ABSTRACT
In spite of the persistent interest and significant research in Arthurian legend, one notable Arthurian figure—Guinevere—continues to be viewed ambivalently. 1 This ambivalence is demonstrated in the different ways Guinevere is depicted in each of four important medieval works: Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings of Britain (1136), Chrétien de Troyes’s Charrette (c. 1164), Hartmann von Aue’s Erec (1180–85), and Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival (1200–10). She is a shadowy figure in History, a principal actor in Charrette, and a respected member of Arthur’s court in Erec and Parzival. Each writer reshapes the characterization of Guinevere as he presents the relationship of Guinevere to Arthur, his court, and others associated with his Round Table.
