Loyalty In Thomas Malory's Le Morte D Arthur

Many of children’s fairy tales and folklore of the medieval ages stem from the bravery and epicness of knighthood. Varying tales from dragon slaying to damsel saving all have one thing in common: chivalry, the undocumented, unauthentic moral code of conduct that all knights were expected to uphold. This unofficial code paired with the vows of knighthood, combining religion and training with a righteous moral compass. Among this code, loyalty was stressed with proportional importance. Loyalty to the lords, to the people, to faith. Although loyalty is an important ethical trait of chivalry, Thomas Malory’s and John Steinbeck’s versions of Le Morte d’Arthur express how it can be used as justification for one’s twisted or dishonorable behavior.

Igraine should have been more traumatized or distressed that she slept with a man who masqueraded as her dead ex-husband; however, she met the news with relief. This is due to her marriage to her new husband with priority of loyalty between titles over an immoral means of obtaining that title. Igraine is contempt that the conceived child is Uther’s because Uther is simply husband by name. She holds no concern whatsoever for the Duke, because he is dead and no longer her husband. Igraine justified Uther’s adultery with the loyalty birthed from matrimonial titles. Brian Price’s modern take of the code of chivalry supports the reasoning behind justifying such an obviously unprincipled act. Price (1997) claimed that “there are many places where compromise is expected; loyalty is not amongst them” and that one should “be known for unwavering commitment to the people and ideals [they] choose to live by.” Igraine chose to commit herself to her current husband, demonstrating the type of loyalty that the modern code of chivalry defined for knights. The majority of readers in the 21st century can not come to terms with Igraine’s nonchalant disposition to such an absurd situation, but loyalty is a place