (Lehmann-Haupt). Christopher

Lehmann-Haupt wrote an article reviewing Percy’s novel describing it as:

For another thing, Mr. Percy relies on a melodrama that has little fictional resonance and

really only serves to explain how Lancelot got put in a hospital prison in the first place.

Oh, sure, the story that Lancelot tells Percival about his past is interesting for a while,

especially when he explains how he discovered through his daughter's blood type that his

wife had been deceiving him with a film director named Robert Merlin. But after the

infidelity it firmly established, the story disintegrates into a rather tedious Gothic tale of

revenge, climaxed, unsurprisingly enough, by the burning of Lancelot's family mansion,

Belle Isle. (Lehmann-Haupt)

From Lehmann-Haupt’s review, Lancelot seems to carry some qualities often associated with his

character. Lancelot is raved about because of his amazing fighting skills which could be

symbolized in the way Percy depicts Lancelot’s pretentious nature in the novel. Also, Lancelot’s

negative attitudes toward liberated women reflect the beliefs of medieval literature. However,

Percy’s unique portrayal sets Lancelot in the 1970’s wishing to escape society. Percy’s modern

portrayal of Lancelot holds true to a few of his characteristics, but changes the setting and

Lancelot’s attitude toward a modern society.

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A more obvious example of Lancelot fitting the description of a villain is in T. H.

White’s 1940 novel, The Ill-Made Knight. White sticks to the typical portrayal of Lancelot being

a stupendous fighter, however, White’s interesting depiction of Lancelot is his choice of

appearance for his character. Lancelot is horrifically ugly, resembling an ape. A blog post written

by The Thirsty Gargoyle explains that not only is Lancelot a great fighter, he actually enjoys

hurting people. The Thirsty Gargoyle says, “White's Lancelot is a sadist. It's not just that he's

merely good at beating people up and killing them; he actively enjoys doing so and takes

pleasure in inflicting pain on others. He's not just monstrously ugly…he is -- in effect -- himself

a monster, slaughtering in the service of his queen” (The Thirsty Gargoyle, 2007). This is a

peculiar spin on the classic portrayal of Sir Lancelot. Instead of following the heroic knight

fighting for his queen narrative, White chooses to use Lancelot’s strength as a weakness.

Lancelot is not fighting/killing because it is his duty as a knight to protect his King’s kingdom,

he is killing because Queen Guinevere is telling him too and he actually finds enjoyment when

slaughtering his opponents. Another article written by Jennifer Sharp analyzes White’s depiction

of Lancelot as an inner conflict between Lancelot’s two character flaws. She writes:

He possesses a face like Quasimodo's and is said to be ape-like in appearance. White's

Lancelot rationalizes his hideous demeanor according to medieval physiognomy,

surmising that his ugliness reflects what he perceives as his inner baseness and sinfulness.

White's version of the character is thereby plagued by feelings of inadequacy that stem

from two competing and contradictory selves: the grotesque, sinful Chevalier Mal Fet

and the exalted, chivalric Lancelot. (Sharp 1)

Sharp explains that Lancelot’s heinous appearance is what causes him to act so aggressively

violent even though he still possesses a few chivalric qualities. White’s depiction of Lancelot is a
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unique spin off of the original Lancelot narrative, creating an almost evil unearthly creature used

for destruction instead of heroism.

On the other hand, Lancelot is known to be the ultimate courtly lover, and is infamous for

his affair with Queen Guinevere. However, modern interpretations of Lancelot questions his

sexuality. Some scholars believe Lancelot uses Guinevere as a beard to disguise his sexuality.

Although it seems a bit extreme to have a continuous love affair and commit treason with a

queen to hide his sexuality, there is evidence that shows how this could be possible. Regardless

of Lancelot’s strength and power, his devotion to Guinevere shows a more feminine side to

Lancelot while Guinevere is typically dominant; reflecting masculinity. This gender role reversal

subtly hints at Lancelot’s questionable sexuality and shedding light on Lancelot’s femininity.

A portrayal of Lancelot that touches on Lancelot’s sexuality is John Steinbeck’s novel

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights, first published in 1976. Steinbeck’s Lancelot

character floats between two specific characteristics. He is heavily devoted to perfecting his

battle skills but is nervous others will find him lacking masculinity because of his lack of

romantic relationships with women. Sir Lancelot completely dedicates himself to perfecting his

skills as a fighter that he seems resistant to romantic desire. However, Lancelot begins to worry

that he may be seen as not a real man because of his lack of interest in women (“The Acts of

King Arthur,” n.d.).

