Lancelot’s treason is not just a betrayal of King Arthur, but also a betrayal of Knight’s of the Round Table to whom he swore an oath. The Pentecostal Oath, sworn by each member of the Round Table, establishes the values of this Arthurian chivalric community. In this oath, they bind themselves to Arthur as their king and agree to a standard of behavior. As they take their oath, Arthur “charged them never to do outerage nothir mourthir, and allwayess to fle treason, and to go gyff mercy unto hym that askith mercy, upon payne of forfeiture of their worship and lordship of Kynge Arthur for evermore; and allwayes to do ladyes, damesels, and jantilwomen and wydowes, strengthe hem in hir ryghtes, and never to enforce them, uppon payne of dethe” (77,
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While Lancelot may betray Arthur and commit treason, the oath he has sworn puts him in that position. His treasonous acts are a result of his devotion to Guinevere, which puts stress on other facets of the oath. Dorsey Armstrong explains that, “This act of chivalric legislation early in the Morte d’Arthur sets in motion an ideal of knightly behavior; the rest of the text rests that code in a variety of circumstances, revealing the tensions, shortcomings, and blind spots of the chivalric project” (29). The Pentecostal Oath offers a shining example of what knightly behavior should look like, however, the oath leaves no room for human shortcomings. As Thomas Wright asserts, “the shortcomings of the Arthurian code, and of the society which it follows, are to be found in the code’s limitations. It is too inflexible and too static; it cannot embrace enough of the contingencies inherent in the human situation” (62). Lancelot fails to uphold the oath, which reveals the contradicting nature of courtly love existing alongside chivalric behavior. This contradiction between two important facets of knightly behavior is part of how Malory is able to present Lancelot as a hero rather than a villain. Lancelot’s treason is undeniable, but some of this blame can be removed from him as his purpose was to fulfill all aspects of his sworn
While Lancelot may betray Arthur and commit treason, the oath he has sworn puts him in that position. His treasonous acts are a result of his devotion to Guinevere, which puts stress on other facets of the oath. Dorsey Armstrong explains that, “This act of chivalric legislation early in the Morte d’Arthur sets in motion an ideal of knightly behavior; the rest of the text rests that code in a variety of circumstances, revealing the tensions, shortcomings, and blind spots of the chivalric project” (29). The Pentecostal Oath offers a shining example of what knightly behavior should look like, however, the oath leaves no room for human shortcomings. As Thomas Wright asserts, “the shortcomings of the Arthurian code, and of the society which it follows, are to be found in the code’s limitations. It is too inflexible and too static; it cannot embrace enough of the contingencies inherent in the human situation” (62). Lancelot fails to uphold the oath, which reveals the contradicting nature of courtly love existing alongside chivalric behavior. This contradiction between two important facets of knightly behavior is part of how Malory is able to present Lancelot as a hero rather than a villain. Lancelot’s treason is undeniable, but some of this blame can be removed from him as his purpose was to fulfill all aspects of his sworn