The Chivalric Marriage

Michelle McKelvey

Le Morte d'Arthur: The Wedding of King Arthur

Pages 50-57

November 29th, 2011

The Chivalric Marriage

Throughout this course, we have seen a menagerie of characters negotiate their reality and construct meaning through materialism, romance, and chivalric code. In Beowulf and The Tain, a world of warriors and chivalry was defined and illuminated. In Medieval Marriage and The Art of Courtly Love, a world of romance and love was constructed. Through Gawain and the Green Knight, we discovered a world of time and accountability. However, in Le Morte D'Arthur, a world of impulsion and aversion to the future is illuminated. They negotiate their reality through rash decisions and adventure, rather than long term relationships and emotional complexity.

They negotiate their world through present, impulsive decisions rather focusing on future implications. This is first illuminated when King Arthur anoints Sir Gawain and Sir Tor as his knights. In the beginning of the chapter, Sir Gawain asks King Arthur if he can be initiated as a knight. King Arthur happily responds, "I will do it with a good will...and do unto you all the worship that I may, for I must by reason ye are my nephew, my sister's son (53)". However, he ultimately initiates King Pellham's son (Sir Tor) before his own family member (Sir Gawain). He failed to realize that Sir Gawain would be offended, and ultimately try to fight Sir Tor. King Arthur seems to be infatuated with the present, rather than understanding the consequences of his decisions and future effect on other people. Further, his inability to negotiate the future is displayed through his aversion to marriage. Although the chapter is entitled "The Wedding of King Arthur", a mere paragraph is dedicated to the actual marriage of Guinevere and Arthur. Further, King Arthur negotiates the complexity of the future through adventurous tales. This is illuminated when Merlin warns him that Lancelot should love Gunievere, and King Arthur immediately begins speaking about the adventures of Sangrail instead of further exploring this complication. This exhibits King Arthur's inability to negotiate the future and infatuation with the present which brings us to his construction of value.

Moving forward, value is constructed through individual light hearted adventure, rather than complex emotional bonds. This is displayed when Sir Gawain killed the innocent woman instead of slaying the knight. After the death of the lady, he promptly states to the knight, "But now thou shalt go unto King Arthur and tell him of thy adventure, and how thou art overcome by the king that went in the quest of the white hart" (56). Sir Gawain seems to view this as an adventure rather