Lancelot’s insistent refusal of other women and his extreme devotion to Guinevere can

be interpreted as attempts to hide his true sexuality and writers have used this theme as a way to

portray Lancelot in a new unique way. The novel, The Mists of Avalon, is a 1983 fantasy novel

written by Marion Zimmer Bradley that focuses on the Arthurian female characters perspective.

In The Mists of Avalon, Lancelot’s homosexuality becomes clear despite his attempts to conceal
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it. Probably, the first hint that the reader receives occurs when Morgaine says that in Lancelot’s

childhood he possessed an "intense disdain of anything female" (Bradley 141). She then goes on

to say that "there is nothing of the softness of a woman’s training in him, to make him pliable to

any woman. He has denied the touch of the Goddess in himself" (Bradley 147). Bradley’s novel

also changes the medieval narrative by having Arthur sanction the romance between Guinevere

and Lancelot. Arthur cannot provide an heir for the kingdom so he recruits Lancelot to do it for

him. In this story, Arthur leads Lancelot to his bed to sleep with Guinevere. In a surprising turn

of events, Arthur joins them in bed, and later, Guinevere comments to Arthur that she saw how

he touched Lancelot (Tichelaar, 2012). This portrayal is completely different from the original

depiction of Lancelot. This portrayal actually makes Arthur aware of Lancelot and Guinevere’s

affair. Also, Lancelot and Arthur engage in a subtle sexual/romantic relationship that is not

typically seen within other depictions.

In Joan Wolf’s novel The Road to Avalon, published in 1988, the Lancelot character is

not even named Lancelot, it is Bedwyr. Lancelot’s character is still in love with Guinevere (spelt

Gwenhwyfar in The Road to Avalon), however, Agravaine loves Lancelot. Agravaine is

homosexual and the downfall of Camelot comes largely due to his jealousy of Lancelot and

Guinevere’s relationship. Because of his crush on Bedwyr, Agravaine does not want Guinevere

to be with Lancelot thus causing him to reveal their affair which brings about Camelot’s

downfall (Tichelaar). Although Lancelot’s name has been changed, readers are still able to make

the connection between the two characters thanks to the relationship with Guinevere. Bedwyr

also has the same characteristics as Lancelot, he is close to Arthur but still hides his affair with

Gwenhwyfar and takes extra precaution not to be seen alone with her (Wolf 309). Bedwyr also

displays his strength and courage when he has to defeat eight men during a battle (Wolf 109).
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This novel does not use the name Lancelot, but still uses the recognizable attributes that Lancelot

usually portrays in Arthurian literature.

Sarah Luddington published a novel Lancelot and the Wolf, with explicit gay sexual

content depicting Lancelot and Arthur as lovers. The book has created a controversy and even

hate mail to Luddington and her publishers according to Tyler Tichelaar, a writer and Arthurian

literature reviewer. Tichelaar describes the novel saying, “For those who want to explore the love

between Arthur and Lancelot, they will find a few explicit sex scenes, but also a convoluted plot.

The story begins with Lancelot having left Camelot in shame and in exile in France…Why he

left has something to do with his love for Guinevere” (Tichelaar 8). Luddington’s depiction of

Lancelot goes against almost every medieval portrayal of Lancelot’s sexuality. There is the

connection between Lancelot loving Guinevere but an unusual shift to his character has him

engaging in sexual acts with King Arthur. He is not the amazing knight readers have come to

recognize, instead he is exiled in France because of some undesirable act and has an extremely

detailed sexual relationship with Arthur.

Not only has Lancelot been incorporated into various literature adaptions, he has also hit

the stage in the Broadway musical production Spamalot. Monty Python's Spamalot (2005) is a

musical comedy adapted from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Like the film, it

is a highly irreverent spoof of the Arthurian Legend, but it differs from the film in many ways.

Following the modern rendition of Lancelot’s character, he is outed as gay and marries Prince

Herbert. His character is described as a “part thug, part toad [warrior]” (Mancoff and Hardy 73).

Although his role is not majorly significant, there is a song that is sang to Lancelot to urge him to

confess his sexuality. Prince Herbert says “He can finally come out and say that he is G-A-

Y…M-C-A!” to which Lancelot replies “Okay!” (Mancoff and Hardy 73). So, in this depiction,
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Lancelot openly says he is actually gay and marries a man much unlike the original depiction of

Lancelot sneaking around with Guinevere.

Lancelot has also made an influence on pop culture. His character has been used

repeatedly in films and TV series. Sir Lancelot, also known as the Leviathan, is a character on

ABC's popular TV series, Once Upon a Time. Lancelot first appears in the third episode of the

second season. He is portrayed by guest star Sinqua Walls who is an African American male. An

article written by Once Upon a Time’s Fandom indicates that Lancelot is based on the Lancelot

character from the Arthurian Legend (“Lancelot,” n.d.). In this portrayal of Lancelot, he follows

the familiar aspects of the original Lancelot but this time he is African American. Although this

change does not alter the storyline drastically, it is one of the first depictions of an African

American male being casted for the role of Sir Lancelot.

