Treason in Arthurian legend peers in the case of a treason accusation, and as an accessory Guinevere would not have been able to be sentenced until Lancelot was apprehended. However, Malory cites instead an “Arthurian treason law of his own invention as his basis for the queen’s death sentence.” Malory writes that in cases where guilt is “manifest and undeniable,” that “hasty judgment is appropriate.” However, this concept of “hasty judgment” is challenged by Sir Gawain when he protests Arthur's quick sentencing. Because Guinevere can only be considered an accessory to Lancelot's treason, “her treasonous guilt rests in the judgment on the guilt of
Treason in Arthurian legend those customary in King Arthur’s court — assuming its existence is founded in more than the legends and fables of medieval romances. The origins of the word treason, as speakers of English would recognize it, date to the 13th century. Indeed, prior to the Treason Act of 1351, there were few laws which outlined comprehensively the legal qualifications for treason, or the appropriate punishments for said crimes. The process of conviction, trial, and sentencing of traitors such as Lancelot or Mordred in Arthurian literature was greatly informed by the very real, very gruesome practices of both French and English courts,