Gawaine
Gawaine is among the most frequently attested figures in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, appearing across the entire span of the work from the early adventures through the Grail quest to the final catastrophe.
Gawaine is among the most frequently attested figures in Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, appearing across the entire span of the work from the early adventures through the Grail quest to the final catastrophe. He is the eldest son of King Lot and the Queen of Orkney, nephew to Arthur, and brother to Gaheris, Gareth, Agravaine, and Mordred. His career in the text moves from youthful violence through mature chivalric action to an implacable pursuit of vengeance that helps destroy the Round Table.
Gawaine's first adventure establishes a pattern of martial excess followed by shame. He is made knight alongside his brother (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapter IV) and immediately pursues the white hart at Arthur's wedding feast, an adventure that ends when he accidentally kills a lady and is rebuked by the court (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapter V). He and Gaheris fight four knights and are overcome, their lives saved only at the request of four ladies (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapter VIII). At Camelot he is sworn upon a book to tell the truth of his quest (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapter XV).
Gawaine's early questing career unfolds in Books IV and V. He meets twelve fair damosels who complain of Sir Marhaus (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XVII), jousts with Marhaus and is overthrown (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XVIII), and takes the youngest damosel as his companion (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XIX). His encounter with the lady Ettard exposes a darker side: entrusted with winning Pelleas's lady for him, Gawaine instead sleeps with Ettard himself (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XXII). In the Roman war, he serves as Arthur's envoy to Lucius (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter VI), fights a Saracen champion who converts to Christianity (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter X), and returns to Arthur with prisoners (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter XII).
The middle books show Gawaine as a tournament knight involved in complex chivalric politics. He is present when Launcelot is rescued by Sir Carados (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Chapter XXVIII) and turns Sir Tristram away from Morgan le Fay's court (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XXIV). He and Tristram ride together against thirty knights (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XXV). At tournaments he jousts with Sir Lamorak (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XXI) and Sir Palomides (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter LXVI). The Orkney blood feud reaches its crisis when Gaheris kills their mother for her liaison with Lamorak (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XXIV), and Gawaine must navigate between family loyalty and the demands of Arthur's court.
The Grail quest exposes Gawaine's spiritual limitations. He attempts to draw the sword meant for Galahad and fails (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter III), and grows weary of the quest (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter I). A hermit tells him plainly that he has "lived mischievously many winters" and should have devoted himself to "knightly deeds and virtuous living" from the moment of his knighting (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter XVI). His dream is interpreted as warning of spiritual barrenness (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter III). Where Galahad achieves the Grail, the hermit counsels Gawaine to do penance (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter V).
In the final books, when a knight at dinner poisons a guest, Gawaine is present at the queen's table (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapter III). He jousts at Winchester (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapter X) and witnesses Launcelot's disguised prowess (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter I). Gawaine's demand for vengeance after Launcelot kills Gareth and Gaheris at the queen's rescue (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapter VIII) drives the war against Launcelot (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapter X). He corresponds bitterly with Launcelot (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapter XVI) and accompanies Arthur on the continental campaign (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapter XIX).
Sir Urre's healing episode lists Gawaine among the knights who attempt the miracle (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIX, Chapter XI). In the Grail narrative, Gawaine recognizes Galahad at a tournament (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter I) and Launcelot returns toward Logris (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter XVII). The text makes clear throughout that Gawaine cannot accept Launcelot's accidental killing of his unarmed brothers, and his relentless prosecution of the war, even when Arthur would make peace, leaves Britain undefended against Mordred's treachery.
The sheer volume of citations -- spanning nearly every book of Le Morte d'Arthur -- makes Gawaine one of Malory's most structurally important figures. In his earliest appearances, he rides with Arthur (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book I, Chapter XIX), is present at the battle of Nero and King Lot (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book II, Chapter X), and witnesses Balin's adventures (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book II, Chapter XIII). He is present at the ordination of the Round Table (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapter II) and made knight (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapter IV). His quest for the hart (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapters V-VI) and his defeat by four knights (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapter VIII) establish patterns of excess and mercy. He swears the truth of his quest at Camelot (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book III, Chapter XV).
Book IV expands his adventures through encounters with Merlin's fate (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter I), Arthur's battle with five kings (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapters III-IV), the Damosel of the Lake's intervention (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XVI), his meeting with twelve damosels (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XVII), his overthrow by Marhaus (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XVIII), his companionship with three damosels (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XIX), the knight-and-dwarf dispute (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XX), his betrayal of Pelleas (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapters XXI-XXII), and the reunion at the fountain (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XXVIII). Marhaus's adventures against the Duke of the South Marches (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapters XXIV-XXV) and Uwaine's combats (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter XXVII) round out this sequence.
In the Roman wars, Gawaine serves as envoy to Lucius (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter VI), fights in the great battle (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter VIII), enters Almaine (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter IX), battles a Saracen (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter X), fights those who came from a wood (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter XI), and returns with prisoners (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter XII). He encounters Launcelot jousting against Round Table knights (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XIII), is present at the Chapel Perilous episode (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XV), and hears the recounting of Launcelot's deeds (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XVIII).
In the Gareth narrative, Gawaine defends Beaumains (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VII, Chapters I-III, V), learns Gareth's identity (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VII, Chapter XIII), witnesses Gareth's feats (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VII, Chapter XVIII), is present at Gareth's love (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VII, Chapter XX), and fights Gareth unknowingly until the Damosel Linet reveals the truth (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VII, Chapter XXXIII). He celebrates the wedding (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VII, Chapters XXVI-XXX, XXXIV-XXXV) and asks his mother's blessing (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VII, Chapter XXV). In the Tristram books, he encounters Tristram's prowess (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Chapters IX-X), rescues Launcelot from Carados (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Chapter XXVIII), rides with Tristram (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapters XXIV-XXV), jousts with Lamorak (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapters XXI-XXII), and navigates the Orkney blood feud (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XXIV). He encounters Palomides at tournament (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapters XLIV, XLVI, LIV, LXVI, LXVIII), visits Morgan's court (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapters XVII, XLII), and witnesses Belliance's joust (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VIII, Chapter XLI). He is present for Galahad's birth (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XI, Chapters I, IV) and the queen's distress (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XI, Chapter X).
In the Grail quest, he fails to draw the sword (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter III), marvels at the Siege Perilous (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter IV), jousts in the meadow (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter VI), vows the quest (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter VII), departs (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapter VIII), follows Galahad to the Castle of Maidens (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapters XV-XVI), grows weary (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter I), has his dream interpreted (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapters II-III), and receives counsel (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapter V). He recognizes Galahad at tournament (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapter I). In the final books, he is at the poisoned dinner (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapter III), jousts at Winchester (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapter X), handles Sir Urre (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIX, Chapter XI), and drives the war against Launcelot (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapters VIII-X, XVI, XIX). The text does not resolve his contradiction -- and that is the point.
Appears in: Beings, Entities in Le Morte d'Arthur, British Tradition