English author. He is known for the prose romance
Le Morte D'Arthur (
c. 1470), printed in 1485, which relates the exploits of King Arthur's knights of the Round Table and the quest for the
Holy Grail. He was knight of the shire from 1445.
Malory is thought to have been the Warwickshire landowner of that name who was member of Parliament for Warwick in 1445 and was subsequently charged with rape, theft, and attempted murder. If that is so, he must have compiled
Le Morte D'Arthur during his 20 years in and out of prison. Based on an unidentified French book, with imaginative additions from other sources, it is the fullest version of the legends of King Arthur, and a notable contribution to English prose.
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