Adultery in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur
Malory handles the theme of adultery in Le Morte d'Arthur as a function of his typology of knighthood. Each type—Heroic, Worshipful and True—has a different understanding of what constitutes knightly honor and has a correspondingly different attitude toward the commission and punishment of adultery.
Knighthood in the Morte Darthur
Part 1 The high order of knighthood: late medieval views of knighthood the office of kingship the office of king's knights. Part 2 A typology of knoghthood: Gawain, Tor and Pellinor Gawain, Marhalt and Ywain the literary ancestry of Malory's three types. Part 3 True knighthood: Lancelot and Gawain - King Arthur's Warriors Lancelot and Galahad - potential Grail knights Lancelot and Gareth - the courtly option. Part 4 Worshipful knighthood Tristram and Arthur - the courtiers and the prince Lancelot and Palomides - lovers and knights-errant Lamorak and Gawain - rivals for worship who may see the Grail? - the testing of worshipful knighthood. Part 5 Happy and unhappy knights: Balin's "Unhappy Sword" and the heroic code of vengeance "happynesse" and "unhappynesse" "Lancelot Other Ellis Galahad" - the quest for "happynesses". Part 6 Standing with "true justyce": Lancelot versus Mador de la Porte Lancelot versus Mellyaguant Lancelot versus Gawain. Part 7 Malory's "hoole book" and the death of Arthur.
Malory's Lancelot: "Trewest Lover, of a Synful Man"
Dans Le Morte Darthur, M. a transforme l'amant "courtois" du XIII s. francais en un veritable amant que le public anglais du XV s. pouvait reconnaitre et admirer comme etant "l'amant sincere, le pecheur, qui toujours aima les femmes". Dans les differentes etapes de l'evolution amoureuse de son heros il suggere que la fidelite de son heros a la reine est analogue a la fidelite dans le mariage et trouvera son expression finale dans le mariage.