Le Morte d'Arthur | Adultery and Killing in Le Mort le Roi Artu
In her chapter "Adultery and Killing in Le Mort le roi Artu," Sarah Kay analyzes the unique representation and use of adultery in Le Mort as it relates to the taking of life, not property, and how its treatment becomes important to poignant actions in the work.
Insofar as adultery is considered wrongful, in medieval texts, it is often because it is connected in some way with an offence against property. This is either because of the importance laid on legitimate inheritance (which in turn requires wives to be faithful to their husbands), or because of the tendency to see women as themselves a form of property. In Le Mort le roi Artu (The Death of King Arthur), however, adultery is presented in relation not to property but to the taking of life. How and why this is so is what this chapter will explore.
The Mort is the...
[The entire page is 4105 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Related Topics
Tell a friend about Le Morte d'Arthur at eNotes.
