Women in Arthurian Myth

    Women in Arthurian Mythology take on the values of the Medieval times. They are often portrayed as a helpless damsel in distress that must be saved by the knights, but also as temptresses whos influence over men, especially Lancelot would lead to his fall from grace, and the end of the knighthood. In the Legend, King Arthurs wife Guinevere is often captured and helpless as she is she must be saved by Arthur and his knights. But at the same time Guinevere and Lancelots secret love puts at jeopardy all of the knights. While their affair is not viewed in the story as a horrible betrayal, due to the fact that during that time the idea of courtly love made it almost acceptable. Nevertheless the affair caused the knighthood to be broken up and was a medieval representation of the ancient christian idea of women as temptresses that cause the downfall of men.

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