The Knots of Narrative: Space Time, Time, and Focalization in Morte Arthure

(No mention of PPl, though discussion is relevant to WL’s structural use of dreams.) The action taking place on the Continent in Morte Arthure occurs within a narrative space framed by the two dreams of Arthur. The frame confers a dreamlike quality on this space, in which normal chronology is destabilized. The meeting between Arthur and Craddoke on the “heye strette,” following directly after the dream of the Wheel of Fortune, signals the reversal of Arthur’s fortunes. Arthur is ultimately responsible for his own downfall, through his extended absence from Britain in pursuit of foreign wars. The narrative logic necessitates this conclusion, though critical focalization on Arthur as protagonist obscures Arthur’s responsibility.