König Arthur und die Ritter der Tafelrunde

Given the vast array of stories about King Arthur, I'm curious how Malory chose the tales that would define his version—what influenced those choices?

The political debates and courtly rituals felt immersive but also lengthy. Was that intentional to build tension or just a consequence of the storytelling style?

The battles felt so detailed and visceral—did the author draw from specific sources or personal imagination to craft these scenes?