Student Name
Knight
NOTE: this student sample is a real
student sample. I did not create it. It
is not perfect. I chose it to point out
common issues.
Student Name 1
British Literature and Composition 5
15 November 2013
Arthurian Legend Research Portfolio: Percival
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each
section of
your
portfolio
Summary of Legend
Your title should
look just like this
one, but include
your character’s
name instead.
Percival is one of King Arthur’s “legendary” Knights of the Round Table. In most of his
stories he is well known for his adventures searching for the Holy Grail. Percival’s father died
when he was young and his mother took him into the woods and raised him without teaching him
chivalrous virtues so he would not become a knight like his father. His mother feared losing her
son in the same way she lost her husband. Until Percival was fifteen years old he saw knights for
the first time and was in awe of their heroic nature. Percival decided that he wanted to become a
knight himself and left home find King Arthur and join his noble court. When he asked to join
King Arthur told him that he must prove his worthiness to join the Knights of the Round Table.
After he proved himself to be worthy of the title he was knighted and asked to become a knight
in the Knights of the Round Table. The Fisher King story has been seen in many different
renditions of Percival’s story and show seeing a grail near the Fisher King while failing to heal
the Fisher King and gain the Holy Grail. The most important fact to remember about the legend
is that Percival was the only other knight besides Galahad to see the Holy Grail. Since Percival
was sheltered from the outside world by his mother he can be seen as one of the purer Knights of
the Round Table in most Arthurian Legend stories. The Fisher King and the Holy Grail are the
two most important and recurring aspects of Percival’s stories.
Student Name 2
Medieval Source: Pre 1600
Malory, Thomas, and Keith Baines. Le Morte D'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the
Round Table. New York: New American Library, 2010. Print
This version of the legend is unique because it shows more of Percival’s quest for the
Holy Grail. This version is specifically unique because Percival knew beforehand that Sir
Galahad would be the one to find the grail and he was trying to take the matters into his own
hands and overcome Galahad so he could take the glory. Percival has much more pride in this
version of the legend which makes him to have more tragic character flaws. This version also
talks about more mystical creatures like a black horse that could run for hours, but eventually ran
from Percival into the water. The information about his father and mother were briefly spoken
about saying his mother had of grief and then jumping back into the story of the quest to
overcome Galahad and find the Holy Grail.
“Now I have warned thee of thy vain glory and of thy pride that thou hast many times erred
against thy Maker. Beware of everlasting pain, for of all earthly knights I have most pity of thee,
for I know well thou hast not thy peer on any earthy sinful man.”
Cite your quotes!
“They dud nothynge but the olde custom of thys castell; and tolde hym that hir lady was syke
and had leyne many yeres, and she myght nat be hole but yf she had bloode in a sylver dysshe
full, of a clene mayde and a kynges doughter – "and therefore the custom of thys castell ys that
there shall no damesell passe thys way but she shall blede of hir bloode a sylver dysshe full."
(54.20-26)
Student Name 3
Pre 1900 Source
This source isn’t from 1601-1900. It is medieval. Make sure you
understand when you source was originally written.
Chrétien, De Troyes, and Burton Raffel. Perceval: The Story of the Grail. New Haven: Yale UP,
1999. Print.
This version of the legend starts off exactly the same as many of the others. Percival is
raised by his mother in the woods and continues to see knights and wonder what it would be like
if he himself became a knight. He finally decides to leave his mother and peruse his dream of
becoming a knight. As a knight Percival sees the Fisher King again and again forgets to ask the
correct question. This version is unique because the details from the visit to the Fisher King are
explained much more than the other legends. This text stands out from the others because it gives
the reader a stronger view of what happened while Percival was on his quest. One factor that was
different from the other stories is that Percival learns that his mother died which was left out in
all of the previous versions.
"The peasant in his proverb says that one might find oneself holding in contempt something that
is worth much more than one believes; therefore a man does well to make good use of his
learning according to whatever understanding he has, for he who neglects his learning may easily
keep silent something that would later give much pleasure." Erec and Enide, p. 37.
"Wretch, unhappy me! Why did I come here from my land? The earth should truly swallow me
up, since the very best of knights—the boldest and the bravest, the most loyal, the most
courteous that was ever count or king—has completely abandoned all chivalry because of me.
Now have I truly shamed him; I should not have wished it for anything!" Enide, Erec and Enide,
p. 68.
Correctly cite your quotes!
Student Name 4
Modernist Source: Post 1901
Malamud, Bernard. The Natural. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1952. Print.
This book had a unique take on the Percival legend by taking the plot from the legendary
Percival and transforming him into a character named Roy. Roy like Percival has a “quest” and
ended up losing what he was supposed to originally find. This version of the legend is unique
because the reader has to dig for more information to understand the significance between Roy
and Percival. The novel and the legend go together and follow the format of previous legend
stories except for the fact that The Natural has a modern cover up on the story. Percival and Roy
share the same character traits, upbringing, attitudes, and determination. This text stands out
from all of the others due to the indirect telling of the legend’s story and the digging needed to
fully understand the significance between the Arthurian Legend and the text.
