Home › Glossary › Letter D

Duke Gorlois

Arthurian Legend
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Igraine’s husband and Duke of Cornwall, whose death enables Uther’s union with her and Arthur’s conception.

Detailed Definition
Gorlois’ betrayal and death set Arthur’s destiny in motion through Merlin’s magic. In poetry, he represents the tragic cost of kingship’s origins, where personal loss fuels national myth and divine providence.
Example
Example in poetry:
Duke Gorlois, Igraine’s first husband and victim of Uther’s deception, appears in poetry as a figure of betrayed honor—e.g., “Gorlois died trusting walls, not wondering why his wife’s eyes grew strange”; Poets use him to explore the collateral damage of destiny: “No chronicle names Gorlois’ grief, only Arthur’s birth”; In feminist retellings, he symbolizes patriarchal fragility: “Gorlois guarded a castle, but not a heart already claimed by magic”; His name evokes tragic irony in historical lyrics; Contemporary verse frames him as the necessary sacrifice for myth’s machinery.
Additional Notes
Duke Gorlois of Cornwall is Igraine’s husband, betrayed and killed so Uther can conceive Arthur—a necessary but morally fraught act. He represents the collateral damage of destiny: an honorable man erased for myth’s sake. Poets use him to explore the cost of foundational lies and the silence of history’s victims. For students, Gorlois is crucial for analyzing the legend’s ethical ambiguities: his death underscores how Arthur’s reign begins in deception, making him a poignant figure for discussions of legitimacy, sacrifice, and narrative erasure in poetic historiography.
Also Known As
Gorlois of Cornwall Duke of Tintagel Lord Gorlois
Skip to main content