the new princeton encyclopedia of poetics: courtly love
a stylized and idealized treatment of love widely employed during the middle ages in love poetry and romance literature. The term is derived from French "amour cautois," in an essay about Lancelot.  In one poem, it is enobling; in another it is adulterous.  It deals with moble passion.  The courtly lover idealizes his beloved; she occupies an exalted position above him.  His feelings for her enoble him and make him more worthy.  Her beauty of body and spirit make him long for a union with her.  This is not just for passion's sake, but it is also for him to achieve higher moral excellence.

apparently being in love makes you a better person....

notes from speaking about morte darthur
mallory was accused of rape and such
title given by william caxton
long list of depressing events filled with bad decisions
agravain and mordrid didn't like lancelot, so they told arthur about lancelot and guinevere's affair
lancelot gets attacked, kicks ass
lancelot's kin forced to find lancelot, ends up in war, pope intervenes, arthur goes to war, mordrid takes over, gawain dies, arthur has visions to wait a month
arthur kills mordrid, lukin dies, lancelot throws excalibur in to the lake

published by caxton
not until 1900s until they verified that mallory was in jail

king arthur was not shamed until he brough up the issue about lancelot and guinevere
gawain advised against telling


lancelot is warned it's a plot, he responds that the queen has sent for him and that he is not a coward
he loves her regardless of circumstance, courtly noble love

she worries that she will die a martyr
he is sadder for her than for himself
such a noble dude...

arthur is worried more about lancelot
lancelot leaves mordrid severely wounded
arthur has to burn guinevere because her actions were treasonous
lancelot rescues guinevere from the fire
arthur has to kill mordrid, because he is a disease on the land
he knew all along that it was a plot by mordrid

arthur's death:
has 2 dreams on 301
knows of impending death
arthur impaled mordrid with excalibur
arthur gets knocked in the head in the process