The Importance of the Adder

In Thomas Malory’s Morte Darthur, Arthur and Mordred battle over the drawing of a sword to kill an adder. While the passage on the killing of the adder is short, it holds great meaning both internally and externally to the plot.

The adder relates back to Arthur’s dream in the beginning of the passage. Arthur falls “among the serpents, and every beast took him limb by limb” (491). The dream not only foreshadows Arthur’s death, but also the importance of the snake. The irony of the snake’s death is it seemed so insignificant, yet it resulted in the massacre of many knights and the deaths of both King Arthur and Mordred. The knight “drew his sword to slay the adder, and thought none other harm” (492). However, the actions of the knight (who is of unknown side) result in significant loss on both sides.

Aside from being a pivotal point in the story of the death of Arthur, the snake is a symbol that represents both Arthur and Christ. The death of the snake is a precursor to the death of Arthur, but it also symbolizes Christ’s sacrifice. Biblically, the snake is a symbol of sin and the devil. Therefore, the death of the snake represents the death of sin – Christ dying on the cross for humanity. This circles back to the deaths of Arthur and Mordred. If Arthur is a symbol of ultimate good and Mordred is Arthur’s antithesis, Arthur is a refection of Christ who must die in order to kill Mordred – the symbol of sin.

It’s interesting to think how a single event can change an entire story. An adder, who appears for a mere three lines, changes fate, creates chaos, foreshadows death, and serves as an allegorical symbol.