There was a trend toward well-rounded, realistic characters during and throughout the Renaissance that arguably began with, or at least around the same time, the famous Le Morte D'Arthur by Thomas Malory. . Characters in older works of fiction were often unrealistic and one-dimensional. They were designed very specifically to reflect particular characteristics and lacked the flaws and intricate details of sophisticated, well-rounded characters. In the case of fabliau, a style of narration originating in France and found in flash in the works of Chaucer, the characters are deliberately absurd, caricatures of realistic personality traits. Malory, however, designed characters with obvious and realistic flaws. More than a century after Malory's work, Shakespeare would create some of the most famous characters in the history of fiction, characters popular because of their accurate portrayal of the human condition. The moral but flawed protagonists of Thomas Malory's Morte D'Arthur, such as King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, laid the foundation for a whole new era of fiction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the Middle Ages, knights were evaluated according to what is known as the “Chivalric Code.” The Chivalric Code was a long list of rules that dictated a knight's conduct on and off the battlefield. With rules such as "speak the truth at all times" and "fight for the welfare of all", it was essentially impossible to fully follow the chivalric code at all times ("Code of Knights of Chivalry"); therefore, the best knights were those who came closest. Even the famous and fictional King Arthur and Sir Lancelot were incapable of living up to the high moral standards of the Chivalric Code. However, their inability to behave perfectly makes them more compelling characters. King Arthur, for example, is a just and powerful ruler. He is very popular with his knights and subjects and conquers many lands. Arthur is also known for being honest, a quality that Lancelot seems to lack. Sir Bors says of Arthur: “…for no man has yet been able to prove that King Arthur had not kept his promise” (Malory XX.VI). These traits are the ones present in every retelling of the story of King Arthur, the ones for which he is known. Despite all his qualities, Arthur however has some fatal flaws. When Arthur becomes aware of Guinevere's infidelity, he is filled with rage. Malory writes: “These proofs and experiments led King Arthur to order the Queen to light it on fire” (Malory XX.VII). Without hesitation, he orders his wife to be burned. Gawain, his nephew and one of his best knights, advises Arthur to give more consideration to the judgment. “My Lord Arthur, I would advise you not to be too hasty, but to take a respite from this judgment of my Lady the Queen, for many reasons” (Malory XX.VII). The main reason he gives is that, even though Lancelot was indeed in the queen's chambers, no one saw him do anything unsavory. However, Arthur is not swayed and orders his wife burned despite his lack of evidence. Arthur's quest for revenge also extends to Lancelot. He says: “And if I can get Sir Launcelot, with you well, he will meet a shameful death” (Malory XX.VII). Once Arthur's most loyal knight, Lancelot is now his greatest rival. Finally, Arthur comes to his senses, as any righteous king would, and wishes to beforgive Lancelot and his wife. When overcome with sudden guilt, Arthur says, “Alas, I have always worn a crown on my head! For the moment, I have lost the finest fellowship of noble knights that ever united a Christian king” (Malory XX.IX). The king finally shows some remorse for breaking the bond shared by his Knights of the Round Table. In fact, it was Gawain who perpetuated Arthur's war against Lancelot. The text says that "...the noble King Arthur would have taken back his queen and been bestowed upon Sir Launcelot, but Sir Gawain would by no means have tolerated it" (Malory XX.XII). Seemingly incapable of holding a grudge, Arthur is willing to end his feud with Lancelot even though his affair with Guinevere was "one of the many destructive elements which hastened the fall of the Round Table" (MacBain 60). In this passage, Arthur redeems himself to some extent by displaying his great capacity for forgiveness. However, Arthur does not seem to show much concern for his wife at any point in the story. First, he threw her on the stake at the mere mention of an affair, then, in the middle of his quarrel with Lancelot, at the moment when he expresses his guilt, he remarks: "...much more, I am sorry for my good knights. loss only for the loss of my beautiful queen; for queens I might have had enough, but such comradeship of good knights will never be gathered in any company” (Malory XX.IX). Arthur sees his wife as replaceable, less important than his precious knights. This attitude is probably what drove Guinevere into Lancelot's arms in the first place. Malory does a great job creating a more realistic King Arthur, who retains all of his most famous qualities, but is also a little rough around the edges. The same can be said of Sir Lancelot. The famous knight retains his most well-known qualities, such as strength, combat prowess, and chivalry towards women. There are many mentions of Lancelot's strength. King Arthur