Notable Works of Thomas Malory

Guinevere, King Arthur and his Knights, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

GUINEVERE

Le Morte d’Arthur tells the story of King Arthur and his Knights at the Round Table. Arthur, who is son of
King Uther Pendragon but was raised by another family, takes his rightful place as king when, as a boy,
he is able to pull the sword called Excalibur from the stone. Although he rules wisely and is counseled by
Merlin the magician, Arthur makes enemies of other kings and is often at war.

When Arthur marries Genevere, her father gives Arthur the Round Table, at which 150 men can sit.
Genevere, who is often present at the convening of the Round Table, acts as a moral compass for the
knights, rewarding knights who behave well and chastising those who choose poorly. Malory specifically
relates the stories of Sir Gawain, Sir Tor, and Sir Pellanor as a means of introducing the concept of
chivalry.

Arthur is nearly betrayed by his sister Morgan le Fay, but he is helped by Nineve, a sorceress who
learned her magic powers from Merlin before killing him. Arthur then fights the Romans when Emperor
Lucius of Rome demands that Arthur bow to him. Although the war requires several battles, Arthur and
his knights win and return to Guinevere and the other wives. Soon after, Launcelot establishes himself as
the greatest knight in all the world by his virtue, loyalty, and bravery. At the same time, Sir Gareth,
Gawain’s brother, proves valiant in his adventures.Tristam (also known as Tristan), who is son of King
Melyodas de Lyones and the sister of King Mark of Cornwall, is then introduced, and his adventures
unfold. He kills Sir Marhault to free his uncle from a debt owed to King Angwyssh of Ireland, and then
falls in love with Isode (also known as Isolde), Angwyssh’s daughter. Isode marries Tristam’s uncle Mark,
but Tristam and Isode remain lovers. Tristam is exiled by Mark, which means he can no longer use his
true identity; thus, he fights as The Knight with the Black Shield. Tristam duels and beats many of
Arthur’s knights, but is eventually thrown in prison and becomes ill. He escapes and eventually meets
and fights Launcelot in a duel predicted by Merlin. They become the best of friends.

Launcelot, who is in love with and completely loyal to Guinevere, rides one day in search of adventure.
He kills a dragon, sees the Grail, and is tricked into lying with Pellas’ daughter Elayne, with whom he has
a son, Galahad. Guinevere, upon hearing of the affair, has Launcelot banished from court; Launcelot
then wanders from place to place in his grief. Elayne, through her father, heals Launcelot through the
Grail, and he eventually returns joyously to Camelot and the Round Table.Launcelot introduces his son,
Galahad, to the court, and Galahad takes the Sege Perilous, the seat at the Round Table that no knight
has been worthy enough to fill. Galahad also draws the sword from the floating stone, establishing him
as the best knight in the world, but also accepting the sword’s curse — that it will later cause a grievous
wound.

Most of the knights then set out separately on Grail Quest. During the Quest, Launcelot, Percival, and
Bors experience deep religious conversion, while Ector and Gawain are told by a hermit that they are
not pure enough to achieve the Grail Quest. Galahad, Percival, and Bors meet up and continue the Grail
Quest, but they are briefly parted. Launcelot and Galahad continue to the Grail at Castle Corbenic,
where Launcelot is shown to be unworthy of the Quest. When Sir Evelake dies after his embrace with
Galahad, Galahad is identified as the knight who will achieve the Grail Quest. Galahad is made a king
who dies shortly thereafter, while Percival becomes a hermit. Bors returns to King Arthur’s court.

Launcelot also returns to the court and continues his love for Guinevere. After a series of trials,
Guinevere is convinced of Launcelot’s love for her. Although Arthur knows of the affair and overlooks it,
he is prompted by Aggravain and Mordred (Arthur’s son by Lot’s wife) to take action; Guinevere is
sentenced to be burned at the stake. Launcelot rescues her and takes her to his castle, Joyous Gard, but
in the battle, Launcelot kills Gareth and Gaheris, who are at the execution but are unarmed. Launcelot
returns Guinevere to Arthur, but Launcelot is banished, along with his followers. Gawain swears
vengeance for the death of his brothers and insists that Arthur attack Launcelot. Arthur agrees, but
while Arthur and Gawain are away, Mordred makes himself King of England, claims Guinevere as his
wife, and attacks Arthur’s army. Gawain is mortally wounded and warns Arthur in a dream not to
continue the battle. Through a misunderstanding, however, the battle continues; Arthur kills Mordred
but is mortally wounded by him, as Merlin has prophesied.

Launcelot and Guinevere both die of illness soon after, and Constantine becomes king. The Round Table
is disbursed.

KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is divided into four books, each following a different era
of King Arthur’s reign. Book 1, “The Coming of Arthur,” tells how Arthur became king and united Britain.
After being raised in secret, the young Arthur miraculously pulls a sword from an anvil, which declares
he is the rightful king. Arthur gathers followers and receives the sword Excalibur and its magical
scabbard from Avalon, which the wizard Merlin prophesizes will help him create the godly realm of
Logres. One of Arthur’s knights, Balyn, has a series of tragic adventures after keeping a cursed sword.
Balyn strikes the Dolorous Stroke, cursing King Pelles and his Castle Carbonek but creating the conditions
for the Holy Grail to come to Camelot in the future.

Arthur defeats his evil opposition and banishes the Saxons. He marries Queen Guinevere, and Merlin
gifts them the Round Table, foretelling the great deeds of the knights still to arrive. To inaugurate the
Round Table, Arthur sends three new knights on quests. Gawain, Pellinore, and Tor all confront or
succumb to rash behaviors, which lead to disastrous ends. Arthur and Merlin create the Order of
Chivalry so the knights will behave properly on future adventures. Merlin leaves to sleep until he is
needed in the far future, and the magical Lady Nimue takes his place. Arthur’s sister, Morgana le Fay,
concocts a plan to kill Arthur, but Arthur proves his bravery and diplomacy in the trap instead. Morgana
steals the magic scabbard and flees, always plotting to hurt Logres. Book 2, “The Knights of the Round
Table,” details the coming of Arthur’s most famous knights to Camelot and the various quests that prove
their worthiness. Gawain plays a beheading game with the mysterious Green Knight to right his prior
wrongs. He follows the enchanted man into the wilderness and to his castle where his queen
unsuccessfully tempts Gawain to betray his knightly oaths. Gawain’s courtesy is later tested again by the
monstrous Lady Ragnell, but Gawain breaks her curse of “ugliness” through his kindness. Launcelot next
arrives to perform many brave feats, gaining fame across the country as the strongest knight in Logres.
Book 2 then tells the individual tales of Gareth, Tristram, and Geraint’s deeds. Gareth, keeping his noble
lineage a secret, takes a quest to save a woman, much to the distress of the woman’s prejudiced sister.
Gareth proves his valor doesn’t come from his noble name in many valiant battles, and he marries the
Lady Linnet. Geraint, a squire, similarly proves his bravery to his love Enid through a quest, and his
defeat of the evil Sir Oringle wins him his knighthood. Tristram arrives as a minstrel, singing the tale of
his tragic love for Iseult the Fair. Tristram fought dragons and evil knights in Ireland to win her hand for
King Mark but accidentally drank a potion and fell in love with her instead. Arthur invites Tristram to his
Round Table where he stays for many years before dying of a poisoned heart. Gawain’s son Percivale,
after being raised in the forest, next comes to Arthur’s court. On his quest, he finds his love Blanchefleur
and sees the procession of the Holy Grail at Castle Carbonek. Percivale leaves in haste and loses both the
lady and Grail, but he receives honor at the Round Table. Launcelot later comes to Carbonek himself and
also sees the Grail. King Pelles’s daughter, Elaine, enchants herself to appear as Queen Guinevere,
tricking Launcelot into marrying her and having a child with her. This affects Launcelot’s mental state,
but he eventually returns to Camelot when Naciens the Divine Hermit heals him with the Grail.

In Book 3, “The Quest of the Holy Grail,” Launcelot and Elaine’s son Galahad arrives at Camelot and
completes the Round Table. The Holy Grail appears to bless the court and swiftly disappears, exciting the
knights to set out in search of it. Galahad, Bors, and Percivale all face trials of their virtue and faith;
when they prove worthy, they board the Enchanted Ship that takes them to Carbonek. Launcelot
confesses his sins and also boards the ship, but a minor quest separates him from the group. Gawain
and Launcelot find their way to Carbonek before the others, and the Grail appears, but neither Gawain
nor Launcelot can drink from the vessel—Gawain because he is early and Launcelot because of his sins.
Galahad, Bors, and Percivale later arrive, and Galahad undoes King Pelles’s curse. Galahad dies and
ascends to heaven, Percivale rules Carbonek with Blanchefleur, and Bors returns with Launcelot and
Gawain to tell their story. Logres descends into chaos in Book 4, “The Departing of Arthur.” Launcelot
and Guinevere’s secret affair develops after Launcelot saves the queen from an evil knight. Mordred
confronts the lovers publicly, forcing Launcelot to fight, flee, and save Guinevere from execution. Arthur
goes to war with Launcelot because of Gawain’s need for revenge, as Launcelot killed his unarmed
brothers while saving the queen. The knights find temporary peace, but Gawain and his followers force
Arthur to follow Launcelot to France. Launcelot fatally wounds Gawain before Arthur’s army returns to
Britain to battle Mordred, who usurped Arthur’s crown in his absence.

Arthur and Mordred’s armies fight to the last man, and each leader fatally wounds the other. Arthur’s
final followers bring him to the lake where he received Excalibur, and a boat awaits to bring him to
Avalon. Launcelot and Guinevere spend the rest of their days in prayer, and the kingdom of Logres falls
into darkness. The citizens of Britain keep Arthur and his knights’ legend alive, waiting for the sleeping
king to return to restore Logres once more.

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT

During a New Year’s Eve feast at King Arthur’s court, a strange figure, referred to only as the Green
Knight, pays the court an unexpected visit. He challenges the group’s leader or any other brave
representative to a game. The Green Knight says that he will allow whomever accepts the challenge to
strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger find him in exactly one year to receive
a blow in return.
Stunned, Arthur hesitates to respond, but when the Green Knight mocks Arthur’s silence, the king steps
forward to take the challenge. As soon as Arthur grips the Green Knight’s axe, Sir Gawain leaps up and
asks to take the challenge himself. He takes hold of the axe and, in one deadly blow, cuts off the knight’s
head. To the amazement of the court, the now-headless Green Knight picks up his severed head. Before
riding away, the head reiterates the terms of the pact, reminding the young Gawain to seek him in a
year and a day at the Green Chapel. After the Green Knight leaves, the company goes back to its festival,
but Gawain is uneasy.Time passes, and autumn arrives. On the Day of All Saints, Gawain prepares to
leave Camelot and find the Green Knight. He puts on his best armor, mounts his horse, Gringolet, and
starts off toward North Wales, traveling through the wilderness of northwest Britain. Gawain encounters
all sorts of beasts, suffers from hunger and cold, and grows more desperate as the days pass. On
Christmas Day, he prays to find a place to hear Mass, then looks up to see a castle shimmering in the
distance. The lord of the castle welcomes Gawain warmly, introducing him to his lady and to the old
woman who sits beside her. For sport, the host (whose name is later revealed to be Bertilak) strikes a
deal with Gawain: the host will go out hunting with his men every day, and when he returns in the
evening, he will exchange his winnings for anything Gawain has managed to acquire by staying behind at
the castle. Gawain happily agrees to the pact, and goes to bed.

The first day, the lord hunts a herd of does, while Gawain sleeps late in his bedchambers. On the
morning of the first day, the lord’s wife sneaks into Gawain’s chambers and attempts to seduce him.
Gawain puts her off, but before she leaves she steals one kiss from him. That evening, when the host
gives Gawain the venison he has captured, Gawain kisses him, since he has won one kiss from the lady.
The second day, the lord hunts a wild boar. The lady again enters Gawain’s chambers, and this time she
kisses Gawain twice. That evening Gawain gives the host the two kisses in exchange for the boar’s
head.The third day, the lord hunts a fox, and the lady kisses Gawain three times. She also asks him for a
love token, such as a ring or a glove. Gawain refuses to give her anything and refuses to take anything
from her, until the lady mentions her girdle. The green silk girdle she wears around her waist is no
ordinary piece of cloth, the lady claims, but possesses the magical ability to protect the person who
wears it from death. Intrigued, Gawain accepts the cloth, but when it comes time to exchange his
winnings with the host, Gawain gives the three kisses but does not mention the lady’s green girdle. The
host gives Gawain the fox skin he won that day, and they all go to bed happy, but weighed down with
the fact that Gawain must leave for the Green Chapel the following morning to find the Green Knight.

New Year’s Day arrives, and Gawain dons his armor, including the girdle, then sets off with Gringolet to
seek the Green Knight. A guide accompanies him out of the estate grounds. When they reach the border
of the forest, the guide promises not to tell anyone if Gawain decides to give up the quest. Gawain
refuses, determined to meet his fate head-on. Eventually, he comes to a kind of crevice in a rock, visible
through the tall grasses. He hears the whirring of a grindstone, confirming his suspicion that this strange
cavern is in fact the Green Chapel. Gawain calls out, and the Green Knight emerges to greet him. Intent
on fulfilling the terms of the contract, Gawain presents his neck to the Green Knight, who proceeds to
feign two blows. On the third feint, the Green Knight nicks Gawain’s neck, barely drawing blood.
Angered, Gawain shouts that their contract has been met, but the Green Knight merely laughs.The
Green Knight reveals his name, Bertilak, and explains that he is the lord of the castle where Gawain
recently stayed. Because Gawain did not honestly exchange all of his winnings on the third day, Bertilak
drew blood on his third blow. Nevertheless, Gawain has proven himself a worthy knight, without equal
in all the land. When Gawain questions Bertilak further, Bertilak explains that the old woman at the
castle is really Morgan le Fay, Gawain’s aunt and King Arthur’s half sister. She sent the Green Knight on
his original errand and used her magic to change Bertilak’s appearance. Relieved to be alive but
extremely guilty about his sinful failure to tell the whole truth, Gawain wears the girdle on his arm as a
reminder of his own failure. He returns to Arthur’s court, where all the knights join Gawain, wearing
girdles on their arms to show their support.