Michael “Ben” Burton Morte Darthur

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Response #4

After reading about the downfall of King Arthur’s realm in “Le Morte d’Arthur” or “The Death of

Arthur,” I’m compelled to purchase and read the 1008 page Norton Critical Edition by Sir Thomas

Malory (original title: “The Whole Book of King Arthur and His Noble Knights of the Round Table”).

The books, movies, and comic book stories I enjoyed growing up were derived from this 1485 first

major work of prose fiction in English.

As I was reading the first paragraph I experienced a sense of dark foreboding. It felt as if I was being

led into a negative ending. I think Sir Malory has a strong writing style due to his word choice.

“Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred had ever a privy (secret) hate unto the Queen,Dame Guinevere, and

to Sir Lancelot, and daily and nightly they ever watched upon Sir Lancelot.” (Malory 339).

The negative themes in the text include: vengeance, disloyalty, death, and malevolence.

The positive themes in the text include: honor, faith, devotion, and trust.

The narrative builds itself up by increasing its intense violence all of the way not stopping until the

conclusion. In my opinion, these are the most important events that drive the story:

1) Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred are warned by Sir Gawain that if they tell King Arthur about Queen

Guinevere and Sir Lancelot’s affair they will start a war. He also points out that Sir Lancelot always

rescues anybody that is in trouble. Regardless, Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred inform King Arthur about

Queen Guinevere’s adulterous infidelity and Sir Lancelot’s disloyalty and betrayal. King Arthur wants

to have some proof and so they set up a trap.

2) Sir Lancelot is in the Queen’s chamber when the King is out and Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred

show up accompanied with 12 knights. Sir Lancelot kills all of the knights and Sir Agravaine, and he
also wounds Sir Mordred who then runs off. When King Arthur comes back and hears the news, he

decides to charge Sir Lancelot with treason and to execute his wife. Sir Lancelot rescues Queen

Guinevere, kills 40 knights, and accidently kills Sir Gareth and Sir Gaheris (Sir Gawain’s brothers).

Sir Gawain promises to King Arthur that he will kill Sir Lancelot to avenge his brother’s deaths.

“For I promise unto God,” said Sir Gawain, “for the death of my brother Sir Gareth I shall seek

Sir Lancelot throughout seven kings’ realms, but I shall slay him, other else he shall slay me.”

(Malory 347)

3) King Arthur and Sir Gawain gather up friends, knights, dukes, and earls. After telling them that

Sir Lancelot took Queen Guinevere away they leave England to invade Sir Lancelot’s territory in

France. Sir Gawain challenges Sir Lancelot to one-on-one combat two different times and he ends up

dying from his wounds.

4) Sir Mordred left to rule in his father’s (King Arthur) absence forges papers claiming the King died

in battle. Sir Mordred is then declared the king of England. King Arthur returns with his forces from

France. Sir Gawaine’s ghost warns King Arthur in a dream to postpone the upcoming battle, for he will

die if he battles Sir Mordred. A treaty was signed but a misunderstanding causes the war to start back

up. When the battle ends it’s almost night-time and except for two knights all of King Arthur’s men are

dead. Mad with rage, King Arthur runs at Sir Mordred and thrusts his spear through his son’s body. Sir

Mordred’s sword hits the side of his father’s head before he falls down dead.

Excalibur (the magic sword) is returned to the Lady of the Lake. Three queens on a barge, wearing

black hoods, take King Arthur to Avilion to heal his head injury. Queen Guinevere becomes a nun and

Sir Lancelot joins the priesthood. Years later, when Queen Guinevere dies, Sir Lancelot buries her body

next to King Arthur’s. Sir Lancelot refuses food and water and he dies overtime.
 Works Cited

Malory, Sir Thomas. “Morte Darthur.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature

Vol. 1. edited by James Simpson. Publisher WW Norton & Co. 2019. Pages 339-357