Mother, maiden, matron: the origin of Morgan le Fay, as it pertains to Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur
Author
Faculty Advisor
Date
2022
Keywords
Morgan le Fay, literary criticism
Abstract (summary)
The origin of the Arthurian mythos has long engrossed scholars and enthusiasts alike for centuries, and, perhaps, no character has bewildered scholars more than Morgan le Fay. Throughout the many iterations of the Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay has been characterized in incompatible ways; as both an ally and foe to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. In Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur, this juxtaposed characterization is fully established as he characterizes Morgan le Fay as both King Arthur's chief antagonist as well as the figure who welcomes him into Avalon at the end of the text.
This essay serves to exam the origin of Morgan le Fay as a literary character and, by examining and understanding her influences, justify her conflciting and inconsistent portrayls in the Arthurian continuum, specifically within Malory's epic poem.
Publication Information
A., Y. (2022). Mother, Maiden, Matron: The Origin of Morgan le Fay, as it pertains to Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur. MacEwan University Student EJournal, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.31542/muse.v6i1.2242
Notes
Item Type
Student Article
Language
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)
