Morgan-Freeland 1

Amber Morgan Freeland English 534 Dr. Katherine Jacobs October 27, 2010

Examining the Understated Female Roles in Malorys Le Morte DArthur In Thomas Malorys Le Morte DArthur, much of the work is presented as a hyper-masculine story revolving around the desires and actions of the male characters. From the opening where the lusty Uther relentlessly pursues the lady Igraine to the ending where Arthur chooses vengeance over his own ill-begotten son, it is the women who demonstrate the most guile and strength and who persevere in the end. For Malory, the women are either characterized as mischievous witches or jealous lovers bent on complicating and/or destroying the lives of the men around them, or they are quickly dismissed as nameless characters who flit in and out of the storyline. But upon closer examination under a feminist microscope, these women actually serve a pivotal role in the movement of the plot by offering a challenge to the knights, offering a gift, deceiving the knights for their own personal gain, or passing judgment on the knights behavior. From minor figures to the Mortes most important female characters, women assess and judge in matters of social and courtly behavior, chivalry, love, and morality (Jesmok 34).

Morgan-Freeland 2

The Lady Igraine

Even though the title suggests that these tales revolve entirely around the life and death of Arthur, it is hard to escape the obvious fact that the story opens and concludes with the heroic and noble actions of a female character. Most read the beginning as a misogynist tale of a lust-filled Uther who, with the assistance of his wily wizard Merlin, successfully rapes the lady Igraine and then marries her so that her child will become his heir. Igraine is treated by Malory as little more than a vessel for Uthers seed and is given very little mention after the fact, even upon her reunion with Arthur years later. What most readers fail to acknowledge is how the lady boldly rejects Uthers advances to remain faithful to her husband, an act that the chivalric code doesnt support given that it seems to encourage extra-marital affairs, and that it is she who leads her less perceptive husband to flee for her honor. I suppose that we were sente fore that I shold be dishonoured; whefor, husband, I counceille yow that we departe from hens soddenly, that we maye ryde all nyghte unto oure owne castell (Malory 3). Upon learning of the death of her husband, Gorlois, she quickly marries Uther for the protection he can provide. But Igraines moral strength is further illustrated when she, much like the Virgin Mary, must explain to her new husband the circumstances surrounding her mysterious pregnancy. Even when she learns that it was he who impregnated her under false pretenses, she maded grete joye rather than become upset for fear of losing his protection, thus showing how wyse this fair lady is. And when

Morgan-Freeland 3

her son is taken away by Merlin to be raised by Sir Ector and his family, she once again holds her tongue and does what is necessary for own survival and that of her child. In all this, she demonstrates tremendous strength of character and shrewd cunning when it comes to adapting to change and surviving in a hostile, male-dominated world. But more importantly, it is Igraine who interrogates the condition of women in the chivalric world (Jesmok 37). When she is reunited with Arthur and must prove his lineage and legitimacy, she is treated with hostility by Sir Ulfius who calls her false and treacherous. Once again, she speaks the earnest truth and challenges the court when she says, I am a woman and I may nat fight; but rather than I sholde be dishonoured, there wolde som good man take my quarrel (Malory 32-33). While the treatment of Igraine thus far has been deeply rooted in the misogyny of the time, her bold challenge and demand for a defender of her honor stands out as the first element of the as yet unformed chivalric code.

Queen Guinevere

On the backside of the tale, however, few characters ever demonstrate humility and atonement with as much devotion and honor as the moste valyaunte and fayryst Queen Guinevere as she ends her days in the nunnery before her death and subsequent burial next to Arthur. But in the beginning, her wifely duties are more traditional as she is married to Arthur in the hopes of producing and heir to keep the barons at ease. Soon after the marriage though, she is called upon to act as judge against the actions of Sir

Morgan-Freeland 4

Gawain, Sir Tor, and Sir Pellanor after their first quest to recover a kidnapped lady, a deer, a knight who stole a hound. Upon their return, both Gawain and Pellanor were subject to the Queens displeasure as they both were gretly to blame for the deaths of the ladies in their charge. In this first act of judgment, she firmly establishes the chivalric ideal that knights must be merciful, even to their opponents, and must serve all ladies first whenever and wherever they are in need. Throughout most of the rest of the tale, Malory portrays Guinevere as a jealous lover who cuckolds the king while simultaneously casting judgment on the chivalric conduct of the knights. That she could even be considered a judge on morality considering her own infidelity is irrelevant as the chivalric code permits such indiscretions so long as the lovers are discreet and their spouses are not shamed. Regardless of her faults, in the end the ultimate judgment she passes is on herself as she spends the remainder of her days atoning for her sins against her husband and rebukes any further relationship with Lancelot. As Jesmok argues, No one in the Morte demonstrates a more profound understanding of Christian belief than Guinevere. She continues to say, Malory uses the queen as a model for other characters and as a catalyst for Lancelots conversion. Just as before when she ushered in a more refined court for Arthur and made herself a champion for love and charity, she now does the same for Lancelot as she commands him, on Gods behalf, to marry and make a life for himself that does not include her as she prays to the everlastynge Lorde that [she] may amend [her] mysselyvyng (Malory 692). In the end, Guinevere is able to do what no man could; she is able to save Lancelots soul.

