As the premiere Knight of Arthur's court, Lancelot is an unstoppable warrior. He almost never meets defeat and quit handily defeats all comers in or out of armor and regardless of the number of his foes. However, his being unbeatable doesn't lie in his working out, lifting weights or some other pursuit that would increase his ability to stomp somebody into the ground. He is the emblem of chivalry (see right picture).
The reason Lancelot is a great warrior is that he is pure, and that purity is of a type required by the new virtue. He embodies the chivalric ideals of courtesy, mercy, passion, and the ability to love in the romantic fashion. It is because of these virtues that his warrior ability is bestowed upon him. It is very important to note the difference between Arthur and Lancelot in this regard. Arthur, in those pre-romantic tales, is a war chief whos virtues are all associated with the battlefield.
Lancelot, while still being able to beat up anyone (including the King), possesses none of those berserker-like qualities that made Arthur great. It is being good that makes the Knight great and powerful, not so much the fact that he trains with a sword. Return to Lancelot Main Page
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