Forging Chivalric Communities examines how Malory presents chivalry as a dynamic code shaped by communities large and small for their own purposes, from the national effort of England to free itself of the Roman legacy to Trystram's energy as a champion of Cornwall, to women's efforts to include themselves in the chivalric world. Hodges shows that Malory treats chivalry not as a static institution but rather, as a dynamic, continually evolving ideal. Le Morte D'arthur is structured to trace how communities and individuals adapt or create chivalric codes for their own purposes; in turn, Hodges...

Malory presents chivalry as a dynamic code shaped and reshaped by communities ranging from the nation to the province, from hermits to women.