Launcelot
The preeminent knight of the Round Table, central figure of Le Morte d'Arthur.
Launcelot is the most extensively attested figure in Le Morte d'Arthur, with hundreds of citations spanning nearly every book of Malory's work. William Caxton's Preface establishes his centrality: "The Sixth Book treateth of Sir Launcelot and Sir Lionel," "The Eleventh Book treateth of Sir Launcelot and Sir Galahad," and "The Twelfth Book treateth of Sir Launcelot and his madness" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Preface of William Caxton). His physical presence is memorialized alongside other relics of the Arthurian world: "in the castle of Dover ye may see Gawaine's skull, and Cradok's mantle: at Winchester the Round Table: in other places Launcelot's sword and many other things" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Preface of William Caxton).
Launcelot's early career begins in Book VI, where he departed the court with Sir Lionel (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter I). Falling asleep in the hot noon weather, he was found by four queens who enchanted him and carried him to the Castle Chariot (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter III). The queens demanded he choose one of them as his paramour, but he refused them all (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter III). A damosel delivered him, recognizing him as "Sir Launcelot du Lake" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter IV). He then fought in a tournament on behalf of King Bagdemagus, who made him welcome at his abbey (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter VI). At this tournament, Launcelot came with a great spear and overthrew many opponents (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter VII).
His defining combat in Book VI was the battle with Sir Turquine, who had slain a hundred good knights "for Sir Launcelot's sake" out of hatred for him (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter VIII). Turquine declared "Launcelot, thou art unto me most welcome" before their mortal fight (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter VIII). After slaying Turquine, Launcelot bade Sir Gaheris deliver all the prisoners (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter IX). He then encountered a knight in his leman's bed and fought him, revealing his identity: "my name is Sir Launcelot du Lake" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter V). He overthrew Sir Gawaine and his three brethren (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter X) and defeated Sir Turquine's brother Sir Peris de Forest Savage (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XI). He rescued a lady from Sir Phelot, who attempted treachery (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XVI), and defeated three knights at a bridge (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XII). At Sir Turquine's manor he freed three score and four prisoners (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter X). He healed Sir Meliot de Logris by touching him with the bloody cloth from the Chapel Perilous (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XV), and when a huntress accidentally wounded him with an arrow, he bore it with characteristic patience (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XVII). He returned to court where King Arthur and the whole court were passing fain of his coming (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter XVIII).
In the Tristram books, Launcelot's martial supremacy serves as the benchmark. He made La Cote Male Taile lord of the Castle of Pendragon (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter IX), rescued him from imprisonment (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter VIII), and fought six knights and Sir Brian on his behalf (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter VI). He renamed the damosel Maledisant as the Damosel Bienpensant (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter VII). When thirty knights ambushed him, Sir Tristram came to his aid (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XXII). He overthrew Sir Palomides and then withstood an assault by twelve knights (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XXVIII). He intervened as peacemaker when Lamorak and Meliagaunce fought over the beauty of queens, acknowledging "that Sir Lamorak is as noble a knight as I know" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XIII). He rode in aid of Sir Lamorak at the tournament when all set upon him (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XLV). He met with King Arthur and jousted with Sir Lamorak (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XIII). He departed from Sir Lamorak with tears: "either wept at their departing" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XLIX).
Launcelot saved King Arthur's life in the Forest Perilous (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XV). He jousted with Sir Kay and Sir Sagramore (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XXIV), exchanged blows with Sir Palomides at multiple encounters (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapters XXVII-XXVIII), and received letters from La Beale Isoud via the damosel Bragwaine (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XXVI). He fought alongside Tristram and undertook adventures that brought him across the realms of Logris and Cornwall (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XL). He was recognized by Dinadan, who noted his prowess (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XIX). He encountered knights at bridges, castles, and forest hermitages throughout Book X (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapters XX-XXI).
