Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Once and Future King, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Chivalry, Satire & Medieval Life
Fate (Time)
Quest and The Holy Grail
Might vs. Right
War
Summary
Analysis
When Lancelot returns to Camelot, Guenever is in a rage. She believes Elaine has become his mistress and his commitment to God was all a lie. They fight, but have moments of reconciliation.
In comparison to the tolerant sweetness of Elaine, Guenever is almost a disgusting figure in her bitterness and rage.
Themes
One morning, a death barge floats down the river to the palace walls. Inside the barge is the plump body of an aged Elaine—she has committed perhaps the only strong act of her life, she has taken her own life. She had had no son, no lover, and thus nothing left. "Why were you not kinder to her?" cried the Queen. "Why could you not have given her something to live for?"
When Guenever accuses Lancelot of not being kind to Elaine, she truly means it. Yet, her sudden sensitivity seems artificial and forgetful of the role she played in Elaine's suicide.
Themes
