Arthurian women

In the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, the struggle for power plays a major part in the lives of all the characters. The king and his knights wield physical power: they fight to wage war, to earn respect as knights and to protect the weak. Women, on the other hand, assert more subtle forms of power. Even as they live in a male-dominated world, the Arthurian women assume power through marriage, motherhood and magic.
The Arthurian women assume power through marriage by using their marriage to obtain a higher rank or wealth. Having these can help one attain authority and supremacy. When Igraine married King Utha after Sir Gurloise died, she did not marry him because she would gain power for she “fought her own heart” not to love him. Years later, Morgan La Fay uses her marriage with King Uriens only to be a wealthy queen. Unlike Igraine, this marri...