University of Virginia Library

COMMENTARY.

Note that each of the three parts is composed of (1) a Masque, i. e., a musical (operatic) interlude or prelude, foreshadowing the events to follow, dealing with the supernatural elements of the myth and symbolizing the philosophic, aesthetic and ethical elements of the series; (2) a Tragedy; and (3) a play ending with a partial (Parts I and II) or complete (Part II) reconciliation and solution.

Launcelot and Guenevere are placed in a position where they must either sacrifice the existing order of things to themselves or themselves to the existing order of things.

Part I.—They attempt to set their relation to each other above their relation to the world. Tragic issue. (Thesis.)

Part II.—They attempt to set their relation to the world above their relation to each other. Equally tragic issue. (Antithesis.)

Part III.—The reconciliation. (Synthesis.)

Subordinate to this, as background:

Part I deals with the growing power of the Round Table, the rise of Arthur, and culminates with Arthur's highest reach of empire.

(Great event in the legends The Roman War.)

Part II with the height (stationary) of the power of Arthur and the Round Table and the first mutterings of their impending fall.

(Great event in the legends The Quest of the Graal.)

Part III with the fall of Arthur and the Round Table.

(Great event in the legends The Last War.)

There is an interval of nearly twenty years between Parts I and II, and of five or six years between Parts II and III.

But the dramas in each part are immediately successive.

The Masques:

The Quest of Merlin foreshadows the events of the whole poem, but particularly of Part I, i. e., the marriage of Arthur to Guenevere. Symbolically, it suggests the philosophical drift of the poem.

Taliesin foreshadows the events of Part II (the Graal search, etc.). Symbolically, it suggests the aesthetic drift of the poem.

Fata Morgana foreshadows the events of Part III (the treachery of Mordred, death of Arthur, etc.). Symbolically, it suggests the ethical drift of the poem.

They might be called “the Masque of Fate and Evolution,” “the Masque of Art” and “the Masque of Evil” respectively.

The Plays:

Part I—Individual and sex relation (true family) set above Society or the State:

(a) Marriage of Guenevere—(Love overthrowing friendship as well as more general social obligations);

(b) Birth of Galahad—(Love still supreme, but seeking and partly finding a way to be loyal to friendship and the State, too.

Part I, Tragic; (a) all tragic; (b) partly reconciliated.

Part II—Society and the State set above the individual and sex relation or true family:

(a) The Graal—(Love renounced; religion sought as means of renunciation. Failure of attempt.);

(b) Astolat—(Gradual reconquest of love over religion, etc., etc.).

Part II, Tragic; (a) all tragic; (b) partly reconciled.

Part III—Reconciliation of Religion, State, Society, Family, and Individual:

(a) Morte d'Arthur—(Essential conflict made objective and settled with the sword. Tragic solution of Death.);

(b) Avalon—(True harmonic solution).

Part III, Harmonic; (a) tragic; (b) completely harmonic or reconciled.