Date Approved
2008
Degree Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department or School
English Language and Literature
Committee Member
Annette Wannamaker, PhD, Chair
Committee Member
Christine Neufeld, PhD
Abstract
Guinevere has existed in literature for nearly a millennium, evolving to suit societal values and mores. She has metamorphosed from Arthur’s noble queen to Lancelot’s jealous lover, from a motherly sovereign to a vindictive adulteress as each author struggled to apply his own literary and societal conventions to a character that is both inherited and created.
In addressing the evolution of Guinevere, this thesis has followed her progression through three works: The Knight of the Cart by Chrétien de Troyes, Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, and The Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. In addition, this thesis has drawn upon literary criticism, including that of Maureen Fries and Norris J. Lacy, in proving how Guinevere’s character marks the societal values and beliefs of each author’s time period, as well as how she exemplifies the struggle to understand female characters in literature.
Recommended Citation
Comer, Stephanie R., "Behold thy doom is mine: The evolution of Guinevere in the eorks of Chrétien de Troyes, Sir Thomas Malory, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson" (2008). Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 164.
https://commons.emich.edu/theses/164