Middle English
Thomas Malory
1405 – 1471
English writer, author of Le Morte d'Arthur (1405–1471)
- Kingdom of England
- British
About
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of Le Morte d'Arthur, the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of Le Morte d'Arthur was published by the famed London printer William Caxton in 1485. Much of Malory's life history is obscure, but he identified himself as a "knight prisoner", apparently reflecting that he was either a criminal, a prisoner-of-war, or suffering some other type of confinement. Malory's identity has never been confirmed. Since modern scholars began researching his identity the most widely accepted candidate has been Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revel in Warwickshire, who was imprisoned at various times for criminal acts and possibly also for political reasons during the Wars of the Roses. Recent work by Cecelia Lampp Linton, however, presents new evidence in support of Thomas Malory of Hutton Conyers, Yorkshire.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Life on the Timeline
Major Works
Exam Dossier
Most-asked topics
- Malory's identity and biography ("knight prisoner")
- Composition vs. publication dates of Le Morte d'Arthur
- Caxton's role as printer/editor (1485 edition)
- Winchester Manuscript and its significance
- Sources: French Vulgate/Post-Vulgate Arthurian romances
- Structure and themes of Le Morte d'Arthur (Round Table, Grail quest, fall of Camelot)
- Malory's place in Middle English prose romance tradition
- Legacy and influence on later Arthurian literature
Previous-year themes
- Author-work-year identification for Le Morte d'Arthur and Caxton's edition
- Malory's self-description as "knight prisoner" and its biographical implications
- Middle English prose romance as a genre/period marker
- Sources and influences (French romance tradition) behind Le Morte d'Arthur
- Winchester Manuscript vs. Caxton print as textual/editorial issue
- Thematic questions on chivalry, courtly love, and the Arthurian legend
- Malory's place in the chronology of English literature before the Renaissance
Common confusions
- Confusing Thomas Malory, the historical author, with King Arthur, the legendary subject of his book.
- Assuming the French title "Le Morte d'Arthur" ("The Death of Arthur") means the book covers only Arthur's death, when it narrates his whole life and the rise and fall of the Round Table.
- Mixing up the composition date (c. 1469–70, while Malory was imprisoned) with the publication date (1485, by Caxton).
- Treating Malory's identity as settled fact, when multiple candidates (Newbold Revel and Hutton Conyers) have been proposed and none is confirmed.
- Confusing the Winchester Manuscript (handwritten, discovered in 1934, closer to Malory's original) with Caxton's printed edition (1485, editorially reshaped into 21 books).
- Confusing Malory's Middle English prose romance with Geoffrey of Monmouth's earlier Latin chronicle (Historia Regum Britanniae) as the origin of the Arthur story in English.
Memory tricks
"Malory wrote the Morte" — alliteration to link the author's name with his subject, the death (morte) of Arthur.
"Caxton prints, Malory pens" — separate the printer (Caxton, 1485) from the writer (Malory, c. 1469–70).
"Knight PRISONER, Round Table PRISONER" — Malory's captivity while writing echoes the fellowship-and-confinement themes of his story.
"Winchester found in '34, Caxton printed in '85" — remember the manuscript-discovery date versus the print date by their last two digits.
"R.Q.R.F." — Rex Quondam Rexque Futurus = the Once and Future King, the famous epitaph.
"French source, English glory" — Malory translated and reworked French Arthurian romances into English prose.
