Plot device
Chivalric Code as Narrative Engine
A narrative device where the strict adherence to or violation of a knightly code of honor, loyalty, and courtly love directly dictates character actions, conflicts, and the progression of the plot.
Chivalric Code as Narrative Engine in fiction: 3 works
The work builds upon "Chrétien de Troyes's pioneering of Lancelot and courtly love," making the ideals and conflicts of chivalry central to the plot's progression.
The knights' adherence to the chivalric code, particularly Lancelot's conflicted loyalties, drives many of the central conflicts and tragic events in Le Morte d'Arthur.
The narrative is driven by the knights' adherence to and pursuit of the 'ideals of knighthood' and specific virtues, which dictates their actions and the progression of their quests.