The
Morte Darthur
reveals yet more of Arthur's humanity and his heroism. His love for
his queen, Guinevere, is not quite the chivalrous relationship that
it seems. He dreads the confrontation with Lancelot over Lancelot's
affair with Guinevere and laments "much more I am sorrier for my good
knights' loss than for the loss of my fair queen; for queens I might
have enough, but such a fellowship of good knights shall never be together
in no company." His true love is for his knights and their fellowship.
He holds his kingship and love of his court over any personal love that
he may have. The death of Arthur is also both noble and flawed. The
flaw is that it comes about because of the evil machinations of Mordred,
Arthur's son with his half sister Morgana. This incestuous heritage
is the taint that leads to Arthur's downfall. Mordred seizes Britain
while Arthur is in France fighting Lancelot and Arthur must come back
to confront him. Their armies slaughter each other on the battlefield,
and a hundred thousand knights die. Afterwards, all that remain are
Arthur, Sir Lucan, Sir Bedivere and Mordred. Arthur, in an echo of the
Ubi sunt passage exclaims "where are all my noble knights become?" He
is heartbroken at the loss of his men. Sir Lucan advises him to let
Mordred go, but Arthur knows that the moment is at hand for a final
confrontation with his wicked son. He knows he will never have another
chance to face him one to one. Enraged, he runs Mordred through with
his spear, but Mordred, in his death throes, pulls his body up the length
of the spear to deliver a mortal blow to Arthur's head. The last scene
is of a dying Arthur being rowed away on a boat by the three queens. He tells
Sir Bedivere that he is going to Avalon. He dies nobly and with honor,
but his foe is his own son. Arthur truly has created his own destiny. Next