The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend

“Pride is the essence of knighthood.”

This line, spoken by the duke of Tintagel after his wife discloses her suspicions about the impure motives of Uther Pendragon, expresses what lies at the bottom of knighthood and chivalric conduct. Insulted by the king’s desire to sleep with his (Tintagel’s) wife, Tintagel will not submit to any of the king’s surface-level courtesies. To be a knight means having a high enough opinion of one’s individual identity not to submit to cowardice, injustice, or ill treatment. This pride is somewhat in tension with the piety expected of knights, as Christianity traditionally preaches humility.

“When the men heard of the adventures of Arthur, they wondered why he had put himself in such jeopardy. But the wiser among them realized that it was good to serve such a king, who put himself at the same risk as his warriors.”

Though Arthur is a king, he is also a knight; as such, he must uphold a standard of character equal to the knights in his service. He is their equal in a certain sense, which also explains his adoption of a circular table: Everyone and no one is at its “head.”

“Ah, lady, fine clothes do not make an honest man. I have within me that which passes show. I have strength and sincerity. Many good knights go through the world unknown.”

Sir Balin delivers this line to the lady from Avalon who questions his abilities as a knight because he is dressed in rags. The statement establishes that true knighthood is an internal rather than external quality—something important to clarify early in a narrative in which many men and women will conceal their true identities.