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 of noble birth, while a death by hanging, drawing and quartering was reserved for those deemed “ignoble.” The English would also disembowel or burn the entrails of those executed for treason, in a practice distinct from the French. Those executed for treason in later medieval England would also often have their bodies put on display to symbolize their shamefulness and their “excision from the body politic.” Treason is a major feature throughout Arthurian romances. Knights constantly commit acts of treason as does Guinevere herself. The treason of Lancelot, Guinevere, Agravain and Mordred eventually destroy Arthur's court and his downfall is