THE SCENE: King Arthur may have been a great king, but he appears to have been clueless in the laws of desire, as is demonstrated in this passage where Guinevere tells him how lonely she will be when he is gone, and yet he leaves her behind with Mordred, a man she greatly admires, telling Mordred to tend to her every desire.
THE TEXT: Guinevere: “I curse the man who caused this conflict,
Who denies my heart of my honored husband.
All the love in my life now marches from the land
And I am left alone and empty, believe me, forever.
Why not die, my dear love, die in your arms
Before enduring the dread of this destiny on my own.”
Arthur: “Guinevere, do not grieve, for the love of heavenly God.
Do not grudge my going, because good will follow.
Your unhappiness and weeping is wounding to my heart,
All the wealth of the world cannot wish away this woe.
I have named a noble knight to act as your guardian,
Overlord of England, answerable to you only,
And that person is Sir Mordred, whom you have praised repeatedly
A deputy, my dear, to attend your every desire.”
– The Alliterative Morte D’Arthur, 15th Century AD
