"I think it weakens the storyline and the character if she lacks a moral integrity to match Arthur’s."
I completely agree, but one of my problems with the character of Guenevere as written in the musical is that her transition from 1) a terribly immature and selfish young woman who wishes to have people go to war over her and goads three knights to injure or kill Lancelot in the jousts, to 2) a mature woman of moral integrity, is just too sudden. We're supposed to think all of this happens in an instant, when Guenevere sees Lancelot apparently bring Sir Lionel back from the dead after he's killed in the jousts. Now, admittedly, seeing something like that happen would be likely to have a huge effect on all spectators, but it still seems too facile a way to completely transform all aspects of Guenevere's personality all of a sudden. And I just wish the character didn't seem quite so incredibly selfish and, as someone else phrased it, even bloodthirsty as she does in "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" and "Take Me to the Fair." |
