Le Morte Darthur, Chapter 381 summary

What happens

1. At midday, Sir Percivale approaches a ship beneath the rock and meets a richly dressed woman who warns that he faces starvation.
2. She offers to take him to the Red Knight with the White Shield if he promises to obey her requests, and he agrees.
3. She reports that the Red Knight pursues two knights into Mortaise, where his horse drowns but he reaches shore.
4. Percivale describes the comfort he receives from a good man, whom the woman dismisses as an enchanter.
5. The woman claims that a great man expels and disinherits her because of her pride and displeasing words.
6. She describes recruiting his men against him and appeals to Percivale’s duty to help a disinherited gentlewoman.

What to notice

Percivale binds himself before learning the woman’s cause. His desire to find the Red Knight gives her a means of securing his obedience.

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