King Arthur fell ill after a battle and was taken to a chapel by Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere. He commanded Sir Bedivere to throw his sword Excalibur into the waters, but Sir Bedivere hid it instead of following the order. When Arthur learned the truth, he made Sir Bedivere throw Excalibur into the water, where a mysterious arm emerged and caught the sword before disappearing back into the water. Sir Bedivere then helped Arthur onto a barge filled with ladies, where Arthur died with his head in one of their laps.

1. The Death Of King
Arthur
(Le Morte d'Arthur)
by Sir Thomas Malory

2. The DeATH OF KING
ARTHUR
• King Arthur fell in a swoon to the
earth, Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere
lifted him up, and led him to a little
chapel not far from the seaside.
• Arthur commanded Sir Lucan to let
him know what the noise in the field
means, and he saw how thieves
and robbers steal full noble knight
of brooches, beads and jewels.

3. The death of king arthur
• Sir Lucan advised King Arthur that
he should be brought to some town.
• Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere lifted the
king, but it caused him to swoon;
and Sir Lucan also fell in a swoon
with the lift.

4. The death of king arthur
• When the king woke up, he beheld
Sir Lucan, and said that it was a full
heavy sight for him to see a this
noble duke die because of his sake.
• Arthur commanded Sir Bedivere to
take Excalibur to the waterside and
throw it in that water, then go back
to king Arthur and tell him what he
saw.

5. The death of king arthur
• Sir Bedivere departed, he beheld
the noble sword, and said to
himself: “If I throw this rich sword in
the water, thereof shall never come
good but harm and loss.”
• He hid Excalibur under a tree, and
came again unto the king, and said
that he had thrown the sword in the
water.

6. The death of king arthur
• The king asked Sir Bedivere what
he saw, but Bedivere replied that he
only saw waves and winds.
• Arthur knew that Sir Bedivere did
not throw the sword in the water,
and commanded him to do it again.

7. The death of king arthur
• Sir Bedivere returned and lied
again, and said that he saw nothing
but the water lapping on the shore
and the waves wane.
• The king knew that he was
betrayed twice, and for the last time
he commanded to go to the waters
and finally throw the sword.

8. The death of king arthur
• Then Sir Bedivere departed, and
went to the waterside, and threw
the sword as far as he might.
• There came an arm and a hand
above the water, and met the sword
and caught it, and shook it thrice,
then vanished away.

9. The death of king arthur
• Sir Bedivere came and told the king
what he saw, then he carried Arthur
to the waterside.
• There came a barge with many fair
ladies, and he laid the King in the
barge with his head in the lap of
one of the ladies.