However, one example of Lancelot’s character following the tradition Arthurian legend is

in Jerry Zucker’s film, The First Knight. Although this film is recognizable for being

representative of medieval literature, Zucker changes Lancelot’s character into being a wanderer

with a troubled past instead of following Lancelot’s origin story. An article written by Clifford

Tsan describes Lancelot’s modern character as being completely reinvented to appeal to modern

audiences. Tsan explains Lancelot’s character by stating:

Lancelot's character has been altered so greatly in order to give the mass audience what it

wants; not a knight who is so intent in his love and loyalty to Guinevere that he would cut

himself on a sword bridge, but the archetypal American male action hero. This particular

Lancelot shows nothing of his former knightly virtue. He kisses Guinevere when

unbidden and unwanted, he shows Arthur little respect in their first meeting together, and
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he cries at one point when he feels that Guinevere will never requite his love. The

Lancelot of old would die of shame if he knew what he had been turned into. (Tsan, n.d.)

Tsan argues that Lancelot’s character has been so severely altered he is almost unrecognizable as

the Lancelot character society first read about. Although Lancelot does not represent the original

character exactly, he is still easily identifiable and is depicted with having almost the same

qualities as the medieval Lancelot.

Lancelot’s character is easily adaptable to multiple plot lines. Lancelot’s alternative

portrayals can sometimes depict him as a villain instead of a hero. One example of Lancelot’s

character being portrayed as a villain in film is in, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

(2014), directed by Shawn Levy. Sir Lancelot, played by Dan Stevens, is a part of an exhibit in

the British Museum located in the medieval wing. The various wax figures and animals in the

museum have the ability to come alive every night due to a magical stone tablet. Lancelot sees

how the protagonists of the movie are on a quest to get the tablet back to its proper location so

the exhibit figures do not die, however, Lancelot mistakes the tablet as the Holy Grail thus

causing him to intervene and steal the tablet. Lancelot’s appearance in the movie coincides with

the typical medieval garb worn. Lancelot’s character is a young, blue eyed, bearded man with

long flowing blonde hair. He is dressed in metal armor with a lion crest illustrated on the chest.

The movie depicts Lancelot as strong and determined, however, there is an emphasis on vanity

when his nose starts to melt (wax figure) during a fight with the protagonists. He is confronted

by the main characters and is pressed to return the tablet to them, but he then draws his sword,

making it clear he has no intentions of obeying orders. He intends on returning the “Holy Grail”

to the king even though the museum exhibits will die (including Lancelot). Eventually, Lancelot

does find the king (Hugh Jackman) and Guinevere too, however, they are just actors acting in a
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stage production of Arthurian legend. After the actors tell Lancelot they are not the real King

Arthur and Queen Guinevere, Lancelot becomes distraught and says to the king, “You don’t

deserve your crown and you don’t deserve your queen. Prepare to feel the cold kiss of my

blade… Huge Ackman!” The movie uses humor to break the tension, but Lancelot continues to

embody the portrayal of the villain by chopping down tree branches with his sword and kicking

props at the audience watching the play.

Again, Lancelot is portrayed as a villain in Shrek the Third (2007), directed by Chris

Miller. He is the arrogant jock and captain of the high school jousting team. Lancelot is first

introduced during jousting practice, with slow music playing in the background and showing him

on his horse in slow motion, emphasizing his power and importance. He charges forward and

sends the opposing practice jouster flying to the ground with easy. Turns out, the person

Lancelot defeated was Arthur. Once Lancelot saw Shrek, he started commenting of Shrek’s

unattractive appearance. Although his role in the movie is minor, he is depicted as an egotistical

jerk. The emphasis on Lancelot’s ego is reminiscent of the extreme praise Lancelot receives in

Malory’s text. Although Malory takes precaution to make Lancelot seem humbled, it is hard to

miss the egotistical nature that surrounds Lancelot.

Not only has Lancelot’s character influenced pop culture, he has also been incorporated

into the art world. Lancelot has been used in paintings dating back to medieval civilization all the

way up to the twenty-first century. The artwork created usually sometimes features Lancelot with

Queen Guinevere or Lancelot wearing his armor holding a weapon. These images coincide with

the two main characteristics associated with Lancelot. The painting labeled Figure 1, is the

medieval painting named Lancelot and Guinevere, 1320 AD, France (Carr 2017). It depicts

Lancelot holding the queen’s hand. The painting does not do a great job at capturing the true
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essence behind the Arthurian characters

relationship. Lancelot appears to be leaning

backwards as Guinevere is leaning slightly

forward with her hand toward her chest. Although

the pair are seated closely together, there seems to

be a disconnect between the couple; which is

slightly different from Lancelot’s portrayal in

medieval literature.

