Le Morte Darthur, Chapter 197 summary

What happens

1. Surrounded by a hundred knights, La Cote Male Taile sends his horse outside and fights with his back against a chamber wall.
2. The chamber’s lady secures his horse beside a postern and urges him to fight his way there.
3. He kills two knights guarding the exit, recovers his horse, and escapes after killing twelve knights in the castle.
4. Maledisant rejects his account and sends a courier, who returns with the defeated knights’ confirmation.
5. Maledisant falls silent, and Sir Mordred defends the young knight’s courage while explaining his weakness on horseback.
6. The companions ride together calmly, and the narrator turns attention to Sir Launcelot du Lake.

In this chapter

What to notice

The defeated knights directly contradict Maledisant’s claim that they freely release him. Their admission gives the courier evidence of his courage.

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