In this romantic tale, the valiant knight Lancelot must rescue Queen Guinevere because others have failed to do so. He observes her being abducted and realizes that he must take the initiative. Overcome by love for the beautiful queen, Lancelot is also motivated by the depth of his feelings. According to the codes of chivalry to which knights adhered, helping women out of danger and true love were both sufficient reasons for undertaking an arduous task. Lancelot faces numerous obstacles in fulfilling his mission.

Before Lancelot enters the story, Queen Guinevere has been sent into the woods as part of a political deal that her husband, King Arthur, has made with a strange knight who later turns out to be the villainous Meleagant. Arthur is given the opportunity to retrieve his imprisoned subjects by placing Guinevere at the center of a battle between knights. Sir Kay, the first knight who volunteers to fight for her, does not succeed. Fearing that this might occur, Sir Gawain had also ridden into the woods. Finding that a strange but noble knight has already undertaken to rescue the queen, he supports this unknown hero by giving him a horse. Thus Lancelot’s honorable character is established. Just seeing the queen was enough to make Lancelot fall deeply in love, and that was ample reason to place himself in her service.