Introduction
Malory in his second main section, The Noble Tale betwixt King Arthur and Lucius the Emperor of Rome, closely follows not a French romance, as he does in the other parts of Morte, but the Middle English alliterative Morte Arthure. Although he keeps many of the alliterative poem's features, he edits, abbreviates, and omits much of the second half of the poem, changing the ending to fit his plan for "the whole book."
Alliterative Morte Arthure
I. Verse Structure: Like SGGK, medium is alliterative verse:
A. Basic composition of the line: four stresses, alliterating aa/ax, but can be expanded to five by adding to the first part of the line. First part of the line usually carries the main meaning, with second part extending the first part by apposition, qualification, or addition. Examples: lines 2278-2289.
Sometimes the poet, who demonstrates great variety, composes whole sequences of lines using the same alliterating sound throughout. Example: lines 2483-92.B Formulaic but versatile, use of extensive wordplay, humor, heavy irony (exs. ll. 1161-70, 2124-28).
II. Plot Structure:
A. Unlike Wace and Layamon, who rely solely on Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia, Morte draws on all three, and on other sources as well. Greatly expands Geoffrey's account.
B. Bipartite structure in four parts: first part, rising action (comic), second part, falling (tragic); signaled by the two dream sequences, positive (dragon/bear, pp. 492-30), and negative (Lady Fortune's wheel, pp. 507-12).
C. First, an honorable campaign, followed by a nasty family feud.
1. First part, worthy war against the insulting Romans
2. Second part, internecine war against traitorous nephew with unfaithful wife. Ironically, second part is put in terms of a Crusade.
III. Thematic Structure:
A. Heroic, not romantic.
1. Primarily a poem of battles, not romance, of political power, not erotic love. Vigorous and enthusiastic celebration of heroic deeds, loyalty and desire for fame.
2. Unrealistic knightly feats juxtaposed with vividly realistic description of the horrors of war and single combat.B. Psychology of motivation,
1. Poet finally more interested in the fates of men than of armies.
2. Keen eye for psychological reactions: e.g., Mordred's momentary repentance (ll. 3886-96).
Malory's Arthur and Lucius the Emperor of Rome
I. After summary, challenge of Lucius's envoys to Arthur.
A. Dismissal of envoys and preparations for war, with claims to the Empire..
B. Arthur's dream portentous of his victory. No second dream as in the poem.
II. The battle with the rapist-murder Giant of St. Michel
III. Arthur and his knights overcome Lucius and his allies.
IV. Arthur proposes to be crowned emperor at Christmas (cf. Charlemagne), and departs for Britain. Note how Malory alters the plot of the poem (cf. II C 2 above).