Launcelot as a Chosen Knight: Fortune and Divine Grace in Malory's Arthurian Tales
Overview
This reading response analyzes Malory's portrayal of Launcelot across two narratives: 'The Poisoned Apple' and 'The Healing of Sir Urry'. The student argues that Launcelot emerges as a chosen knight not through virtue alone, but through fortune and divine grace, demonstrating both the virtue of love and the virtue of humility before God.
What this essay covers
- Analysis of 'The Poisoned Apple': Launcelot's adultery, banishment, and fortunate rescue of the queen through combat
- Analysis of 'The Healing of Sir Urry': Launcelot's supernatural ability to heal through humility and appeal to the Trinity
- Comparative argument: Launcelot's chosen status derives from luck and divine favor rather than personal virtue
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Reading Entry
According to Malory’s “Poisoned Apple”, Launcelot seemed to be a chosen knight. Malory brings out the character of Launcelot as a good knight that has to backslide into adultery despite his good intentions to stay away from adultery. In “The Healing of Sir Urry”, Malory once more shows that Launcelot is chosen not by his virtues but through his humble appeal to the Trinity.
Reading through the two stories, I find enough proof to conclude that Launcelot is truly lucky and is a chosen knight among all knights. In the “Poisoned Apple”, Launcelot lost his virtues and got back to adultery without wish. He gets banished by the queen who is jealous of his long stay on the Grail Quest. Luck comes on to Launcelot’s fate when the queen is accused of poisoning a knight and condemned to burn request his friend Bors for help. Bors calls on Launcelot who agrees to fight for the queen and defeats sir Maror to save the queen. Again, in the “Healing of Sir Urry”, his chosen nature gets envisioned when Sir Urry’s seven boils can’t heal unless treated by the best knight. Arthur tried to help Sir Urry but failed. Launcelot is then tasked to heal Sir Urry, manages to heal him.
In the “Poisoned Apple” Malory wants us to see the virtue of love Launcelet displays when he fights for his love who banished him.