MovieChat Forums > The Mists of Avalon (2001) Discussion > Anyone else here hate Gwen with a passio...

Anyone else here hate Gwen with a passion

posted 19 years ago by girlpunky_13
36 replies | jump to latest

Ok I havent seen the movie but I have read the book and Gwen makes me sick I can't stand her. She says she loves Arther but then all she can think about it Lanclet. Then she makes Arther change his banner from the Pendragon to the Cross and the Virgin Mary. If I were Arther I would of been like screw you. Plus he to a vow that he would worship the ways of Avalon when he was there with Morgaine. So I hope Morgaine goes to Camelot and reminds Arther of who he really his. Maybe thats just me!

"I have given up on love and loves given up on me"

[–] writer_cb 19 years ago

I TOTALLY agree with you. Throughout my readings of the Mists of Avalon, I always manage to sum up hatred for Gwenhwyfar. She is SO hypocritical and annoying...I can't stand her! The things you pointed out - her saying she loves Arthur but loving Lancelot, and ESPECIALLY her making Arthur change the banner, not to mention her raving about Christian goodness while she commits adultery behind her husband's back - all of those drove me crazy and made me hate her.

I admire Marion Zimmer Bradley's skill at writing her character, though. Gwenhwyfar, although annoying, at least is a character who comes alive for us enough to us readers can hate her so much.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] pagewings 19 years ago

That is a good point.

Did no one ever feel sorry for Gwenyfar? Not the least little bit? Sure, I hated her at points (most of the time) for her ridiculous piety, but I felt so bad for her and her barrenness, and for her love for Lancelet and for Arthur.

CC

[–] blissfullycomplicated200 18 years ago

I totally agree with you. The entire time I was reading the book, I wanted to cut her out of the entire thing. She was SOOO pious, yet saw no problem bedding Lancelet after her "rape" by her supposed brother. I don't know much about being attacked, but regardless of whether or not he saved her, I doubt many would bed him directly after the attack. She was weak, sniveling, and without a doubt the most irritating character ever written.

[–] maidenofvalinor 18 years ago

YES YES YES! how do you spell Guinevere? (Gwenhyfar?? I can't remember which spelling Bradley uses) B-I-T-C-H!!! That thing where she tricked Morgaine....ooohhhh! She deserved what she got from Morgause...AND WORSE! And Lancelot was most definitely too good for her. But she is cute and her actress was quite good.

Drink up, young man. It'll make the whole seduction part less repugnant. -Clementine

[–] SliverScreen 15 years ago

"yet saw no problem bedding Lancelet after her "rape" by her supposed brother. I don't know much about being attacked, but regardless of whether or not he saved her, I doubt many would bed him directly after the attack"

Whoa- I think her post-rape sex with Lancelet is the only time I felt she was partially justified. Rape is a terrible crime & victims have many different reactions to it- and sex with a safe partner (in order to feel comforted & loved & take your sexual power back) is a very common reaction to sexual abuse. Indeed, not all of us knows how we would react to rape until (goddess forbid) it ever happens to us. Also, in that situation, I don't think she had sex with him as a 'reward' for saving her, but as a survival mechanism at the time.

You were nothing before you met me. You were a Bluebird, a Brownie; you were a Girl Scout Cookie.

[–] loumcp 12 years ago

Agreed, utterly.

[–] wenwen200 18 years ago

I whole heartedly agree with you. The changing of the banner was completely horrible. She should have been put into a nunnery, or worse! I mean, as soon as her father died, Arthur should have taken on someone who would support his vow to Avalon. She started the series of events that brought Arthur down.

[–] sixpetite 18 years ago

the changing of the banner was so awful! it made me hate her AND arthur! argh!

[–] fish_dish 18 years ago

I read the book when i was in high school, and have encountered many people over the years who all share the same hatred of Gwen. One of the most amazing things about Mists of Avalon (the book, mind you) is the emotional relationship you have with the characters. They live with you during the reading of the book and long after, and theyre very VERY real. Once a friend of mine and I were reading the book at the same time, and we kept gossiping about the characters - "Can you believe that Morgause?" and "Poor Morgaine, never can..." - so much that our other friends felt left out. We told them to read the book and they would understand. A few of them did and promptly joined right in with the dish! Anyway, Mists is an amazing book, truly epic in scope and at the same time incredibly personal. I recommend it to everyone I know.

