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Merlin
A sorceress and Arthur’s half-sister, who often attempts to trick the knights of the Round Table. Morgan symbolizes all that is both alluring and frightening about women for the men in this story. She is beautiful and often is involved with one affair or another, but she is also bent on getting what she wants, whether it is plotting to replace Arthur with her own lover on the throne, or trapping Launcelot in a castle for her own purposes. There is a near-constant slippage in the book between women characterized as witches and women who just “use” witchy, magical tools to gain their will—another way of describing the peculiar kind of power to which women, barred from so many other elements of knightly life, have access.
Morgan le Fay Quotes in Le Morte d’Arthur
The Le Morte d’Arthur quotes below are all either spoken by Morgan le Fay or refer to Morgan le Fay. 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:
).
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.
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Book 10
Quotes
Sir, she said, wit you well that ye be a prisoner, and worse than ye ween; for my lady, my cousin Morgan le Fay, keepeth you here for none other intent but for to do her pleasure with you when it liketh her.
O Jesu defend me, said Alisander, from such pleasure; for I had liefer cut away my hangers than I would do her such pleasure.
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Morgan le Fay Quotes in Le Morte d’Arthur
The Le Morte d’Arthur quotes below are all either spoken by Morgan le Fay or refer to Morgan le Fay. 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:
).
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 10
Quotes
Sir, she said, wit you well that ye be a prisoner, and worse than ye ween; for my lady, my cousin Morgan le Fay, keepeth you here for none other intent but for to do her pleasure with you when it liketh her.
O Jesu defend me, said Alisander, from such pleasure; for I had liefer cut away my hangers than I would do her such pleasure.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