His conflict with King Mark produced sharp exchanges. He defended Tristram's honour and condemned Mark's treachery (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapter XXVIII). He overthrew multiple opponents at the great tournament beside Camelot (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XLV). At the tournament of Lonazep he fought disguised, and his revelations drew awe from the assembled court (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapters XLIV-XLIX). He championed the cause of justice when Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred acted treacherously (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XXV).
In the Grail quest, Launcelot's worldly excellence becomes his spiritual obstacle. He sought the Grail alongside Sir Galahad (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XI, Chapters I-XIV) and encountered visions and rebukes that laid bare his sinfulness. His son Sir Galahad achieved what Launcelot could not (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIII, Chapters I-XX). Launcelot was told that his sins with the queen barred him from the highest spiritual achievement (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVI, Chapters I-XII). He witnessed marvels but was denied the full vision (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVII, Chapters I-IV).
The relationship with Queen Guenever drives the later books. The Fair Maid of Astolat declared: "I take God to my record I loved never none but Sir Launcelot du Lake, nor never shall, and a clean maiden I am for him and for all other" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapter XIX), dying of her unrequited love while Launcelot remained bound to the queen. Launcelot rescued Guenever from the fire and from Sir Meliagaunce's imprisonment (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XIX, Chapters I-XIII). He fought with Sir Mador de la Porte to defend the queen's honour (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XVIII, Chapters III-VIII). He came to the queen's chamber and was discovered by Agravaine and Mordred, leading to the crisis that broke the Round Table (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapters I-IV).
The final books record the civil war and its aftermath. Knights rallied to his cause "for Sir Lamorak's sake and for Sir Tristram's sake, to the number of a fourscore knights" from North Wales and Cornwall (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapter V). He besieged and defended, fought Sir Gawaine in single combat (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapters XVIII-XXII), and when Arthur fell at the last battle, Launcelot withdrew to a hermitage (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XXI, Chapters I-XIII). He took the habit of a monk and died in sanctity, his body borne to Joyous Gard for burial (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XXI, Chapter XIII).
Launcelot also appears with his full epithet "du Lake" throughout the text, connecting him to his upbringing. Arthur resigned the rule of certain lands to Launcelot's governance (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter III). He fought with Sir Accolon (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapter X) and intervened in the affairs of Morgan le Fay (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IV, Chapters XI-XII). He bore Merlin's prophecy about his greatness (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book II, Chapter XIX).
The Le Morte d'Arthur attestations reveal several Launcelots operating across the text. The tournament Launcelot is defined by physical dominance and disguise -- at King Bagdemagus's tournament (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter VII), at the great tournament beside Camelot (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapter XLV), and at Lonazep (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book X, Chapters XLIV-XLIX). The courtly Launcelot navigates the impossible demands of loyalty to Arthur and love for Guenever (Le Morte d'Arthur, Books XVIII-XX). The questing Launcelot rescues lesser knights and establishes lordships (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book IX, Chapters V-IX). The penitent Launcelot of the Grail books and the final death scene confronts the limits of worldly prowess (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XXI, Chapter XIII).
The structural centrality creates a distinctive narrative problem: Launcelot must be simultaneously the best knight in the world and a figure capable of failure, because the Grail quest requires his inadequacy as surely as the tournament field requires his supremacy. His combat with Sir Turquine (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapter VIII) establishes the pattern -- a mortal enemy motivated specifically by hatred of Launcelot -- that recurs throughout. Sir Turquine imprisoned knights hoping to draw Launcelot out; Agravaine and Mordred watched the queen's chamber to trap him (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book XX, Chapters I-IV). In both cases, Launcelot's preeminence makes him the target.
The text's handling of his name is itself significant. "Launcelot du Lake" identifies him by his upbringing with the Lady of the Lake (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book VI, Chapters IV-V), while "Sir Launcelot" is the courtly address that marks his social position. The Preface's invocation of "Launcelot's sword" as a physical relic places him alongside Gawaine's skull and the Round Table as material evidence of the Arthurian world's historical reality (Le Morte d'Arthur, Preface of William Caxton).