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'Here is my Glove': Introductory Oath-taking and Trial by Combat in Le Morte Darthur
- Arthuriana
- Scriptorium Press
- Volume 28, Number 1, Spring 2018
- pp. 20-37
- 10.1353/art.2018.0001
- Article
- Additional Information
Abstract:
I argue that in Malory's Le Morte Darthur, the formal oaths taken before trial by combat are essential for making those trials decisive. Arthur's failure to regulate the oath-taking process before these trials, however, makes them ineffective at producing a clear verdict and ultimately contributes to the fall of Camelot.