Short Fiction · Chapter
Sir Agravaine explained
Sir Agravaine the Dolorous, an ugly and weak knight of King Arthur's Round Table, falls in love with the damsel Yvonne, who has come to Camelot seeking a champion to fight a dragon.
What happens
Sir Agravaine the Dolorous, an ugly and weak knight of King Arthur's Round Table, falls in love with the damsel Yvonne, who has come to Camelot seeking a champion to fight a dragon. Despite his physical shortcomings, he is the only knight to volunteer. On the journey to her father's castle, he learns that Yvonne's father, Earl Dorm of the Hills, has been using false dragon stories to lure knights to marry his daughters. Agravaine confesses his love, Yvonne reciprocates, and they marry. Later, Agravaine consults a Wise Man about his wife's insistence that he is handsome, revealing the depth of their bond.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
The central theme: Agravaine's love for Yvonne leads to marriage, despite her father's deceptive scheme to marry off daughters.
Deception and Secrets
Earl Dorm's scheme of fabricating monsters to trick knights into marrying his daughters is a key plot point.
Identity and Self-Improvement
Agravaine's awareness of his ugliness and weakness contrasts with his wife's perception, highlighting themes of self-image and acceptance.
Characters to notice
- Sir Agravaine
The protagonist, a short, ugly, and weak knight who is deeply in love with Yvonne and eventually marries her.
- Elizabeth
Yvonne's sister, mentioned as part of the family scheme to marry off daughters.
- Clarence Tresillian
Mentioned as a knight who married Yvonne's sister Elaine after being tricked by the false unicorn story.
- James Datchett
Mentioned as a knight who married Yvonne's sister Yseult after being tricked by the false giant story.
Key passages
“I am the ugliest man in England.”
Agravaine believes he is the most unattractive man in the country.
Reflects Agravaine's low self-esteem regarding his appearance.
“She tells me that I am a model of manly beauty.”
His wife insists he is a perfect example of masculine attractiveness.
Highlights the contrast between Agravaine's self-perception and his wife's loving view.
“My father had six children, all daughters. We were poor. We had to stay buried in this out-of-the-way spot.”
Yvonne explains that her family was isolated and impoverished, leading her father to devise a plan to find husbands for his daughters.
Reveals the motivation behind Earl Dorm's deceptive scheme.