Le Morte d’Arthur
English 11
The Siege of Benwick: Discussion
 Why are Launcelot of Arthur at war with one another?
 Sir Launcelot wants to call a truce between King Arthur and
him, but which knight believes this to be a bad idea and why?
 Who challenges Sir Lancelot which begins the siege at
Benwick?
 Why won’t Sir Launcelot take advantage of Sir Gawain? How
does he prove that he is one of Arthur’s most honorable
knights in this passage?
The Day of Destiny: Discussion
 What happens to Arthur’s kingdom while he is off at war?
 How does the truce between Arthur and Mordred come to be broken?
What does this imply about Arthur’s efforts to avoid the battle? What
biblical significance might there be in the appearance of the adder?
 What does Arthur ask of Sir Bedivere? How does he handle Arthur’s
request? What is the significance of this event?
 What can we deduce about Arthur from the behavior of the three ladies?
 Why might people in some parts of England refuse to believe that
Arthur was dead? Could this belief persist today? Explain.
Biblical significance of the story…
 King Arthur – Jesus/Christ-figure
 Adder – serpent/symbolic of evil
 Sir Bedivere – Peter (denies Jesus 3 times in the Bible)
 3 Ladies – Mary, Veronica, Mary Magdalene (were present of
Jesus’ death)
 Avalon -- Heaven
 All of these events take place on Trinity Sunday, following
Easter and Pentecost
What is your ultimate loyalty?
 In lines 22-33 how do Launcelot and Arthur show mutual
loyalty, even when they are at war against each other?
 How does Launcelot display loyalty to King Arthur during
the fight scene in lines 11—117?
What is your ultimate loyalty?
 In lines 161-174, what irony might readers detect in Queen
Guinevere’s show of loyalty to King Arthur, which is
supported by the Archbishop?
 To what, if anything, does Modred show loyalty? Explain.
 In lines 370-371, Sir Bedivere complains that King Arthur has
deserted him—that Arthur has lost his loyalty to Bedivere. Is
this complaint accurate? Why or why not?