"He was willing for her to have the comb, but first he removed the hair, being careful not to break a single strand. Never will the eye of a man see anything so highly honored as those strands, which he began to adore, touching them a hundred thousand times to his eyes, his mouth, his forehead and his cheeks. He placed the strands on his breast near his heart, between his chemise and his skin. He would not have traded them for a card loaded with emeralds and carbuncles; more did he fear that ulcers or anything other disease could afflict him; he had no use for magic potions mixed with pearls, nor for drugs against pleurisy, nor for theriaca, nor even for prayers to St. Martin and St. James! He placed so much faith in these strands of hair that he felt no need for any other aid." (Lacy, Norris, Wilhelm, 128)
Although I do not know much about King Arthur literature, I chose this quote because the relationship between Lancelot and Guinevere seems integral for the legend. It seems like the feelings shared between the two, and with Arthur in the mix, could make life extremely complicated as a knight of the round table. Does this cause problems between the three throughout the collective narrative? I also chose this because of the intense nature of Lancelot's feelings. Doing all that with just some hair.....it almost seems as if Lancelot is mentally unstable. That he is not only in love with the King's wife, but is completely and utterly obsessed with her. What gives Lance? This is bad for business bro.
cite:
Lacy, Norris J., and James J. Wilhelm. The Romance of Arthur an Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation. Routledge, 2013.
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