# Morgan le Fay — Le Morte d’Arthur character guide

> Morgan le Fay in Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Morgan, Queen Morgan le Fay

**First appearance:** 0004-i

## Snapshot

Arthur's sorceress half-sister, whose cunning enchantments and bitter grudges make her the most dangerous threat lurking within the king's own blood.

## Who they are

Queen of Orkney and mistress of dark arts, Morgan le Fay moves through the Arthurian world as both kin and enemy, her schemes aimed at Arthur's crown and his knights' lives. Her power is real and her resentment runs deep, yet she is bound to the same court she seeks to undo. She embodies the peril that chivalry cannot defend against: magic, betrayal, and the treachery of those closest to the king.

## In the story

### [How Uther Pendragon Made War on the Duke of Cornwall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/ii)

Igraine's third daughter, sent to a nunnery where she learns necromancy; later wedded to King Uriens.

### [How King Pellinore Took Arthur's Horse and Followed the Questing Beast, and How Merlin Met with Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xx)

Morgan le Fay accompanies her mother Igraine to meet King Arthur.

### [How the Lady of the Lake Demanded the Knight's Head](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/iii)

The Lady of the Lake is identified as a sorceress and enchantress who caused the deaths of many knights, including Balin's mother.

### [Of the interment of twelve kings, and of the prophecy of Merlin, and how Balin should give the dolorous stroke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xi)

Receives the scabbard of Excalibur from Arthur but betrays him by giving it to her lover Accolon.

### [How the battle was finished or he came, and how King Arthur founded an abbey where the battle was](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/iv)

Mentioned as the wife of King Uriens, who is one of the older knights chosen.

### [How King Arthur, King Uriens, and Sir Accolon of Gaul, chased an hart, and of their marvellous adventures](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/vi)

King Uriens awakens in her arms at Camelot, suggesting her involvement.

### [How Arthur took upon him to fight to be delivered out of prison, and also for to deliver twenty knights that were in prison](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/vii)

The damosel who arranges the battle is secretly one of Morgan le Fay's damosels, indicating her behind-the-scenes involvement.

### [How Accolon found himself by a well, and he took upon him to do battle against Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/viii)

Sends Accolon the true Excalibur and scabbard, and sends Arthur a counterfeit sword.

### [Of the battle between King Arthur and Accolon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/ix)

Orchestrated the battle and the sword swap to have Arthur slain.

### [How King Arthur recovered Excalibur and overcame Sir Accolon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/x)

Implied orchestrator of the treachery; Arthur remembers her enchantment of the ship.

### [How Accolon Confessed the Treason of Morgan le Fay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xi)

Revealed as the orchestrator of the plot to kill Arthur, her brother.

### [How Arthur accorded the two brethren, and delivered the twenty knights, and how Sir Accolon died](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xii)

Arthur sends Accolon's body to Morgan le Fay as a present.

### [How Morgan would have slain Sir Uriens her husband, and how Sir Uwaine her son saved him](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xiii)

Plots to kill her husband King Uriens while he sleeps, believing Arthur dead.

### [How Queen Morgan le Fay made great sorrow for the death of Accolon, and how she stole away the scabbard from Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xiv)

Grieves for Accolon's death, steals Arthur's scabbard, and escapes using enchantment.

### [How Morgan le Fay saved a knight that should have been drowned, and how King Arthur returned home again.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xv)

Rescues Manassen from drowning and sends a treacherous mantle to King Arthur.

### [How the Damosel of the Lake saved King Arthur from mantle that should have burnt him](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xvi)

Arthur's sister, who sent the poisoned mantle to destroy him.

### [How Four Queens Found Launcelot Sleeping](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/iii)

Leads the four queens, casts enchantment on Launcelot.

### [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxxiv)

Sent the horn originally to King Arthur; blamed for causing strife.

### [How a damosel sought help to help Sir Launcelot against thirty knights, and how Sir Tristram fought with them](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxiii)

Orchestrates the treasonous ambush of thirty knights against Sir Launcelot.

### [How Sir Tristram jousted with Sir Kay and Sir Sagramore le Desirous, and how Sir Gawaine turned Sir Tristram from Morgan le Fay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxv)

Orchestrates a trap using thirty ladies to lure Tristram or Launcelot to her castle, where thirty knights lie in wait.

### [How Sir Tristram and Sir Gawaine rode to have foughten with the thirty knights, but they durst not come out](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxvi)

Queen who set a watch of thirty knights for Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristram; she speaks from the castle.

### [How Sir Dinadan rescued a lady from Sir Breuse Saunce Pité, and how Sir Tristram received a shield of Morgan le Fay.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xli)

Hosts Sir Tristram, learns his identity, and gives him a shield designed to shame Sir Launcelot and expose his love for Queen Guenever.

### [How Sir Tristram took with him the shield, and also how he slew the paramour of Morgan le Fay.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xlii)

Queen Morgan le Fay warns Sir Hemison not to pursue Tristram, expressing fear for his safety.

### [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xliii)

Grieves and buries her paramour Sir Hemison, placing a tomb with an epitaph naming Sir Tristram as his slayer.

### [How Sir Tristram at a tournament bare the shield that Morgan le Fay delivered to him](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xliv)

Delivered the shield to Tristram; its purpose is to warn Arthur of shame and dishonor.

### [How Sir Tristram Jousted and Smote Down King Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/i)

Gave Tristram the shield he bears, though he cannot describe its arms.

### [How Sir Lamorak jousted with divers knights of the castle wherein was Morgan le Fay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xvii)

Queen of the castle, sister to King Arthur, maintains a custom of challenging passing knights.

### [How Sir Launcelot was wroth with the letter that he received from King Mark, and of Dinadan which made a lay of King Mark.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxvii)

Mentioned as King Arthur's sister who spoke against Queen Guenever and Sir Launcelot.

### [How it was told to King Mark of Sir Alisander, and how he would have slain Sir Sadok for saving his life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxxv)

Contacted by King Mark to use enchantments and dangerous knights to ensnare or kill Alisander.

### [How Sir Alisander won the prize at a tournament, and of Morgan le Fay: and how he fought with Sir Malgrin, and slew him.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxxvi)

Observes Alisander at the tournament and expresses a desire to meet him; later watches his battle with Malgrin.

### [How Queen Morgan le Fay had Alisander in her castle, and how she healed his wounds](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxxvii)

Queen Morgan le Fay manipulates and imprisons Alisander, using deceit and enchantment to keep him at her castle.

### [How Alisander was delivered from Queen Morgan le Fay by the means of a damosel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/xxxviii)

Holds Alisander prisoner for her own pleasure; her castle is destroyed by the Earl of Pase.

### [How Sir Launcelot rode on his adventure, and how he holp a dolorous lady from her pain, and how that he fought with a dragon.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/i)

One of the enchantresses who placed the lady in her painful state.

### [How Sir Bors came to Dame Elaine and saw Galahad, and how he was fed with the Sangreal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/iv)

Mentioned as the one who imprisoned Sir Launcelot.

### [How Sir Bedivere Found Him on the Morrow Dead in an Hermitage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/chapters/vi)

One of the three queens who led Arthur away in a ship.

## Links

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- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/le_morte_d_arthur_se/characters