Le Morte d’Arthur

by

Sir Thomas Malory

King Arthur Character Analysis

The son of Uther and Igraine, and raised by Sir Ector, Arthur was always destined to pull an enchanted sword (Excalibur) out of the stone and prove his worthiness to be king. Arthur becomes one of the kingdom’s youngest kings, though he quickly establishes himself in military prowess and conquers many lands. Arthur considers loyalty a virtue almost above all else, and is often willing to grant mercy to knights who swear allegiance to him. Throughout the book, Arthur often seems to be acting not entirely of his own will, but rather to be following steps laid out for him long ago by fate or by the requirements of his position. In the later books, he is even more of a passive character, partly because his knights take turns in proving their own honor and prowess, and partly because he is cuckolded by Launcelot through his affair with Arthur’s wife, Queen Guenever.

King Arthur Quotes in Le Morte d’Arthur

The Le Morte d’Arthur quotes below are all either spoken by King Arthur or refer to King Arthur. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Honor and Chivalry Theme Icon
).
Book 1 Quotes

And when matins and the first mass was done, there was seen in the churchyard, against the high altar, a great stone four square, like unto a marble stone; and in midst thereof was like an anvil of steel a foot on high, and therein stuck a fair sword naked by the point, and letters there were written in gold about the sword that said thus:— Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England.

Related Characters: King Arthur
Related Symbols: Excalibur
Page Number: Vol 1, 16
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 4 Quotes

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 that 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.

Related Characters: King Arthur (speaker), Sir Accolon of Gaul
Page Number: Vol 1, 132
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 5 Quotes

Then the king wept, and dried his eyes with a kerchief, and said, Your courage had near-hand destroyed you, for though ye had returned again, ye had lost no worship; for I call it folly, knights to abide when they be overmatched. Nay, said Launcelot and the other, for once shamed may never be recovered.

Related Characters: King Arthur (speaker), Sir Launcelot du Lake (speaker)
Page Number: Vol 1, 180
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 7 Quotes

I took none heed to your words, for the more ye said the more ye angered me, and my wrath I wrecked upon them that I had do withal. And therefore all the missaying that ye missaid me furthered me in my battle, and caused me to think to show and prove myself at the end what I was; for peradventure though I had meat in King Arthur’s kitchen, yet I might have had meat enough in other places, but all that I did for to prove and assay my friends, and that shall be known another day; and whether that I be a gentleman born or none, I let you wit, fair damosel, I have done you gentleman’s service, and peradventure better service yet will I do or I depart from you.

Related Characters: Sir Gareth (Beaumains) (speaker), King Arthur
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: Vol 1, 251
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 9 Quotes

Queen Morgan loved Sir Launcelot best, and ever she desired him, and he would never love her nor do nothing at her request, and therefore she held many knights together for to have taken him by strength. And because she deemed that Sir Launcelot loved Queen Guenever paramour, and she him again, therefore Queen Morgan le Fay ordained that shield to put Sir Launcelot to a rebuke, to that intent that King Arthur might understand the love between them.

Related Characters: King Arthur, Queen Guenever, Sir Launcelot du Lake, Morgan le Fay
Page Number: Vol 1, 464
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 13 Quotes

Ah Gawaine, Gawaine, ye have betrayed me; for never shall my court be amended by you, but ye will never be sorry for me as I am for you. And therewith the tears began to run down his visage.

Related Characters: King Arthur (speaker), Sir Gawaine
Related Symbols: The Holy Grail (Sangreal)
Page Number: Vol 2, 250
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 14 Quotes

Merlin made the Round Table in tokening of roundness of the world, for by the Round Table is the world signified by right, for all the world, Christian and heathen, repair unto the Round Table; and when they are chosen to be of the fellowship of the Round Table they think them more blessed and more in worship than if they had gotten half the world; and yet have seen that they have lost their fathers and their mothers, and all their kin, and their wives and their children, for to be of your fellowship.

Related Characters: King Arthur, Merlin
Related Symbols: The Round Table
Page Number: Vol 2, 276
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 18 Quotes

For ever, said Arthur, it is a worshipful knight’s deed to help another worshipful knight when he seeth him in a great danger; for ever a worshipful man will be loath to see a worshipful man shamed; and he that is of no worship, and fareth with cowardice, never shall he show gentleness, nor no manner of goodness where he seeth a man in any danger, for then ever will a coward show no mercy; and always a good man will do ever to another man as he would be done to himself.

