The Defence of Guenevere For this poem Morris created strikingly orig
inal adaptations of episodes from one of his favorite books, Thomas Malory's Morte
Darthur (1470). In Malory's narrative, Arthur's kingdom is eventually destroyed by
dissension among his followers; especially damaging to the king's reign are rumors of
an adulterous relationship between Queen Guenevere and Arthur's chief knight,
Launcelot. Morris's poem alludes to two occasions in Mallory's work when Guenevere
is discovered in apparently compromising circumstances that lead to public accusa
tions of adultery. On the first occasion (described in lines 167?220), her accuser, Sir
Mellyagraunce, is challenged by Launcelot to a trial of battle. After Mellyagraunce is
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THE DEFENCE OF GUENEVERE / 1483
slain, the queen's honor is temporarily restored, though in Morris's telling this earlier
scandal is revived by Sir Gauwaine in his accusations against her. The second occa
sion, which occurs just before Morris's poem opens, is more seriously incriminating.
Thirteen knights plot successfully to trap Launcelot when he is visiting the queen's
chamber at night at her invitation (events described in lines 242?76). In his escape
Launcelot kills all but one of the knights?an event that later leads to civil war. In
Malory's version there is no formal trial of the queen after Launcelot's escape; she is
simply told of her sentence?she will be burned at the stake?and is thereafter res
cued by Launcelot, who takes her away to safety in his castle. In inventing his trial
scene Morris probably drew from a different episode in Malory (book 18, chapter 3),
which ends with Sir Gauwaine accusing Guenevere of murder and treason in the
presence of many other knights. According to Morris's daughter, this poem originally opened with a long introduc
tory passage of description and background. Because Morris subsequently decided to
omit it, we are plunged at once into a dramatic scene much like those that begin
some of the poems of Bobert Browning (the Victorian poet whom Morris most
admired). Also reminiscent of Browning's work are the constant shifts in Guenevere's
speech from an awareness of her present situation to the recollection of moments in
her past, such as the spring day early in her marriage to Arthur when Launcelot first
kissed her. The year after Morris's poem appeared, four books of Tennyson's Idylls of the King,
including one that focused on Guenevere, were published. It is interesting to compare
the two portraits of the queen, especially their pictoral qualities, but Morris's powerful
depiction of an eloquent Guenevere is very different from Tennyson's subdued rep
resentation of a guilt-ridden wife. Equally fascinating is a comparison of the two
poems with Morris's painting Queen Guenevere (1858). Despite his copious produc
tion of visual artifacts, this is the only full-size oil painting Morris ever finished. His
model for Guenevere, who stands pensively in front of a rumpled bed, was Jane
Burden, who became his wife the following year.
The Defence of Guenevere But, knowing now that they would have her speak, She threw her wet hair backward from her brow, Her hand close to her mouth touching her cheek, 5As though she had had there a shameful blow, And feeling it shameful to feel aught? but shameAll through her heart, yet felt her cheek burned so, anything She must a little touch it; like one lame She walked away from Gauwaine, with her head Still lifted up; and on her cheek of flame io The tears dried quick; she stopped at last and said: 'O knights and lords, it seems but little skill0To talk of well-known things past now and dead. use 15'God wot? I ought to say, I have done ill, And pray you all forgiveness heartily! Because you must be right, such great lords?still knows
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148 4 / WILLIA M MORRI S 'Listen, suppose your time were come to die, And you were quite alone and very weak; Yea, laid a dying while very mightily 20'The wind was ruffling up the narrow streak Of river through your broad lands running well: Suppose a hush should come, then someone speak: ' 'One of these cloths is heaven, and one is hell, Now choose one cloth forever, which they be, I will not tell you, you must somehow tell 25 ' 'Of your own strength and mightiness; here, see!' Yea, yea, my lord, and you to ope your eyes, At foot of your familiar bed to see 30'A great God's angel standing, with such dyes, Not known on earth, on his great wings, and hands, Held out two ways, light from the inner skies 'Showing him well, and making his commands Seem to be God's commands, moreover, too, Holding within his hands the cloths on wands; 35'And one of these strange choosing cloths was blue, Wavy and long, and one cut short and red; No man could tell the better of the two. 'After a shivering half hour you said, 'God help! heaven's color, the blue'; and he said, 'hell.! Perhaps you then would roll upon your bed, 40 'And cry to all good men that loved you well, 'Ah Christ! if only I had known, known, known';
