King Mark Kills Bors and Amant and Is Brought Before Arthur is an episode in which jealousy turns a king’s plot against Sir Tristram into the murder of two knights and a public reckoning at King Arthur’s court. Mark’s effort to act secretly collapses when Sir Bersules refuses complicity, Sir Amant becomes his accuser, and the violence of their deaths is brought into the open. Yet the ending stops short of lasting justice: Mark submits to Arthur, who holds him at court and makes a provisional peace between uncle and nephew.

Background: Mark’s Jealousy of Tristram

King Mark is angered by Sir Tristram’s growing renown and has driven his nephew out of Cornwall. His suspicion is bound up with La Beale Isoud, Mark’s queen: he believes that too much love exists between her and Tristram. Their responses to Tristram’s success sharpen the contrast between them. Mark is distressed by reports of his prowess, while Isoud is glad to hear them.

Mark disguises himself and travels into England with two knights, Sir Bersules and Sir Amant, and two squires. His stated purpose to his companions is to destroy Tristram by guile or treason. The plan is not merely a private quarrel: Tristram has won renown at the Castle of Maidens, defeated thirty knights, and been made a knight of the Round Table by Arthur. Mark’s decision to pursue him therefore sets his personal jealousy against the honor Tristram has acquired at Arthur’s court.

Bersules Refuses the Plot

Mark tells Bersules and Amant that he has come to destroy Tristram by treachery. Bersules rejects the proposal outright. He regards Tristram as a knight of great honor, says he will not consent to bring about his death, and withdraws his service from Mark. Mark answers the refusal with violence, striking Bersules with his sword.

Amant and the two squires condemn what Mark has done and refuse to serve him further. They say they will accuse him of treason before Arthur. Mark is unable to take revenge on them at that moment, so he asks Amant not to disclose his identity as King Mark. Amant agrees not to reveal the name, and he and the squires bury Bersules. That promise does not amount to silence about the crime: Amant’s later accusation identifies Mark’s actions and brings the matter before Arthur’s court.

Amant’s Accusation and Death

At Arthur’s court, Mark encounters Amant, who has appealed him of treason. The appeal leads to a judicial combat, and Mark kills Amant in a wrongful cause. The episode makes the contrast between formal judgment and its peril plain: the contest is the means by which the accusation is answered, but its outcome does not establish Mark’s innocence. Amant is described as fighting in a righteous quarrel, and his account before the court confirms why he had brought the appeal.

While still able to speak, Amant sends a message to La Beale Isoud and says that he has been slain for love of her and Tristram. He explains that he and Bersules refused to take part in a treacherous attempt on Tristram’s life, and that he had accused Mark of treason before being killed in the right. Two maidens whom Isoud had sent to Tristram hear his account. They repeat it aloud, so the hidden identity and purpose behind the attack become public knowledge at court.

Launcelot Brings Mark Before Arthur

When the report reaches Arthur and the assembled court, Arthur is intensely angry. Tristram grieves for the loss of Bersules and Amant. Sir Launcelot sees his sorrow and asks Arthur for permission to return after Mark; Arthur authorizes him to fetch the king but expressly says that he does not want Mark killed in the pursuit.

Launcelot overtakes Mark after riding about three English miles. Mark asks his pursuer’s name; when Launcelot identifies himself and prepares to confront him, Mark yields. He offers no resistance and agrees to go with Launcelot to Arthur. The return is thus not a voluntary appearance: Mark acknowledges that Launcelot has brought him by force, and Launcelot delivers him to the court alive, in accordance with Arthur’s instruction.

Submission, Judgment, and an Unsettled Peace

Before Arthur, Mark lays aside his helmet and sword and places himself in the king’s mercy. Arthur receives him with deliberate reservation: Mark is welcome because he has been brought to court, but not welcome in light of his conduct. Arthur reminds him that he owes service, homage, and fealty, which he has refused, and that he has repeatedly acted against the king and destroyed his knights. Mark promises to make amends as Arthur requires.

The settlement is shaped by Tristram’s desire for reconciliation. Arthur keeps Mark at court to please Tristram and makes what the narrative calls a broken love day between them. It is an accommodation, not evidence that the murders have been repaired or Mark’s loyalty secured. The episode closes with Mark under Arthur’s authority, but with the peace between him and Tristram explicitly fragile. Its reversals—from secret conspiracy to public accusation, and from a king’s power to Launcelot’s compelled escort—show how the court’s claims to honor and justice depend on confronting violence rather than accepting a victor’s account of it.