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Le Morte d'Arthur | Appearances and Reality in Le Mort le Roi Artu

In discussing Le Mort le Roi Artu, Donald McRae argues that while destiny is a major theme in the story, the theme of free choice plays an equal if not more important role and describes how this idea drives many of Arthur's actions and the consequential events of his decisions.

In his Etude sur le Mort le Roi Artu, Jean Frappier has suggested that the "… thème de Fortune—du Destin—est sans doute le thème majeur de Le Mort Artu" ("… theme of Fortune—of Destiny—is undoubtedly the major theme of Le Mort Artu"). Elsewhere he restates this conviction when he refers to the "… cercle de fatalité qui pèse sur son [Arthur's] royaume terrestre" ("circle of fatality that weighs heavily upon his [Arthur's] terrestrial kingdom"). Everything, he insists, gives the impression of tragic inevitability so that at times Fortune even seems to...

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