What role did the great King Arthur play in the way English Literature is perceived? The Arthurian Legends reveal King Arthur as a chivalrous king and not as a historical figure but as a myth of mass amounts of achievements. From his search of the Holy Grail, to his perfect society in Camelot and his development of the Round Table, King Arthur’s legend displayed his heroic character. Through the many countless legends of the glorious King Arthur, England’s society underwent a drastic change in the outlook on life. With the influences of King Arthur came an extreme change in philosophies and lifestyles. Countless situations on how exactly the people of England altered their views on life were they became more cultivated and highly intellectual amongst themselves. The majority of the English society felt the need to escape the strenuous lifestyle that the Industrial Revolution brought upon. The Arthurian Legends was an effect of the Romantic Era and resulted in the abstract thinking, and the beautiful arts such as music, paintings, poems, and stories. The birth of the Arthurian Legends came from Celtic mythology and medieval romance and the existence of the presence of magic confirm the conception of artistic intellect. Whether or not King Arthur truly existed the ideas of him dramatically changed the English society and English Literature to its current form. The Arthurian Legend has proven to be extremely influential and benefited the people of England during the Romantic Era. Therefore, even if he is a fictional figure of English history King Arthur’s childhood, his countless glorious achievements as the king of Camelot, the final down fall of his strong empire King Arthur validated his importance to English literature. ...
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...tousness that I acquired there;/ This is the token of the untruth I was caught in,/ And I must wear it while I still live./ A man may hide his misdeed, but never undo it,/ For where once it's attached, it is latched on forever."/ The king comforts the knight, and all the court also/ Laughs loudly about it, and courteously agrees/ That the lords and the ladies who belong to the Table,/ Each guest at the gathering, should have such a belt,/ A band of bright green circling slantwise about,/ Of the same sort as Sir Gawain's and worn for his sake” (Figg, Fiedman 2505-2518)
Works Cited
"Camelot." U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Vol. 2. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 205-208. Gale World History In Context. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.
"Arthurian Legends." U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology. Vol. 1. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 120-124. Gale World History In Context. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.
Malory, Thomas. King Arthur and His Knights: Selected Tales by Sir Thomas Malory, ed. Eugene Vinaver (London: Oxford UP, 1975) 124-25.
The Arthurian cycle shows a sporadic awareness of the impossibility of mere humans fulfilling all the ideals that Arthur and his court represent. The story of Lancelot and Guenevere, Merlin's imprisonment by Nimu‘, and numerous other instances testify to the recognition of this tension between the real and the unrealistic.
From the power of persuasion to the value of honor and beyond, one can witness many facets of human nature played out among the pages of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”. No theme of which can be seen more impeccably than the showcase of virtue verses sin. As Gawain is launched into tests of courtesy it is clear that much more is being examined than just his execution of courteous behavior, it is the nature of those around him that is also being taken into account. It is interesting how an author uses the combination of a negatively imbued foe and a positively inspired hero to highlight the traits most desirable for the mere mortals reading such a tale. In “Sir Gawain” the author uses some of the seven deadly sins to poetically draw their reader numerous and highly elaborate verbal pictures. For instance, in the opening passages of “Sir Gawain” the reader is told of rich and sumptuous clothing, decadent banquets hosted by Arthur and the lavish finery in his court. The reader might find that Arthur’s court is gluttonous in these displays of wealth while reading this section. Opulence, however, is laced thoroughly as reoccurring theme through many of the court and hall scenes in this particular romance. Another specific instance of the seven deadly being used is when the reader is shown that courtesy is a “big deal” for Arthur and his court. On display here is pride, chief of the seven deadly sins, which obviously reigns supreme when it comes to the reputation of courtesy in Arthur’s court. It comes into question here if these traits are entirely good or if they have a darker, more sinful nature attached to them. Thus as Gawain was tested for his diligence to courteous behavior, here and thence five of the seven deadly sins that a...
The Court of King Arthur in the Tales of Lanval and Sir Gawain the Green Knight
King Arthur and the knights of the round table belong to a long line of books and stories of the Arthurian legend. Merlin, Lancelot, The lady of the lake, King Arthur, and Excaliber are all very important in the Arthurian legend. In this essay we will talk about King Arthur, the knights of the round table, and Merlin in the famous story, The sword in the stone.
"King Arthur's Childhood." David & Margaret's Early British Kingdoms for Kids. N.p., n.d. Google. Web. 20 May 2014. .
Rosenberg, Donna. "The Death of Balder" World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Pub. Group, 1994. 218-223. Print.
Malory, Thomas, and Keith Baines.Malory's Le morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the legends of the Round Table. 1962. Reprint, New York: New American Library, 2010.
Morford, Mark P.O., and Robert J. Lenardon. Classical Mythology. '7th ed'. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
King Arthur is a great mystery debated throughout the centuries. There have been several films and texts that attempt to reveal the truth about King Arthur. Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon, was once the king of Britain and the founder of the Knights of the Round Table. Coghlan outlines that Arthur is present in many different traditions throughout centuries (Coghlan, 1995). In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth told of Arthur as a great king who defeated barbarians by the dozens. Coghlan also mentions Malory as “the standard ‘history’ of Arthur” (Coghlan, 1995). As there are various texts that tell Arthur’s origin and his legend, this essay will focus on one of the more prominent texts, The Death of King Arthur by Peter Ackroyd.
“’Whoso pulleth out this sword is by right of birth king of England’” (Lang, pg. 21). These thirteen words define in every way how Arthur gained his early recognition. People from far and wide pulled with all their might, with hopes of drawing that sword out of the stone. However, not even the most noble and prestigious knights could do so. The only person to do so was young Arthur, who pulled the sword out so his foster-brother Sir Kay could participate in the tourney that day. After proving himself, he obtained the titl...
Morford Mark, Lenardon Robert, and Sham Michael. Classical Mythology, International Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2011. Print. 830 pages.
Rosenburg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Third Edition. Chicago: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 1999. Text.
"Achilles." Gods, Heroes and Myth: Mythologies of Many lands. 10 June 2003. Internet. 23 June 2003.
Leick, Gwendolyn. A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology. London: Routledge, 1991. Print Page 61