[–] Azna 18 years ago

In many cases of Arthuriana, Gwenhwyfar is a semi educated Christian girl. At the time of 500 (AD or CE) that was not much only training in the Book of Prayers and what the priests would want you to read. She was blinded by the doctine becase that is what many medieval Christians were at the time. It was not until the Reformation, when Christians (but still not many Catholics) could question their faith or for that matter even interperate the Scripture. She was spoonfeeding him the pre-Council of Trent (of for that matter Vatican II) nonsense that Catholics were force fed at the time. If they did not they would be a social parahia like Viviane and Morgaine. Plus Arthur was High King he could have rejected his wife's pleadings saying I have made a promise I will keep it. (Its just the same as putting all the pressure on Eve for the fall of man for Adam could have said no). As for the affair with Lancelot. That I do feel sorry for her and Lancelot. Chistian women at that time were chattel and she was being sold to Arthur ( at least in the book) along with the Round Table, and a Squadron of horses. She tryed to stay true to her duties but having no chioce over her husband she had no emotional connection to her husband, Arthur. Who would you choose the man that may be your soulmate or the one that your father chose for you, because it was your job?

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Black_Ruby 16 years ago

i agree with you azna.

i dont hate gwen, actually far from it

everybody on this board seems to say the same thing
i hate her, shes annoying, a hypocrite blah blah blah

ok, she did some bad things in the book
but who didnt?
thats why i love this book, because its so realistic
everyone has flaws

gwen had an affair with lancelet
but she loved him
and she loved arthur too, but not in the same way
who are we to judge her?
none of you can honestly say that if you were sold away by your father to a man you have never known, that you would love him forever and ever, and never look at another man, especially not the one you fell in love with as a young girl, before arthur even came onto the scene?
life doesnt work like that
its not like she ran around, sleeping with every male she saw, not caring about arthur

i think she is a very sympathetic character, one who represents many of us, in a time when every part of our lives would be dictated by a man, whether that is our father, brother, lover, or husband

we need to look beneath the surface

[–] Rowan222 16 years ago

i agree azna. shes a sad chacter too.

[–] onlyashes85 18 years ago

I don't hate Gwenhwyfar. She had her own motives and was just as determined as Morgaine, and both lost their convictions at one point or another. Arthur could have been as strong as Vivien thought him to be and stood up to her. The fates played just as much of a part in this story as well. Avalon would fall, reguardless of what happened.

I really think that you have to look beneath Gwenhwyfar's surface, before you can start saying that you hate her. She had her own convictions and beliefs, and actually she was far more likable then the ridiculous priests. I like her because she seemed to give a little bit as the book went on. The Gwen at the end is different then the Gwen at the beginning.

[–] Viviane-of-Darkness 17 years ago

I DO I DO I DO HATE HER!!! Sorry. In both book and movie she was thee most annoying character ever! The whole Arthur-Lancelot-Guinevere love triangle was making me sick during the movie.

[–] Agent_Pendergast 14 years ago

The whole Arthur-Lancelot-Guinevere love triangle was making me sick during the movie.

You can say that again, I was sick of Gwen with her self righteous attitude, sick of big headed Lance and sick of big forehead Arthur.

I just fast forward when the love triangle scene comes up, I also fast forward the part when Gwen asks Morgaine for help in getting that charm to make her pregnant.

I hated Gwen period

Forth, and fear no darkness!

[–] AcademyAwardWinningMe 17 years ago

She was a conflicted woman living in a very confusing time. I think she is the most human character in the novel and the film, and one of the more interesting, particularly in the movie. I thought Morton was heartbreaking in the film version!

"Don't lets ask for the moon... We have the stars"

[–] Sharen19 17 years ago

Guinevere is sooo annoying, I can't stand her!! Yet, I think it's better that way because it makes it more realistic, there is always someone that has to ruin everything. I pretty much blame her about everything that happens at the end of the book. And by the way, I didn't like the actress either.

[–] galatea-3 17 years ago

I found her to be nothing more than a sad caricature. She was such a hypocrite, not to mention a sanctimonious, selfish, close-minded wench.

Kudos to MZB for creating a character I truly hated. If I didn't love the book so darn much I'd toss it at the wall in frustration each time I read anything to do with poor little Gwennie.

[–] designsbyamy 17 years ago

i cant stand the actress who played her. she cant act to save her life. but she was perfect for the bitch gwen

[–] libgo-1 17 years ago

Well, I think that it is very cool of her to yell to Lancelot when Mordred had a knife to her throat, but she does have some really dumb lines. And I would certainly get pretty confused about my feelings if my husband asks me to have a threesome with the man I loved.

[–] cobbcl87 17 years ago

I ALWAYS hate the Guinevere character in Arthurian tales. Always. I don't generally like Lancelot either.

Bells, bells, bells-
To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

[–] sasuke50111 17 years ago

I never liked her either but like morgaine she brings everyone she loves to suffering in the end for no reason usually i mostly feel sorry for lancelet