Figure 1
Edward Blair Leighton’s painting, The

Accolade was created in 1901 (Figure 2) and shows a woman knighting a young knight.

Although it is unknown if the two figures in the painting are Lancelot and Guinevere, it has been

assumed that they are. Edward Blair Leighton painted

in the era of Victorian Romanticism. He was a

historical genre painter who painted mainly medieval

themes (“aaronprints,” n.d.). The painting features a

Queen laying a sword tenderly upon a knight’s

shoulder. They are not making eye contact as the

knight’s head is bowed and his arms tense by his side.

Once can easily find the recognizable characteristics

displayed as representing the secret romantic affair

between Guinevere and Lancelot. This example of

Lancelot in art work is a visual representation of

Lancelot and Guinevere attempting to dissuade any

Figure 2
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suspicion of their romantic relationship. Lancelot is also wearing his armor which a typical outfit

Lancelot is seen wearing.

More modern renditions of art work featuring

Lancelot tend to use more color and detail compared to the

medieval work. An example of a more recent modern

painting is called Sir Lancelot, by David Matthew in 2011

(Matthew, 2017). This painting is labeled Figure 3 and shows

Lancelot sitting slouched forward and looking distraught. He

looks to be contemplating a rather worrying situation. This

painting uses vibrant colors in a more abstract portrayal of

Lancelot. In this painting, Lancelot is completely alone with

his hands holding up his head. He does not have a weapon

Figure 3
and also there is no indication of the queen. This painting

Figure 4 appears to be focusing on the opposite representation of

Lancelot. Instead of focusing on Lancelot’s great strength

and romance, it seems to be highlighting the vulnerable

side to Lancelot that is often not represented in literature

or pop culture. The next depiction of Lancelot in modern

art is by concept artist Max Kozhevnikov. His painting

was created in 2015 titled Sir Lancelot. The picture (figure

4) features an older looking gentleman holding a

protective metal helmet and ax. This portrayal of Lancelot

adorns him with giant illuminated golden wings. This art

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piece is similar to the typical Lancelot portrayal with armor but the addition of wings emphasize

his magnificence. The wings turn Lancelot into an imaginative other worldly creature. This

portrayal seems to focus on the grandeur associated with Lancelot’s character. The artist appears

to be focusing on the elaborate strength and eccentricity of Lancelot.

Lancelot has made a significant impact on pop culture considering he is still being

represented in literature and film hundreds of years after his creation. However, a particularly

interesting depiction of Lancelot in pop culture is Lancelot depicting a toy character as Sonic the

Hedgehog: The Dark Knight. A fandom wiki website describes the character as:

Sir Lancelot is a character in Sonic and the Black Knight. He is an anthropomorphic

hedgehog and the alternate reality doppelgänger of Shadow the Hedgehog from the world

of Camelot. He is a member of the Knights of the Round Table, a group of knights in the

service of King Arthur. Both as quick as Sonic and just as headstrong, Lancelot is the

mightiest of the Knights of the Round Table, as well as the one closest to King Arthur

himself. He wields the legendary sacred sword Arondight. (“Sir Lancelot,” n.d.)

The toy is a part of a larger Camelot inspired collection. The

character is meant to represent the ideal knight that Lancelot

is often depicted as. Figure 5 shows what the toy looks like

adorned with armor and the sword Arondight. Lancelot being

marketed toward children in disguise as a hedgehog is a fun

new original interpretation of the medieval knight.

Figure 5
Sir Lancelot is an Arthurian character whose legend

has been popularized and adapted to fit modern society’s interests. However, Lancelot’s
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moldable character is what makes him so endearing. Lancelot’s two main conflicting

characteristics is what makes his character so adaptable to multiple interpretations to attract

multiple audiences. He is portrayed in literature, art, film, and TV series set in various time

periods and dealing with vastly different adventures and difficulties. Lancelot’s inability to find a

balance between the two most important things to him is what makes him so popular in pop

culture. He is able to be portrayed in so many ways because of his character’s ambiguity

allowing for an array of diverse interpretations. Lancelot’s ambiguous character fits perfectly

among medieval and modern literature, villains, queered modern literature, various films, art

works, and even a children’s toy!

 Daly 19

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 Daly 20

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 Daly 21

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