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Steinbeck And Lancelot Comparison

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“How can you be so chivalrous?” “I’m just doing my job.” People are all born into certain beliefs and traditions they hold dear to their hearts. Their thoughts develop and change with time. As they grow, their wicked thoughts translate into corrupt actions. However, Chaucer and Steinbeck portray a character of a different breed, and they ooze character and integrity. Chaucer’s Knight is his version of personified perfection, whereas Steinbeck’s Lancelot is seen as more humanly flawed and faking his perfection. As a matter of fact, Lancelot has accomplished great feats of strength, but his unideal courtly love for Queen Guinevere stains his honorable knight image. Of course, his reputation is tarnished only if the public finds out. Both characters …show more content…

Steinbeck wanted to portray Lancelot encompassing the selfish nature of human beings hiding their flaws behind a rose-colored facade. Chaucer had more hope for civilization through his depiction of the Knight: “He was a true, a perfect gentle-knight.” The word perfect is almost never used to describe a human, but his character lives and breathes perfection – or, at least, Chaucer’s version of a perfect person. Not only was he physically strong, but he also displayed honor and integrity on their pilgrimage. On the other hand, Lancelot’s story is one of jealousy and intense desire: “‘Stay,’ said Lancelot.” Guinevere belonged to King Arthur, but she and Lancelot didn’t care. They wanted each other to stay and belong to them, engaging in secret adulterous love – the most unfathomable kind of betrayal for a knight and his king. Steinbeck had portrayed Lancelot as the average human with his fair share of flaws who happened to be strong and commit daring deeds. Steinbeck knew no human has the capacity to be perfect like Chaucer’s Knight, but that doesn’t mean they should not try. Lancelot could not set aside his pride and lust for Guinevere to look at the bigger picture and consider the consequences of his actions. If he had been selfless and “perfect” like Chaucer’s Knight, the mistake of loving her would not have occurred; but then he also would not be human. Once again, the cycle of human error

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