Castles litter the landscape of Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur, as they did – and still do – England itself. As such, these architectural and geographical landmarks serve as a constant reminder of the royal, noble, and chivalric settings of the Arthurian story. However, castles are much more than locations or settings, although that is a role they fill with more importance – and even panache – than one might expect. For example, Arthur’s conception occurs after a breach in castle security; Launcelot breaks into and falls out of castles at crucial junctures in his relationship with Queen Gwenyver; and the schism between Launcelot and his king plays out on and around the walls of Joyus Garde and Benwick. Castles also provide the starting and ending points for many quests, which help define the knights of Arthur’s Round Table. Thus, they are both the launchpads and the confirmations of knightly endeavors. Furthermore, they are seats of power – political, military, economic, and so forth. They are prisons and prizes and keepers of ritual. Just as important, they are homes for many in the text. In these several capacities, these architectural structures function as representations just as much as they occupy the space of and become the physical backdrop to the Morte. Castles operate as both physical and symbolic entities in Malory’s text, and they create meaning and identity – both individual and communal – through the literal and figurative forces they exert.

Throughout the Morte, castles influence the characters who tread around and within their walls. As a physical, a symbolic, and a social space, the castle inflects the behaviors and identities that it frames. These social and structural functions even work in conjunction with each other at times to manipulate the identities and actions on the page, augmenting and even creating meaning.