Genre
Poem, Old English literature, Arthurian literature
Setting and Context
The poem is set in the Court of King Arthur, and also in Wales on the outskirts of civilization
Narrator and Point of View
The point of view is that of Perceval, a young and eager knight.
Tone and Mood
Positive, hopeful, eager, sincere, valiant, conspiratorial, melancholy, regretful.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Perceval is the protagonist. Sir Kay is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
There is conflict early in the text as Perceval kills a troublesome knight.
Climax
Perceval meets a strange woman who tells him about the magical powers held by the grail.
Foreshadowing
Sir Kay's disdainful attitude towards Perceval foreshadows Perceval's revenge upon him.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
The poem alludes to the character of Sir Gawain who chronicled in many texts and poems of his own.
Imagery
The castle of the Fisher King describes strange, magical goings on that are far beyond the comprehension of either Perceval or the reader.
Paradox
Perceval's mother does not want him to become a knight because of the danger inherent in the role, but this danger is what attracts Perceval to the role.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between Perceval and Gawain's careers as knights and the way in which they are treated by Sir Kay.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
Court is the word used to encompass all of King Arthur's knights.
Personification
N/A
