Sir Thomas Malory

Life

• Soldier

• Loyalist

• Rebel

• Criminal

• Fugitive

Life

• Born ~1403-1413

• 1445 Member of Parliament in Warwickshire

• 1462 Campaigned in Northumbria w/ Earl of Warwick

15th Century

• Wars of the Roses (1455-1487)– York (white rose)– Lancaster (red rose)– Over throne of England

• Earl of Warwick sided with Lancaster– Malory probably went with him

Imprisonment

• 1450-51 charged with– ambushing and attempted murder of Duke of

Buckingham– stealing from abbey of Blessed Mary of

Coombe– insulting the abbot– stole property and raped wife of Hugh Smyth– cattle raiding– extortion

Imprisonment

• Imprisoned 8 times– escaped on 27 July 1451– escaped in October, 1454

• Probably died in prison– 14 March 1471– wrote Le Morte d’Arthur in prison

Le Morte Darthur

• Printed by William Caxton in 1485

• Was only edition known until 20th century

• Winchester Manuscript discovered in 1934– seems to be closer to Malory’s text– illustrates Caxton’s edits

Winchester Manuscript

IN Arthurs dayes whan he helde þe Rounde table moste plenoure hit fortuned the kynge commaunded that þe hy3e feste of Pentecoste sholde be holden at a cite and a castell In tho dayes that was called Kynke Kenadonne vppon þe sondys þat marched ny3e walys

Caxton

Whan Arthur held his round table moost ple//nour/ it fortuned that he commaunded that thehyhe feest of Pentecost shold be holden at a cyte and a Castel the whiche in tho dayes wascalled kynke kenadonne vpon the sondes thatmarched nyghe walys

King Arthur And the Knights of the Round Table

Sir Thomas Malory

Sir Thomas Malory• Ca. 1405-1471• Arrested in 1451 for a variety of criminal acts

including brawling, escaping from prison, plundering the Abbey of Combe, extorting money, and committing rape.

• Strong evidence exists, then, that the book from which Arthurian legends were passed to the world was written in prison by a man whose violent career is at odds with the chivalric ideals he professes.

Morte Darthur• The title given by printer William Caxton to Sir

Thomas Malory’s work about the legendary King Arthur

• Described in the preface as “the noble histories of King Arthur and of certain of his knights.”

• Translated by Malory from a series of long prose romances in French.

• Although somewhat historical, the Arthurian world is strictly fiction.

• Malory’s style is terse and direct; he and his characters are masters of understatement.

• Although professedly dedicated to the service of women, Malory’s chivalry is primarily devoted to the fellowship and competitions of aristocratic men.

• A code of honor is cherished in which men win or lose “worship” through their actions in war or love. (Lancelot)

Background• The volume

begins with the mythical story of Arthur’s birth.

• The majority of the work records the separate adventures of the knights of the Round Table.

• The volume ends with the destruction of the Round Table and the deaths of Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot.

• Malory loves the idea of chivalry, yet Lancelot’s “worship” is compromised by his fatal liaison with Arthur’s queen. He is then torn between his loyalties to Arthur, as his king, and his lady.

Sources

• Alliterative Morte Arthur (14th c)– Tale of King Arthur

• Various French works– prose Arthurian cycle (including Lancelot)

• Stanzaic Morte Arthur