Le Morte d'Arthur (The Death of Arthur) characters

Appears from the start

The hidden son of Uther Pendragon and Igraine, raised as Sir Ector's foster child without knowing his royal birth. As a youth he draws the sword fixed in a stone, the sign that identifies England's rightful king. His claim is challenged by established rulers, so he begins his reign needing both military success and Merlin's counsel to unite the realm.

Appears from the start

King of England before Arthur. His desire for Igraine, then the wife of the Duke of Tintagel, leads him to accept Merlin's magical assistance and a bargain concerning the child who will result.

Appears from the start

The wife of the Duke of Tintagel when Uther becomes determined to possess her. Deceived by Uther's magically assumed likeness of her husband, she later becomes Uther's queen and Arthur's mother.

Appears from the start

A prophet and magician who advises Uther and then Arthur. He arranges Arthur's secret fostering, explains the sign of the sword, and guides the young king through dangers that strength alone cannot resolve. His knowledge of future events is extensive but does not always enable him to prevent them.

Appears from the start

The infant born to Queen Morgause after Arthur unknowingly sleeps with his own half-sister. Merlin warns that this child is bound up with the destruction of Arthur's realm, making Mordred a threat before he can act for himself.

First appears in chapter 2

A formidable knight from Northumberland who alone succeeds in drawing a sword from a visiting damsel's scabbard. Proud, impulsive, and fiercely loyal to Arthur, he begins a chain of adventures shadowed by the warning that the sword will bring suffering to its bearer.

First appears in chapter 3

Arthur's nephew and one of the young knights tested by quests surrounding the king's wedding. He is brave and devoted to his family, but his early adventures show that knightly violence can have consequences which courtesy and reputation do not erase.

First appears in chapter 3

The daughter of King Leodegrance, chosen by Arthur as his queen. Her father sends the Round Table as part of the marriage settlement. At Camelot she becomes the central lady of Arthur's court and an important judge of knightly conduct.

First appears in chapter 4

Arthur's half-sister, wife of King Urien, and a woman trained in magic. She conspires with Sir Accolon to replace Arthur's true sword and scabbard with counterfeits, intending that Accolon defeat him and that Urien can then be removed as well.

First appears in chapter 6

A knight whose skill, courage, and courtesy make him the outstanding champion of Arthur's court. He undertakes adventures in disguise, frees prisoners held by oppressive knights, and repeatedly defends Queen Guinevere's honor. His devotion to her is already stronger than ordinary service to a queen.

Also known as Beaumains

First appears in chapter 7

A young man who arrives at court without declaring his lineage and asks to be fed for a year before making a second request. Sir Kay mockingly assigns him kitchen work and calls him Beaumains. He accepts the humiliation patiently while concealing that he is Gawain's brother and a capable fighter.

First appears in chapter 8

A Cornish prince and the nephew of King Mark. An exceptional fighter and musician, he enters Ireland under an assumed name after being wounded in combat and is healed there. His loyalty to Mark is complicated by the king's suspicion and by Tristram's bond with La Beale Isolde.

Also known as Isolde the Fair

First appears in chapter 8

An Irish princess skilled in healing, called La Beale Isolde. She tends the wounded Tristram before fully understanding his identity. Although promised to King Mark, she and Tristram become bound to one another during the voyage to Cornwall.

First appears in chapter 13

The son of Lancelot and Elaine of Corbenic, raised apart from his father and brought to Camelot when the Grail quest is about to begin. His purity allows him to occupy the Siege Perilous, the place at the Round Table that has remained empty for the knight destined to achieve the Grail.

First appears in chapter 14

A son of King Pellinore and one of the knights committed to the quest for the Holy Grail. Earnest but inexperienced in spiritual matters, he must learn that success in this quest depends on resisting temptation and understanding signs, not merely on prowess in combat.

First appears in chapter 16

Lancelot's cousin and one of the three knights who advance furthest in the Grail quest. His trials force him to choose between immediate human loyalties and the demands of faith, testing whether his intentions are as disciplined as his conduct.