states that "Sir Launcelot is a stout knight, and you all know that he is the best knight among us all...and I know of no knight who can equal him" (Malory XX.II). This statement proves true when Agravain and a small company of knights attempt to ambush him in the queen's chambers. The author writes that "...none of the twelve could resist a single buffet from Sir Launcelot" (Malory XX.IV). On other occasions Lancelot's characteristic quests are mentioned. When speaking to Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred in defense of Lancelot, Gawain references these same exploits, saying: "...you must remember how many times Sir Launcelot saved the king and queen...he saved me from King Carados of the Sorrowful Tower and killed him and saved my life. Moreover, brother Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred, in like manner did Sir Launcelot save you both, and sixty-two, from Sir Turquin” (Malory XX.I). The author also notes that "Sir Launcelot had done so many times for [King Arthur] and the Queen" (Malory XX.II). In her article “Disarming Lancelot,” Elizabeth Scala explains that “it is by his actions, by the extent to which he succeeds in armed battle, that Lancelot is known. But Malory also depicts scenes in which Lancelot is unarmed, which poses a significant challenge to his conception of Lancelot's identity” (Scala 1). Lancelot's strength and combat prowess are intact in Le Morte D'Arthur, but Malory also showcases the knight's lesser-known dark side. Although he is traditionally considered the poster child for chivalry, there are two particular passages in Le Morte. Of Arthur who demonstrate obvious contradictions in Lancelot's moral code. Therepremiere takes place in the queen's bedroom when Sir Agravaine, Sir Mordred and a group of twelve other knights catch Lancelot having sex with Guinevere. First, Lancelot violates the Chivalrous Code by lying about his affair with Guinevere. He does this several times throughout the book. When confronted by Sir Agravaine and the others, Lancelot calls through the door and declares that if they would let him state his case before King Arthur rather than kill him, he would: "...answer you as one should knight, that I came here. the queen for no kind of evil device, and this I will prove and I will make it good for you with my hands” (Malory XX.IV). In other words, he claims he's in the Queen's bedroom for some unsavory purpose. Then, feeling he has no other choice, Lancelot kills all the knights except Mordred, whom he wounds, and flees the castle. Before doing so, however, he made a speech to his lover, Lady Guinevere: Then he took the queen in his arms, kissed her, and said: Most noble Christian queen, I beseech you, as you have been all my good particular. madam, and I am still your true poor knight in my power, and as I have never let you down in good or bad, the first day that King Arthur knighted me, you will pray for my soul if I am here killed. (Malory XX, III) This scene is important to fully understand the nature of Lancelot's fatal flaw. Lancelot's eloquent speech to the woman he loves is phrased in such a way that it seems as if he is taking the high moral road; however, in the end, Lancelot kills thirteen knights who were simply carrying out the king's orders and whom he once considered friends. It is as if Lancelot emphasized the parts of the Chivalric Code that concern courtly love and the treatment of women, and ignored those that have to do with honor and honesty. As if Lancelot's merciless slaughter wasn't bad enough, in the next chapter Lancelot recounts the night's events to his nephew, Sir Bors, and a few others. He said: "I suppose it was done by treachery, but I dare to largely excuse his person, although I was there in anticipation of being almost killed, but as Jesus provided me, I escaped to all their wickedness and treachery” (Malory XX.V). Lancelot still refuses to admit his wrongdoing and even goes so far as to accuse Sir Agravaine and the others of committing treason by attempting to capture him. The second scene that exposes Lancelot's contradictions takes place when he saves Guinevere from the stake. Many knights have no choice but to protest Lancelot's mission and are therefore killed. “Then when Sir Launcelot had thus done, and slain and put to flight all that could resist him, then he went straight unto Lady Guenever, and made her a skirt and a robe to cast upon her; then he had her placed behind him and asked her to be in a good mood” (Malory XX.VIII). This passage is another perfect example of how Lancelot overemphasizes sections of the Chivalrous Code that concern courtly love and the proper treatment of women, and neglects those that refer to loyalty and honor . The description is almost humorous. Lancelot takes on dozens of knights who were once his comrades without hesitation, but goes out of his way to make sure Guinevere is comfortable on her horse. According to Danielle MacBain, “we can say that these actions introduce greater realism into the tale even if they darken Lancelot by showing him violating (rather brutally) the provisions of the Arthurian code” (MacBain 62). Malory pulls no punches when it comes to degrading his protagonists; however, Arthur and Lancelot eventually make amends for their actions 2015.