The Poem.
The Lady of the Lake is an excellent example of the minor epic. Corresponding to the “Arms and the man I sing,” of the Æneid, and the invocation to the Muse, are the statement of the theme, “Knighthood’s dauntless deed and Beauty’s matchless eye,” and the invocation to the Harp of the North, in the opening stanzas. For the heroes, descendants of the gods, of the great epic, we have a king, the chieftain of a great clan, an outlaw earl and his daughter, characters less elevated than those of the great epic, but still important. The element of the supernatural brought in by the gods and goddesses of the epic is here supplied by the minstrel, Brian the priest, and the harp. The interest of the poem lies in the incidents as with the epic. The romantic story of Ellen and Malcolm, however, lies quite outside the realm of the great epic, which is concerned with the fate of a state or body of people rather than with that of an individual.
The Plot.
There are two threads to the story, one concerned with the love story of Ellen and Malcolm, the main plot; and one with Roderick and his clan against the King, the minor plot. The connection between them is very slight, the story of Ellen could have been told almost without the other, but the struggle of the Clan makes a fine background for the love story of Ellen and Malcolm. The plot is an excellent one for the beginner to study as the structure is so evident. The following is a simple outline of the main incidents of the story.
I. The complication:
1. The coming of the stranger, later supposed by Roderick to be a spy of the King.
2. The return of Douglas, guided by Malcolm, an act which brings Malcolm under the displeasure of the King.
3. Roderick’s proposal for Ellen’s hand in order to avert the danger threatening Ellen and Douglas because of the recognition of the latter by the King’s men.
4. The rejection of the proposal, leading to the withdrawal of Ellen and her father to Coir-Uriskin and the departure of Douglas to the court to save Roderick and Malcolm.
5. The preparations for war made by Roderick, including the sending of the Fiery Cross, and the Taghairm.