Transactional Analysis Journal

ISSN: 0362-1537 (Print) 2329-5244 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rtaj20

Sir Lancelot or the Beautiful Wife Game

Samuel N. Park Jr.

To cite this article: Samuel N. Park Jr. (1971) Sir Lancelot or the Beautiful Wife Game,
Transactional Analysis Journal, 1:2, 17-18

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1177/036215377100100206

Published online: 28 Dec 2017.

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Sf[rl~~ ,": PAPERS
SIR LANCELOT OR THE BEAUTIFUL WIFE GAME
SAMUEL N. PARK,
Beautiful women become accustomed
to much stroking and have more oppor-
tunities for physical intimacy than is
average.
With marriage, the amount of stroking
decreases though the desire for it at its
previous level goes on. It is not cultur-
ally syntonic for a woman to accept too
many strokes from men other than her
husband.
After marriage, the beautiful woman
is still subject to many attempts at
seduction which she may learn to parry
with Rapo, GYWP, etc., if she wishes.
Her husband is aware of the threats
and, if he is not sure of her fidelity, sets
up his own defenses to protect her. One
of these is the game Sir Lancelot noticed
at a social club.
The roles are:
KIN G: The husband, well-to-do
businessman, middle-aged.
QUEEN: His beautiful, middle-
aged wife.
SIR LANCELOT: Rich, educated,
socially prominent, president of a
large company, who never goes out
with girls.
THESIS: The King and Queen are
members of a social club and go to it
three or four times a week; it is the
Transactional Anal. J. 1:2, April 1971
se.
main, if not only, source of their social
life.
On the occasions when they are there,
Sir Lancelot is there too, but never with
another girl. He and the Queen supply
each other with much stroking, viz con-
versations, flirtatious glances, etc. In
fact, their relationship has alI the ap-
pearances of. a courtship. The King is
very aware that this is going on.
At one time, because the situation
was so strange and occasioned much
gossip, it caused the king to lose face
and he forced Sir Lancelot and the
Queen to stop. However, in a few
months he permitted it to start again,
indicating that the game had some im-
portant advantages for all players. Now
it is an accepted thing at the club, taken
for granted by all.
The motivation for this game was
pointed out by one of the cavaliers at
the club who, when referring to the
strange menage a trois, said, "It's OK
for him to make goo-goo eyes at her,
but let me or some other cavalier (sexu-
aIly-threatening male) start talking to
her and the King's right there!"
The King had wisely chosen a person
very frightened of intimacy as a buffer
against cuckolding, for while the Queen
was engaged with Sir LanceIot, she was
safe!
17
 SIR LANCELOT OR THE BEAUTIFUL WIFE GAME
The silent, unspoken contracts were:
(ULTERIOR)
King: If you keep the other cavaliers
away, you may flirt with her.
Sir Lancelot: I will as long as you don't
leave us alone.
Queen: I'll go along as long as you keep
assuring me that I'm beautiful and
desirable.
The payoff comes at the parting after
an evening together.
SOCIAL LEVEL
King, P, Queen, P.: Good night, Sir
Lancelot, it's been nice.
Sir Lanoelot, P: Good night, I enjoyed
the evening, see you soon.
PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL
King, C: Kiss off sucker, you see who
, Lancelot eventually led to the dissolu-
sleeps with her. (Thank's Sucker.)
S. L., C: All that making out, now home
alone again, Ain't It Awful, but thank
goodness! (If There Were Only
Other Girls Like Her.)
ANALYSIS
ROLES: King, Queen, Sir Lancelot,
Cavaliers
DYNAMICS: Phobias, intimacy, cuck-
olding, aging
AIM: Reassurance
SOCIAL LEVEL
PARADIGM:
King and Queen, P: Good evening,
Sir Lancelot, won't you join us?
S. L., P: Ies nice to see you, don't
mind if I do.
PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL
King, C: Join us so those other cava-
liers can't take her away.
S. L., C: I will if you don't leave us
alone.
Queen, C: I'll go along if you tell
me I'm beautiful.
18
MOVES:
Invitation, Acceptance, Parting.
ADVANTAGES:
Exp: Men and women can't be trusted
together (King)
Sex is wicked (S. L.)
Internal Psychological Advantages:
Avoid cuckolding (King).
External Psychological Advantages:
Avoid physical intimacy, (S. L.)
Internal Social Advantages:
External Social Advantages:
I could have him, girls! (Queen)
Biological Advantages:
Stroking, DBTSs
RELATIVES: Rapo #2 (3-way), NIGY-
SOB, AlA, Frigid Man
EPILOG:
The affair between Guinevere and Sir
tion of Camelot; however, according to
TA principles it is doubtful if the play-
ers will ever change the game though
they may tire of it. They will simply
find new players or some other script
adaptation.
This game was presented to PHITAS
in Philadelphia under the direction of
Fanita English on November 11, 1970.
It was agreed that it was a new game;
many other possibilities were discussed,
viz:
1. Many other internal psychological
advantages.
2. Other dynamic motivations, voyeur-
ism, homosexuality, etc.
3. As a three-headed game, the pos-
sibility of each player alternating
among roles, victim, rescuer, and
persecutor.
4. The possibility of other similar
games where an individual is used
to protecting others from threats to
their job, their social position, etc.
.5. The occurence of the game be-
tween two couples, with four play-
ers.
Transactional Anal. J. 1:2, April 1971