Malory: Launcelot’s Chivalry

Though we find that during the Quest of the Holy Grail Launcelot is anything but pure, his intentions are almost always very chivalrous. In these passages about Launcelot and Queen Gwynevere we find that Launcelot will do anything for the Queen, no matter if she is mad at him or not. Launcelot tends to be the only knight that is willing to defend Gwynevere no matter which side is right, without being asked to. On pages 435 and 436 we see the Queen asking for Sir Bors to champion her cause and Sir Bors reaction:

“’Ma’am , I am astonished that you should ask me! for was I not one of your guests, and will not my fellow knights suspect me of collusion? Also, it was you who banished Sir Launcelot from your presence and from this court –Sir Launcelot who worships you and who would lightly have undertaken to champion your cause, whether it were right or wrong. You should be ashamed to put me in so perilous a position!’”

Sir Bors, though hardly in any position to reprimand the Queen, points out Launcelot’s devotion and chivalrous nature and the wrong the queen has done by banishing him from court. He essentially lays out the depth of the situation to the naive Queen Gwynevere, who at which point realizes the great wrong she has done to Launcelot and how it is affecting her. Of course, her worry is useless because Launcelot will not stand by and allow the Queen to be burned at the stake for treason, no matter how he believes his actions might affect his standing with her. Because of Launcelot’s chivalrous nature and love for the queen he will never allow her to be championed by someone else, and therefore no matter the situation Launcelot will always be there to save her from whatever befalls her.