"Sir Galahad, who is a virgin and without sin, overcame them all singlehanded, but without killing them, which his virtue forbids unless it is really necessary." (Malory 387)
Reading this, it becomes clear where the strong connection between the King Arthur mythos and Christianity comes from. Where religion had been mentioned in the past in other stories, Malory is the first example we've read where it's a main factor of the story. The nobleness and skill of Sir Galahad, the best knight on Arthur's court according to the magical sword, is tied to his virtue. The monk and the hermit both tell Gawain that he is wicked and therefore no equal to Galahad, who is blessed. The righteous get the glory and the rest get his leftovers. Malory seems to be making a distinction between Galahad and the other knights we have come to know in our previous readings, giving us a truly Christian protagonist. He doesn't kill or lie or sleep around. He has God on his side and that's what makes him powerful.
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