The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights

After many years, King Arthur has established a peaceful kingdom, but this has created a new set of problems: “It is difficult, if not impossible, to keep the strength and temper of fighting men without fighting, for nothing rusts so quickly as an unused sword or an idle soldier” (207). Guinevere suggests establishing a principle of the King’s Justice, which would allow Camelot’s knights to travel the country and right small wrongs.

The king and queen also decide to send Lancelot, the greatest of all knights, on a quest accompanied by his lazy, irresponsible nephew, Sir Lyonel, in hopes that Lancelot can provide a steadying influence. Even though this expedition is supposed to be a secret, the entire castle knows the story: “And when the two errant knights finally crept out of the city in the night, a hundred eyes watched them go and the battlements concealed an audience” (217).

As they ride out in search of adventure, Lyonel badgers Lancelot relentlessly with questions about his past exploits. After hours of interrogation, Lancelot wearies of the conversation and falls asleep under an apple tree. Lyonel sits watching by his uncle until he notices a commotion nearby. Three knights on horseback are captured by a fourth, who binds them all and flings them over their horses’ backs. Lyonel tries to save the three and attacks the aggressor.

Impressed by his strength, the older knight, Sir Tarquin, offers to spare Lyonel but explains that the others are knights of Camelot, all of whom he hates. He holds a special grudge against Lancelot for killing his brother. When Lyonel refuses to yield, Tarquin takes him to his castle and throws him in the dungeon with the others.

While all these events are occurring, Lancelot remains asleep, unaware of his nephew’s dilemma. As he slumbers, four queens approach: the Queen of the Outer Isles, the Queen of North Galys, the Queen of Eastland, and Morgan le Fay, the Queen of Gore. All are powerful witches, and they are on their way to a magical invisible fortress called Maiden’s Castle. The queens abduct Lancelot in his sleep and lock him in the castle dungeon, intending to keep him as a toy. When Lancelot wakens, the queens appear and explain their game: “You must then understand that to us new playthings are very rare. And when we saw the best knight in the world sleeping, we thought that you are that rarity, a thing we do not have” (235).

They ask him to choose one among them to be his keeper, and the rest will abide by the decision. The Queen of North Galys tempts him with lust, the Queen of the Outer Isles with an endless variety of experiences, and the Queen of Eastland with a mother’s love. Morgan le Fay offers him power over all things. When Lancelot rejects them all, they vanish from his cell.

As he debates an escape strategy, he hears someone approaching. A young damsel enters with his dinner and says that she can help him escape if he will help her father defeat his enemies in an upcoming tournament. Lancelot agrees, and the little damsel sneaks him out of the castle. With his armor and horse restored, Lancelot seeks refuge at a nearby abbey. Days later, he meets the young damsel and her father at the tournament grounds. Because all the contestants fear Lancelot’s prowess in battle, he disguises himself before vanquishing the damsel’s father’s foes.

After fulfilling this commitment, Lancelot goes in search of Lyonel. He learns that Tarquin has imprisoned many of Camelot’s knights and goes to his castle in search of Lyonel. Lancelot arrives just as Tarquin rides up with Sir Gaheris slung over his horse as yet another prisoner. When Tarquin discovers that Lancelot is his hated adversary, they fight to the death. Lancelot kills Tarquin and tells Gaheris to free all the hostages in the castle and send them back to Camelot while he continues his quest alone.

Lancelot wanders the countryside battling evil knights and rescuing distressed maidens. He sends all the vanquished back to Guinevere as proof of his devotion to her. During one of his adventures, Lancelot crosses paths with Kay, who complains that his job as seneschal has taken the hero out of him: “I could fight men but I was defeated by marching numbers on a page […] If only I had never been seneschal! To you a feast is festive—to me it is a book of biting ants” (269). Kay must keep everyone at Camelot fed and outfitted for war, so he spends his days juggling accounts. To lift Kay’s spirits, Lancelot offers to swap armor with him. This will improve Kay’s reputation if anyone engages in battle with Lancelot thinking he is Kay and will prevent others from harassing Kay in Lancelot’s armor because nobody wants to fight the best knight in the realm.

One evening, as Lancelot makes camp, he meets a young enchantress. She tries to seduce him, asking him to gaze into her eyes and tell her what he sees: “You made me see Queen Guinevere at the stake with faggots piled about her for treason against the king. What foolishness is that?” (284). Lancelot dismisses the foretelling of his affair with Guinevere and sends the girl away.

By Whitsuntide, Lancelot has returned to Camelot for a great feast. He grows weary from listening to the numerous stories of his exploits. Later, he excuses himself as do Arthur and Guinevere. They all go to the king’s tower bedchamber to discuss Lancelot’s quest, where he makes light of all his accomplishments. When talk turns to policymaking, Guinevere retires for the night. Lancelot feels a strong urge to follow her but suppresses it. He and the king talk awhile longer before he, too, retires.

As Lancelot makes his way down the stairs, Guinevere pulls him into her chamber, and they kiss for the first time: “Their bodies locked together as though a trap had sprung. Their mouths met and each devoured the other” (295). Lancelot breaks away and leaves her. Realizing that he has betrayed Arthur, he weeps bitterly.