The Continuations of Chrétien's Perceval: Content and Construction, Extension and Ending (Arthurian Studies)

The notion of -Continuation- in medieval literature is a familiar one - but difficult to define precisely. Despite the existence of important texts which are commonly referred to as -Continuations-, such as Le Roman de la Rose, Le Chevalier de la Charrette and, of course, the Perceval Continuations, the mechanics and processes involved in actually producing a -Continuation- have found themselves indistinguishable from those associated with other forms of medieval réécriture. The Perceval Continuations (composed c.1200-1230) constitute a vast body of material which incorporates four separately authored Continuations, each of which seeks to further, in some way, the unfinished Perceval of Chrétien de Troyes - though they are not merely responses to his work. Chronologically, they were composed one after the other, and the next in line picks up where the previous left off; they thus respond intertextually to each other as well as to Chrétien, and only one actually furnishes the story as a whole with an ending. Here, these fascinating texts are used as a lens for examining, defining and distinguishing the whole concept of a -Continuation- the author also employs theories as to what constitutes an -end- and what is -unfinished- alongside scrutiny of other medieval -ends- and -Continuations-.