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Women In The Knights Of The Round Table

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Women today are depicted much more differently than they were in the Arthurian Times. In The Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green. Women throughout the story are either depicted as damsels in distress, untrustworthy, or magical prophets.

Throughout the story women are in need of help from King arthur and his Knights. These damsels in distress show up in the kingdom needing some assistance or are there to deliver a message that needs to be addressed by the strongest chivalrous knights. “ There came riding into the hall a damsel on a white palfrey and cried aloud to king arthur saying my lord king suffer me not to be robbed in this way for the brachet is mine witch yonder knight had taken with him” (p.50). Early on in the book women show up to ask for help even if it does not involve King Arthur. “Sir you may go to your meat, for here cometh a damsel with some …show more content…
“And there in the very center of the lake he saw an arm clothed in white samite with a hand holding above the service a wondrous sword with a golden hilt set with jewels. and then Arthur saw a beautiful damsel dressed in pale blue silk with a golden girdle, who walked across the water until she stood before him on the shore. “I am the lady of the lake”, she said, “ and I am come to tell you that your sword excalibur awaits you yonder” (p.19). The lady of the lake is an example of a magical women. In this story there are women such as the recluse or hermit who tell the knights on their quest of what might happen. “Worthy indeed you may be,” answered the recluse, “ if you beware of all temptations. the powers of evil will lie in weight for you, armed with many enchantments if you win through them in all pureness of heart and come to the castle carbrook and the wastelands, there you shall find the holy grail” (p. 248). These women are with their mystical powers and ability to predict the future helped in the quest in the

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