Morgan-Freeland 5

The Lady of the Lake/Nymue

Two more characters that have been historically viewed merely as a wily temptresses are the Lady of the Lake and her replacement, Nymue who is often confused with the former. The original Lady of the Lake was killed by Balin shortly after she presented Arthur with his sword, Excalibur, not to be mistaken with the sword he pulled from the stone. Upon seeing her in court Balin cries out, Evyll be ye founde; ye wolde have myne hede and therefore ye shall loose yours as he beheads her in court (Malory 43). This simple declaration that she is evil is the starting point for the mistaken characterization that follows her legend, but it is her gift of Excalibur that bears the strongest memory. The damsel who originally brings the sword that Balin used to kill the Lady of the Lake is just one of many examples of nameless women whose very presence adds a new layer of intrigue and adventure to the plot. As the tale of Balin progresses, he defeats Launceor of Ireland and witnesses the suicide of the lady in his company a wasteful death that he repentis sore. But it seems he cannot escape such tragedies as he first encounters a sick lady who will dies without the blood of Percivals sister and then helps locate another lady who is then beheaded by her jealous lover after being found in the bed of another knight. It seems that every lady Balin encounters is doomed and in the end, it is the result of the original curse of the Lady of the Lake (although the sword was presented by a damsel) who dooms him and his beloved brother. In this way, the Lady of

Morgan-Freeland 6

the Lake seems to act as a minister of fate in much the same way as her male counterpart, Merlin. But it is her replacement, Nymue, who earns most of the credit as the Lady of the Lake throughout the rest of the tale. It is she who Merlin falls desperately in love with, so much so that he teaches her all of his dark arts much to his own detriment as she imprisons him in a cave. In this terse tale, Merlin follows Nymue everywhere and often uses his subtyle craftes to get her into a more private setting as he lay aboute the lady to have her maydenhede (Malory 79). She is not without deceit herself as she implies that she will give in to him if he promises not to enchant her again, but in the end she imprisons him rather than give in to his sexual advances. In short, her presence in this tale demonstrates that Merlin is in fact a mortal being capable of lust and infatuation and it is this overly masculine quality that becomes his doom. Oddly enough, Merlins disappearance seems to go virtually unnoticed throughout the rest of the tale (aside from the brief rescue attempt of Sir Bagdemagus), but his disappearance serves as the beginning of the decline of the use of magic. As the object of Merlins fatal love the Lady of the Lake has achieved notoriety, but it is necessary to remind readers that she is by no means generally represented in medieval fiction as evil and that her place in Arthurian legend is not confined to being the cause of Merlins disappearance (Holbrook 761). All in all, Nymue appears in ten distinct scenes of reference throughout Malorys Le Morte DArthur but her progression as a character is clear. While she is initially presented as a damsel brought to court by King Pellanor and as one of the damesels of

Morgan-Freeland 7

the Lady of the Lake, she develops first into a sorcerers apprentice and later into a benevolent sorceress who saves Arthur in the fight with Accolon and both saves and rewards Pellas after the betrayal of Sir Gawain. In the end, she secures her place as the bold and helpful female who ever dyd grete goodenes unto kynge Arthur and to alle his knyhtes (Holbrook 762).

The Six Elaines

It bears mentioning that the most confusing female characters in Malorys Morte are the six women all named Elaine. First we have the wife of Ban of Benwick who is Lancelots mother, without whom there would be no Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur triangle. Second, we have the daughter of King Pelles who with the aide of an enchanted potion, tricks Sir Lancelot into a coupling that results in the birth of Sir Galahad and rouses the jealous wrath of Guinevere. Third, we have Elaine the White who fell in love with Lancelot and gave him her sleeve to carry during a joust, but died of unrequited love. Fourth, there is the daughter of Pellinore who also died, this one at her own hands, after the death of her lover, Sir Miles of Laudes. Fifth, there is King Lots daughter who fell in love with Sir Percival. And finally, we have the wife of King Nentres of Garlot who is a daughter to Igraine and sister to Arthur, Morgause, and Morgan Le Fay. These women, while frequently confused because of their name, all play minor but important roles throughout the tales. It is because of them that two of the greatest knights in the tales, Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad, are born. In fact, Lancelots entire existence and much of his

Morgan-Freeland 8

subsequent plot seems dependent on whichever Elaine happens to be in his life at that particular time. While one gives him life, another ushers in the end of his relationship with Guinevere as she spurns him because of his infidelity. It is this infidelity with both Elaine and Elaine the White where another important aspect of the chivalric code is brought to light that while a good knight may engage in a courtly affair with a married woman, he must remain true to her and only her throughout his life. His unintentional failure in fidelity brings shame on his beloved Guinevere and virtually ends his sexual relationship with the queen.

