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Lecture Notes
19 April 2015

15:16

Introduction to Malory's Morte Darthur / V Symons
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This was in the late 15th Century (1485)
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Because it is written in prose, it is implied that it is
non-fiction, and the language of English suggests this too
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29/09/14
English was only spoken by the masses, used in more local literary texts although the
language of law and nobility, etc
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However, there was a big rise in English in the 14th
Century
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There is also a conflict between whether Malory writes for public performance or private reading
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There are also drawings in versions of the text that further suggest that the prose is at least in part
for personal reading
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He also distanced himself from
noting that Malory was a prisoner
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This can be seen in Book VII
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Book 7 can therefore be seen to establish the
calm before the storm, with the reversal of the structural order in the eighth book
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It perhaps is a reference to the wheel of fortune; the common
belief that good follows bad and bad good, as attributed to Boethius, ultimately meaning
that we need to take what comes to us
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I
also have "reconciling reputation with truth" written in my notes
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24/11/14
Prominent motives for men to go on their quests
The tale of Sir Gareth is the archetypal tale of honour
Malory's Morte D'Arthur Page 1

The tale of Sir Gareth is the archetypal tale of honour
Guinevere:
- Knights prove their honour through addresses to women

Women often aligned with magic
- e
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Lancelot being recovered by Maid of Astolat, Book VII
Guinevere is imperious, impulsive and also jealous in her love of Lancelot
- Follows the archetypal capricity and fickleness
○ Keeps switching sides
 Behaves in the tradition of Fin'amor (courtly love)
- The woman's absolute power is to reject Lancelot, as she often does
○ Lancelot verbalises answering duty (642 8-9, XVIII
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L
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11
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But the
queen, irrationally jealous because of his long absence from her on the Grail Quest, banishes him
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There a knight is poisoned
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She goes to Launcelot's friend Bors, who agrees
to be her champion provided no better knight can be found; he then tells Launcelot, who comes to fight for her
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Nineve, the Lady of the Lake, reveals the true murderer, Sir Pinel,
who intended the apple for Gawain as vengeance for the murder of Lamerok
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18
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IV: The Knight of the Cart
- Source of Chretien de Troyes
- Lancelot deflects from the situation
○ Blames Mellyagaunce for going behind the curtain of her bed
○ Lancelot's lack of chivalry masked by chivalry
- Lancelot starts being clever in his phrasings
○ None of the ten knights (situational irony)

Malory's Morte D'Arthur Page 4

- Source of Chretien de Troyes
- Lancelot deflects from the situation
○ Blames Mellyagaunce for going behind the curtain of her bed
○ Lancelot's lack of chivalry masked by chivalry
- Lancelot starts being clever in his phrasings
○ None of the ten knights (situational irony)
○ Also warns him / threatens politely
○ Double standards
- Loyalty to the King normally goes above loyalty to women
- Mellyagaunt perhaps condemned for his love
- Guinevere actually guilty now
- Lancelot is superlative in the earthly world but not in the spiritual
VII
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I: Slander and Strife
- The beginning of the end
- Arthur as law giver gives judgement on Guinevere
- Gareth is a very perfect gentle knyght (Chaucer)

Seminar Prep

There seems to be a notable shift away from being an apologist for Lancelot, when defending Guinevere, for the security
of the round table to the acceptance that it has happened, spurred on by Gawain
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Moreover, Gawain's almost anaphoric exclamations of 'Alas!' show his shock and resignation the necessity of battle
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Lancelot's lies
on p688 shed / exacerbate ill favour, not admitting and therefore being disloyal

Lancelot suggests that he is conceding to Arthur honourably but this is not convincing as he maintains the lie and speaks
of his loyalty to Arthur as though it no longer is viewed as a façade
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While the tone is remorseful, it
is unconvincing and evidences Lancelot's failure to be loyal to his king
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Malory Seminar 3 / N Jones
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11
Lancelot finally defending Guinevere through words rather than arms
More inclined to forgive Gawain as she fades to the background
The Siege of Benwick (701-7)
Gawain appears to control Arthur with the view that if you've come this far, you might as well go on
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These books are greatly about perception; the
characters that view others may not see them as they are
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The people are new fongill,
which indicates the fickleness
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The individual becomes more important as the Round
Table falls apart
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He reconciles family in myn uncle too, knowing that only Lancelot has the potential to save Arthur
against Mordred
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The imagery of post-Fall says there's no
more chance of success
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Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain talks of Arthur
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'
Perfection only in the next life

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