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Grail Quests Term Paper
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Document Type:Term Paper
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Grail Quests
In Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, cup or vessel that caught Jesus' blood during his crucifixion. The Holy Grail was said to have the power to heal all wounds. Over the course of the three Grail quests of medieval, Arthurian origin, "Percival," "Parzival," and "The Quest for the Holy Grail," the meaning of the quest for the Holy Grail shifts over time, although the Grail retains its integrity as a symbol of healing. In the earliest incarnation of the Holy Grail quest narrative, entitled "Percival," the Grail is a means by which to heal an ailing king and a barren land. In "Parzival" the Grail becomes a test of the hero's Christian values and integrity to inquire what ails the sick Fisher king. Finally, in "The Quest for the Holy Grail," the Holy Grail is not a means or quest for individual heroic achievement and a demonstration of fidelity to one's Lord at all. Rather, realizing the quest for the Holy Grail takes the form of a non-chivalric, even unearthly test of a knight's chastity and purity. Seeking the Holy Grail becomes means for healing all of Arthur's knights, and a way to restore all of the Christian people and land of England.
In the first two versions of the text, the knight Percival, later known as Parzival, is a knight who is intensely grateful to his Lord Arthur, for bringing him out of his early poverty and obscurity. The Welsh knight begins his life is ill-clad, unlettered, and entirely lacking in the chivalric graces expected of a knight, yet his foolish but holy innocence leads him to the Holy Grail and the dwelling of the Fisher king, though this location has eluded so many of Arthur's greatest knights. But unlike later "Quest" narrative, the heroes of "Percival" and "Parzival" do not remain chaste. Both Percival and Parzival marry ladies, as is expected by the chivalrous knights these originally rude and unlettered men eventually become. Percival marries a woman named Blanchefleur and Parzival becomes husband and a father. But in the narrative of the "Quest" Galahad's ability to access the grail is due to his chastity -- only a person who is entirely pure can access the Holy Grail.
In both earlier versions Percival (later Parzival) is the guest of the lame Fisher King and this becomes the framing and focus of the…
Sample Source(s) Used
Work Cited
De Troyes, Christian. "Percival." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Seventh edition. Volume 1.
"Parzival." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Seventh edition. Volume 1.
"The Quest for the Holy Grail." The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Seventh edition. Volume 1.
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