Morgan le Fay

It goes without saying that probably the most vilified and misunderstood female character in Malorys Le Morte DArthur must be Morgan le Fay. In her 1994 dissertation, MaryLynn Saul opens with the thought that Morgan le Fay is one of the most intriguing characters in Le Morte Darthur due to her attempts to sieze more power than any other woman in the book, and even more than any other man except for Mordred. She most emphatically does not confine her actions to those expected of conventionally passive women in the Middle Ages. She kidnaps Lancelot many times, orders knights to pursue and destroy either Lancelot or Tristram and attempts to expose the adultery of Guenevere. She controls her own castle spares no mercy for her husband and

Morgan-Freeland 9

manipulates a battle between her lover Accolon and her brother King Arthur in a bid to rule the country herself (Saul 1). In short, Morgan le Fay represents the greatest threat to masculine power and authority in the entire text. While her actions clearly establish her as an enemy of Camelot, she fails to achieve any of the lofty goals she sets for herself. One can only conclude that her failure is a result of the masculine authors bias towards women in power. While female characters like Guinevere hold a strong place in the tale, they are ultimately doomed to remain subservient to their husbands and to God. That Morgan le Fay resists such servitude and refuses to cower to the authority of good Christian men may serve as proof that her characters roots are indeed tied to the Irish goddess, Morrighan. A red-haired goddess of battle and fertility whose name means Phantom Queen, she combines the energies of life and death, sexuality and conflict, in one all-powerful and terrifying deity (Kennedy 311). While some sources give Morgan le Fay the credit for seducing her halfbrother Arthur, which resulted in the birth of Mordred, Malory distinguishes that it was actually her sister Morgause. It is probably due to Christian hostility towards powerful women that Morgan le Fay is usually portrayed as a fearsome witch-queen (Kennedy 308). That does not, however, excuse her many transgressions against the court. Despite the fact that she frequently does intend to cause great destruction, her role serves to reveal the shortcomings of the court, such as Guineveres infidelity (Saul 19). She doesnt do this as a champion for change but rather to initiate Mordreds campaign for power towards the end. Additionally, her role serves to challenge the boundaries set by the rules of courtly love. Although courtly love permits a married woman the discreet pleasure of

Morgan-Freeland 10

accepting the advances of a single lover outside of her marriage, Morgan le Fay is not content to passively wait for such an opportunity. She pursues Lancelot and when rejected, seeks revenge for his rebuttal. She further rejects the idea of formal courtly love by using her current lover, Accolon, in a plot to kill Arthur and take over Camelot for herself (Saul 28). The most common influence that most of these women have is that they often bestow gifts of weaponry, such as when the Lady of the Lake presents Arthur with Excalibur. But for Morgan le Fay, she uses her magical power against men in her own pursuit of power and control. Saul suggests that, The characterization of Morgan, therefore, is an expression of masculine fear of womens power because she is not controlled by any man, and thus uses her power to harm men (30). Vulnerability is an inherently feminine trait that Morgan le Fay does not seem to share with the other female characters until the end when she appears as one of the three queens to take the body of King Arthur to Avalon. This final act serves as the only show of redemption and true femininity in Morgan as she sails across Avalon with the king. Despites his own glaring masculine bias against women and an exaggerated emphasis on knighthood, Malory has in fact created an array of rich female characters who keep the plot moving along by bestowing gifts and challenging the knights to prove their prowess. But more than that, these women serve to teach lessons of morality while defining the rules of courtly love. However some women, like the indomitable Morgan le Fay and even Nymue, work to challenge the same rules and lessons so that in the end, these contrasting ideas and characters are artfully woven into a colorful tapestry of history and fiction that has endured for centuries.

Morgan-Freeland 11

Morgan-Freeland 12

Works Cited Dixon-Kennedy, Mike. A Companion to Arthurian and Celtic Myths and Legends. Gloucestershire: Sutton, 2006. Print. Holbrook, S.E. "Nymue, the Chief Lady of the Lake, in Malory's Le Morte Darthur." Speculum 53.4 (1978): 761-77. Medieval Academy of America. JSTORE. Web. 25 Oct. 2010. <http://www.jstore.org/stable/2849785>. Jesmok, Janet. "Guiding Lights: Feminine Judgment and Wisdom in Malory's Morte Darthur." Arthuriana 19.3 (2009): 34-42. Project Muse. Scriptorium Press. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. <http://muse.jhu.edu/content/z3950/journals/arthuriana/v019/19.3.jesmok.html>. Malory, Thomas. Le Morte Darthur, Or, The Hoole Book of Kyng Arthur and of His Noble Knyghtes of the Rounde Table: Authoritative Text, Sources and Backgrounds, Criticism. Ed. Stephen H. A. Shepherd. New York: Norton, 2004. Print. Saul, MaryLynn Dorothy (1994). A Rebel and a Witch: The historical context and ideological function of Morgan Le Fay in Malory's "Le Morte Darthur". Ph.D. dissertation, The Ohio State University, United States -- Ohio. Retrieved October 27, 2010, from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 9427781).