Le
Morte d’Arthur (The Death of Arthur) | Thomas Malory
- 1395? – 1471
- When father dies, inherits family estates
- Later a member of Parliament
- In 1450s, accused of such things as attempted murder, theft, and breaking and entering (attacking and looting monestaries)
- Broke out of prison twice, in 1451 and 1454
- Later fights in several wars against France
- Involved in royal politics and is imprisoned by King Edward IV in Newgate Prison 1468, as an old man, where he ends out his life
- Across from the prison is Grey Friars Monestary, which was primarily French versions of the King Arthur legends
-
Malory collects, translates, edits, smoothes out, etc.
these legends and ends up with Le Morte d’Arthur
- William Caxton sets up a printing press in Westminster Cathedral in London in 1476 (Gutenberg and moveable type in 1455)
- On July 31, 1485, the copies of LMA come off the presses
- Just over a week later, Henry Tutor arrives in Wales, where he is greeted with enthusiasm
- HT claims to be the ‘resurrected’ King Arthur, returning to claim his throne
- Legend is the although JA dies at Salisbury, he is not dead, but he is spirited away by the will of Jesus, where he awaits a ‘resurrection’ of sorts
- HT defeats King Richard III in battle at Bosworth Field and becomes King Henry VII – united England and Wales
- His son, Henry VIII, assumes the throne and begins English Reformation
- Last Tutor is Queen Elizabeth I, who dies in 1603
- James I begins Stuart line
- House of Windsor (Queen Elizabeth II) begins in 1917