The Knights’ Quest for the Holy Grail

Summary of the Argument

The story begins when King Arthur gathers the Knights of the Round Table for dinner. He reveals that he has found the Holy Grail and hidden it in a castle with Blancaniña and one hundred maidens. He tasks three knights with retrieving it.

The chosen knights are Lancelot of the Lake, who is to travel through the woods; Perceval, who is to journey by sea; and a young woman disguised as her elderly father, known as the Knight of Purple, who is assigned a specific path.

After the knights depart, King Arthur instructs Pelinor, the youngest knight present, to ensure that none of the chosen knights obtain the Grail. Pelinor accepts, is armed by Arthur, and takes on the title of the Olive Green Knight.

The Knights’ Journeys

Perceval encounters Gauvain, who laments his duty to the king. Knowing Gauvain’s loyalty, Perceval proposes a plan where he will appear to betray the king while Gauvain remains faithful. Perceval finds a ship, gains the captain’s trust, and sails to Brittany. Tragically, the ship sinks, taking Perceval’s life.

Lancelot encounters a large man felling an olive tree. This man proposes a deal: he will retrieve the Grail and the maidens from the Castle of Finishes, but Lancelot must defeat him afterward. The man, now calling himself the Olive Green Knight, kills Lancelot.

Pelinor encounters the Knight of Purple and, after a fierce battle, kills the knight, unknowingly taking the life of his beloved.

Continuing his journey, Pelinor reaches the Gorge of Echoes and confronts another knight calling himself the Olive Green Knight. This Olive Green Knight mortally wounds Pelinor, who dies beneath an olive tree.

The Olive Green Knight eventually reaches the Castle of Finishes, claims the Grail, and marries Blancaniña and the one hundred maidens.

Themes and Focus

• The knights’ adventures in pursuit of the Grail.
• Gauvain’s attempted betrayal, Pelinor’s love for the Knight of Purple, and Arthur’s betrayal.

Characters

Main Characters

• Lancelot of the Lake: Sent through the woods to find the Grail, he is killed by the Olive Green Knight.
• The Knight of Purple: A young woman disguised as her father, she is in love with Pelinor but is unknowingly killed by him.
• Perceval: Sent by sea, he tries to avoid retrieving the Grail but dies in a shipwreck.
• Pelinor: Tasked with stopping the other knights, he is in love with the Knight of Purple but unknowingly kills her and is later killed by the Olive Green Knight.

Supporting Characters

• The Olive Green Knight: The man who retrieves the Grail and marries Blancaniña.
• Blancaniña: Guarded by one hundred maidens, she is eventually married to the Olive Green Knight.

Time and Setting

• Medieval times.
• Medieval Britain (realistic) and the Round Table (unreal).

Structure and Point of View

• Open-ended internal structure.
• Third-person omniscient narrator.

Critical Commentary

The story can be confusing, jumping between characters without fully resolving their storylines. Some archaic expressions may be difficult to understand. The open ending leaves the reader unsatisfied.