The Once and Future King: Book 3, Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

The conquered knights file into the palace, each stopping to kneel at Guenever’s feet—not at Arthur’s. All of the knights have been conquered by Sir Lancelot—“the courtly, the merciful, the ugly, the invincible.” Lancelot is widely known as the best knight in the world and is even more skilled than Tristram. Lancelot himself enters, and a hush falls over the palace.

King Arthur breaks the silence, warmly greeting Lancelot. Avoiding eye contact with Guenever, Lancelot asks how things are going in the kingdom. Arthur quickly turns somber and admits that things are going poorly with the Round Table. He had originally created the Table as a way to combat violence and establish civilization, justice, and morality—but “in the effort to impose a world of peace, he found himself up to the elbows in blood.” The knights have distorted the Table into a matter of “sportsmanship,” competing with one another over things like who can save the most virgins.

King Arthur explains that the Orkney boys are particularly obsessed with seeing their knighthood as a game—Arthur thinks this is because they’re so desperate to win their mother Morgause’s attention and love. Lancelot brushes off King Arthur’s concerns and proudly declares that “The Round Table is the best thing that ever happened.” Arthur, who had been holding his head in his hands in defeat, looks up and catches Lancelot and Guenever “looking at each other with the wide pupils of madness.”