“Noticing Toomey watching her, Roy stole a quick look. He caught the red dress and a white
rose [he was] drawn by the feeling that her smile was for him she seemed to be wanting to say
something, and then it flashed on him the reason she was standing was to show her confidence in
him he became aware that the night had spread out in all directions and was filled with an
unbelievable fragrance.” (Shows distraction from female influence)
Parenthetical notations are
nice, but not mandatory.
“Wonderboy flashed in the sun. It caught the sphere it was biggest. A noise like a twenty-one
gun salute cracked the sky. There was a straining, ripping sound and a few drops of rain
spattered to the ground somebody then shouted it was raining cats and dogs. By the time of Roy
got in from second he was wading in water ankle deep.” (Indirect reference to the Fisher King)
Correctly cite your quotes!
This source isn’t criticism; it’s another retelling of the Percival
legend. Make sure you understand what each source should
Scholarly Article 1 look like—a scholarly article should present an argument.
Student Name 5
"Grail Legends (Perceval's Tradition)." Grail Legends (Perceval's Tradition). N.p., 4 Feb. 2000.
Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/quest1.html>.
This retelling of Percival’s legend continues to show his early upbringings with his
mother and continuing his journey to become a knight. This version is helpful because it explains
vague details in many of the other retellings of the legend making Percival’s background easier
to understand. This version is very different because it shows him going to a church, finding a
damsel and kissing her without doing anything noble (obviously confused). The Percival in this
story is made out to be somewhat dumbfounded and stupid in the way he doesn’t understand how
to properly act because of his upbringing. I believe that this version is bringing out these lost
details to further expose Percival and give the reader the correct background to the characters
from the legend. Throughout this story Percival acts like a very gullible and innocent character
confirming a few of the other legends ideas that Percival along with Galahad were some of the
purest Knights of the Round Table.
“Before night fell he had his first adventure, when he found a tent, thinking this was the church
that his mother was talking about. In the tent, he found a damsel. Misinterpreting his mother's
instructions, he forcibly kissed the damsel, thinking that he was earning great honour. Seeing a
ring on her finger, he swiped the ring off her finger. Perceval then took the food that belonged to
the damsel's lover.”
Correctly cite your quotes!
Student Name 6
“Not realizing Kay was joking; Perceval immediately went after the Red Knight. Before he left
king's hall, Perceval meet one of Queen Guinevere's ladies-in-waiting. This lady laughed when
she saw Perceval, believing that this lad would make one of the greatest knights. No one had
ever seen or heard the lady laugh in six years, until that day. Kay was jealous that the lady's
suggestion that Perceval would be a great knight, slapped the lady in the face, and kicked
Arthur's court fool.”
For this assignment, you
should start a new page if
one entry goes onto a second
page.
Scholarly Article 2
This source isn’t criticism; it’s another retelling of the Percival
legend. Make sure you understand what each source should
look like—a scholarly article should present an argument.
Student Name 7
"Sir Percivale | King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table." Sir Percivale | King Arthur &
The Knights of the Round Table. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.kingarthursknights.com/knights/percivale.asp>.
Again this retelling of Percival’s story begins with the similar background with his
mother and his quest to become a knight. This version is very broad and has little information
about all that Percival has done. The only quest mentioned was him chase of a knight that
offended Guinevere, a story that hasn’t appeared in any of the other sources. Every small detail
of Percival’s attitudes and descriptions were left out and made into a very brief summative
article.
“Percivale was raised by his mother in ignorance of arms and courtesy. Percivale's natural
prowess, however, led him to Arthur's court where he immediately set off in pursuit of a knight
who had offended Guinevere.”
“Percivale/Parzival is the guest of the wounded Fisher King (called Anfortas by Wolfram but
unnamed by Chrétien) at whose castle he witnesses the Grail procession and fails to ask--because
he has been advised of the impoliteness of asking too many questions--This failure is calamitous
because asking the question would have cured the king.”
Correctly cite your quotes!
Student Name 8
Visual Image
No citation for visual
This image is a “vision” of Sir Galahad, Sir Bors, and Percival finding the Holy Grail.
This image is hopeful and somewhat ironic because in many versions Percival wants to find the
Holy Grail himself, while in other versions he is not able to get the grail while Sir Galahad can.
Notice that the paragraph is too brief; it barely describes the
image. What is it hopeful? Why is it ironic? These ideas would
need to be explained using evidence from the text (image).
Remember that you must include at least two details from the
image. Be as specific as possible.
Student Name 9
Additional Source: Visual Image No citation for visual
This image is another illustration of Percival, Sir Bors, and Sir Galahad finding the grail.
This image is important because it captures the shortcoming of Percival’s quest and puts him into
other knights’ shadows.
Notice that the paragraph is too brief; it barely describes the
image. How does it demonstrate Percival’s shortcomings? How
does it demonstrate that Percival is in the other knights’
shadows? These ideas would need to be explained using
evidence from the text (image). Remember that you must
include at least two details from the image. Be as specific as
possible.