Related Characters: King Arthur (speaker)
Page Number: Vol 2, 425
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 21 Quotes

Through this man and me hath all this war been wrought, and the death of the most noblest knights of the world; for through our love that we have loved together is my most noble lord slain.

Related Characters: Queen Guenever (speaker), King Arthur, Sir Launcelot du Lake
Page Number: Vol 2, 523
Explanation and Analysis:
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King Arthur Quotes in Le Morte d’Arthur

The Le Morte d’Arthur quotes below are all either spoken by King Arthur or refer to King Arthur. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Honor and Chivalry Theme Icon
).
Book 1 Quotes

And when matins and the first mass was done, there was seen in the churchyard, against the high altar, a great stone four square, like unto a marble stone; and in midst thereof was like an anvil of steel a foot on high, and therein stuck a fair sword naked by the point, and letters there were written in gold about the sword that said thus:— Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England.

Related Characters: King Arthur
Related Symbols: Excalibur
Page Number: Vol 1, 16
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 4 Quotes

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 that 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.

Related Characters: King Arthur (speaker), Sir Accolon of Gaul
Page Number: Vol 1, 132
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 5 Quotes

Then the king wept, and dried his eyes with a kerchief, and said, Your courage had near-hand destroyed you, for though ye had returned again, ye had lost no worship; for I call it folly, knights to abide when they be overmatched. Nay, said Launcelot and the other, for once shamed may never be recovered.

Related Characters: King Arthur (speaker), Sir Launcelot du Lake (speaker)
Page Number: Vol 1, 180
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 7 Quotes

I took none heed to your words, for the more ye said the more ye angered me, and my wrath I wrecked upon them that I had do withal. And therefore all the missaying that ye missaid me furthered me in my battle, and caused me to think to show and prove myself at the end what I was; for peradventure though I had meat in King Arthur’s kitchen, yet I might have had meat enough in other places, but all that I did for to prove and assay my friends, and that shall be known another day; and whether that I be a gentleman born or none, I let you wit, fair damosel, I have done you gentleman’s service, and peradventure better service yet will I do or I depart from you.

Related Characters: Sir Gareth (Beaumains) (speaker), King Arthur
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: Vol 1, 251
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 9 Quotes

Queen Morgan loved Sir Launcelot best, and ever she desired him, and he would never love her nor do nothing at her request, and therefore she held many knights together for to have taken him by strength. And because she deemed that Sir Launcelot loved Queen Guenever paramour, and she him again, therefore Queen Morgan le Fay ordained that shield to put Sir Launcelot to a rebuke, to that intent that King Arthur might understand the love between them.

Related Characters: King Arthur, Queen Guenever, Sir Launcelot du Lake, Morgan le Fay
Page Number: Vol 1, 464
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 13 Quotes

Ah Gawaine, Gawaine, ye have betrayed me; for never shall my court be amended by you, but ye will never be sorry for me as I am for you. And therewith the tears began to run down his visage.

Related Characters: King Arthur (speaker), Sir Gawaine
Related Symbols: The Holy Grail (Sangreal)
Page Number: Vol 2, 250
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 14 Quotes

Merlin made the Round Table in tokening of roundness of the world, for by the Round Table is the world signified by right, for all the world, Christian and heathen, repair unto the Round Table; and when they are chosen to be of the fellowship of the Round Table they think them more blessed and more in worship than if they had gotten half the world; and yet have seen that they have lost their fathers and their mothers, and all their kin, and their wives and their children, for to be of your fellowship.

Related Characters: King Arthur, Merlin
Related Symbols: The Round Table
Page Number: Vol 2, 276
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 18 Quotes

For ever, said Arthur, it is a worshipful knight’s deed to help another worshipful knight when he seeth him in a great danger; for ever a worshipful man will be loath to see a worshipful man shamed; and he that is of no worship, and fareth with cowardice, never shall he show gentleness, nor no manner of goodness where he seeth a man in any danger, for then ever will a coward show no mercy; and always a good man will do ever to another man as he would be done to himself.

Related Characters: King Arthur (speaker)
Page Number: Vol 2, 425
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 21 Quotes

Through this man and me hath all this war been wrought, and the death of the most noblest knights of the world; for through our love that we have loved together is my most noble lord slain.

Related Characters: Queen Guenever (speaker), King Arthur, Sir Launcelot du Lake
Page Number: Vol 2, 523
Explanation and Analysis: