Sir Thomas Malory: The Beauty in Le Morte Darther

Imagine a handsome and godly knight leaping off his noble steed to sweep a fair maiden up off her feet after a courageous act of heroism. The wistful image of an honorable knight and beautiful maiden has enchanted the romantic hearts of readers for centuries. The tales of King Arthur and the round table continue to entrance readers through the timeless tales of romance, chivalry, and knighthood. Perhaps one of the best-known comprehensive works of these tales is Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darther. This complex and masterfully written work tells the stories of Arthur’s court and the inevitable fall of Camelot. Malory reveals his genius through his construction of complex characters in the Morte, such as Lancelot and Guinevere. The depictions of these characters allow Malory to teach readers key concepts about what it means to be human and live virtuously in the eyes of God.

Malory lays the groundwork in the Morte for the revelation of truth in the conclusion of his story; he teaches readers about the sinfulness of humanity and mystery of the human mind. Malory emphasizes the fall of humanity while also revealing that some actions humans make cannot be fully explained. In one part of the Morte, Malory recounts a conversation between a hermit and Lancelot; the hermit tells Lancelot, “Now I have warned thee of thy vain glory and of thy pride, that thou hast many times erred against thy Maker. Beware of everlasting pain, for of all earthly knights I have most pity of thee, for I know well thou hast not thy peer on any earthy sinful man” (569-570). The hermit explains to Lancelot that he has disobeyed God through idolizing earthly glory. Lancelot considers himself to be the greatest of Arthur’s knights, allowing his own pride to consume him and blind him from his own faults. Lancelot’s separation from God is evident in his glorification of on his own strength, prowess, and achievement. In this way Lancelot can be compared to humanity itself; humans have been separated from God because of their own sinful desires. Malory also reveals the complexity of the human mind and its tendency to make decisions that have no explanation. Lancelot’s chooses to give himself over to his desire for Guinevere despite his strict adherence to the code of chivalry; his duplicity to betray not only his loyalty to his king, but also the laws of chivalry upon which Camelot has been built, reveal the hypocrisy of his decision to love Guinevere no matter the repercussions. However, through both Lancelot and Guinevere’s fall in morality, the beauty of their repentance is that much more perfected and significant to their story. Janet Jesmok, author for the journal Arthuriana, explains the significance of Guinevere’s repentance: “Abandoning the fruits of her sin, she banishes Lancelot for the last time, asking only for his prayers. Her words resonate with deep feeling and wisdom. No one in the Morte demonstrates a more profound understanding of Christian belief than Guinevere. Malory uses the queen as a model for other characters and as a catalyst for Lancelot’s conversion” (39). Malory displays Guinevere as a character whose purity has been marred by adultery; however, Malory does not condone her sinful desire. Guinevere can regain her purity in the eyes of God through her repentance, redemption, and resistance to further temptation. Both Lancelot and Guinevere’s repentance reveals the genius of Malory’s Morte; their story resonates with the hearts of readers because it reveals unfiltered truth about humanity that people can relate to.

Not only does Malory reveal the truth of sin and repentance, but he also unveils the truth behind human relationships and the influence of the love’s power. Love and desire play key roles in Arthurian legend, including the Morte. He reveals that, although society has demonized desire, desire is not inherently evil. Desire precedes love and self-sacrifice, which are arguably the most beautiful aspects of what it means to be human. Malory states, “For there was never worshipful man or worshipful woman, but they loved one better than another; and worship in arms may never be foiled, but first reserve the honour to God, and secondly the quarrel must come of thy lady: and such love I call virtuous love” (665). Malory explains that virtuous love consists of loving God first and man second. One who loves rightly, according to Malory, prioritizes his or her relationship with God before any earthly love relationship. Here Malory reveals the beauty of the human condition: the capacity for unselfish, fulfilling love that triumphs over all hardship. Jesus’ unselfish, sacrificial love to die for the sins of humanity is the role model for human love relationships; humans have been created with the desire to love and to be loved. Without man’s desire for companionship, there would be no love. In this way, desire is not only beautiful, but it is mandatory in the achievement of selfless action. This concept of selflessness can be seen when King Arthur battles Sir Accolon, stating, “For I have promised to do the battle to the uttermost, by the faith of my body, while me lasteth the life, and therefore I had liefer to die with honour than to live with shame; and if it were possible for me to die an hundred times, I had liefer to die so oft than yield me to thee; for though I lack weapon, I shall lack no worship, and if thou slay me weaponless that shall be thy shame” (97-98). This quote, perhaps some of the most memorable lines from King Arthur, demonstrates the self-sacrificial nature of the chivalric code of honor the knights of the round table live by. Honorable and moral action, which the code of chivalry emphasizes, stems from a powerful desire to obey and love God. However, this code is meaningless if the heart choice to obey God is not the root motivation in following this code. One can observe how the power of love and desire motivated the knights of the round table to formulate the honorable code of chivalry, which is based on selfless action; Malory illuminates the beauty to be found in the human condition and what makes life worth living.

Malory utilizes the imperfections of characters to perfect the grand scheme of his story and the truths about humanity he strives to reveal; the groundwork he lays to display the depravity of the human heart allows him to elevate the human capability for redemption through both love and self-sacrifice. Lancelot’s pride and selfishness is unearthed, uncovering the sinfulness of the human heart. However, there would be no triumph without adversity. The darkness of adultery that Lancelot and Guinevere have fallen into ultimately destroys Camelot; Malory demonstrates that living in sin has devastating consequences, but repentance is key to redemption. Malory also describes what it means to love virtuously: loving God first and man second. The power of virtuous love inspires selfless action, such as the code of chivalry, which reveals the goodness that humans are capable of. Malory uncovers what it means to live a full and honorable life: loving others with the same sacrificial love Jesus demonstrated for humanity. Le Morte Darther is a beautiful work that will continue to live on in the hearts of readers because the story does not just scratch the surface of human understanding like many others do; it uncovers universal truth that allows one to dig deep into his own spirit, learning to understand himself better in the process.

Works Cited

J esmok, Janet. “Guiding Lights: Feminine Judgment and Wisdom in Malory’s ‘Morte Darthur.’” Arthuriana, vol. 19, no. 3, Scriptorium Press, 2009, pp. 34–42, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27870973.

Malory, Thomas. Le Morte D’Arthur: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Kindle ed. Canterbury Classics, 2015.