The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend

Malory describes characters who are inducted into the company of the Round Table as gaining “a seat” or joining the “fellowship” (51, 72, 131, 162). At face value, this means access to the king and a place to gather with other knights, but the significance is deeper. Because of the shape of the Round Table—its lack of an obvious head—any knight inducted into the group enjoys symbolic equality with the knights already seated there; though some (like Lancelot) rise to dominance above the rest, before Arthur they all receive the same dignity, concern, and respect. In that sense, the Round Table symbolizes courteous and brotherly goodwill in itself. No matter what a person’s background (there are knights in the fellowship who hail from Ireland, Scotland, and France), so long as he proves himself courageous and loyal, any knight is welcome to join.

Coupled with the symbol of the Round Table is the symbol of empty seats there. At the beginning of the quest for the Holy Grail, Arthur laments that it will be the last time all of his knights are in fellowship together. After this point, every scene in the story featuring the Round Table either directly or indirectly comments on its emptiness or open seats.