From Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory And so they met as their pointment was and were agreed and accorded thoroughly. And win
e was fetched and they drank together. Right so came an adder out of a little heathbush, and it stung a knight in the foot. And so when the knight felt him so stung, he looked down and saw the adder. And anon he drew his sword to slay the adder, and thought none other harm. And when the host on both parties saw that sword drawn, then they blew beams, trumpets, horns, and shouted grimly. And so both hosts dressed them together. And King Arthur took his horse and said, “Alas, this un-happy day!” and so rode to his party, and Sir Mordred in like wise. Which statement best summarizes the main idea of this passage?
The chivalrous knights in this tale operate under strict moral codes of behavior. You will see these codes played out in the narrative.
In this story, King Arthur has a dream. In his dream, Gawain warns him not to fight Mordred. Arthur does fight Mordred, and he receives a mortal wound. He knows he is going to die. He asks his knight Bedivere to throw his magic sword into a lake. Bedivere places Arthur on a mysterious barge. The barge sails away. Bedivere then wanders through a forest until he comes across a hermit kneeling over a fresh grave. No one knows if this is actually the body of King Arthur. Because of this, some believe Arthur will return to be king.
Write the main characters' names in your notebook, so you can more easily follow along with the unfolding events of the story.
