Evolution of the Female Figure
The evolution of the female figure in Arthurian literature is characterized foremost by stagnancy and a narrowness of personage. While Arthurian authors are gifted at describing many of the female characters in vivid, memorable terms that make many of them seem like ethereal goddesses; scholar Maureen Fries describes the propensity of these writers' best: a close examination of the text reveals that Arthurian authors are increasingly unable to create powerful women in positive terms. While this might just be a reflection of the times and the historical context in which these writers wrote, the female characters that they create demonstrate how in Arthurian literature heroism belongs chiefly to men, and that beauty, or more aptly flawed beauty, is a trait most immediately connected to women. Thus, the evolution of the female as it existed in Arthurian literature is one marked by an overwhelming amount of torpidity; the Arthurian woman was most consistently characterized by flawed colors and deception, a trend that remained nearly constant.