It was late evening in Camelot and bedtime loomed. Sir Leon stood in King Arthur’s warm, candlelit bedchamber, bearing a long parchment scroll.
“Sire, I have the daily report prepared for you.”
Young King Arthur sat at his writing desk close to the crackling hearth, dressed in his casual linen tunic, and he rolled his head in a circle as if trying to relax his neck muscles.
“Let’s hear it,” drawled the king, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet up into the desktop, sounding bored already.
Leon did not blame Arthur. Sometimes, Leon bored himself with his long-winded speeches about the mundane, but it was Leon’s responsibility to provide updates about the kingdom of Camelot’s safety, security, and military matters. It was his job and he did his best to provide detailed, accurate, and often exhaustive information.
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However, thanks to unrest in the west, Arthur requested twice-daily reports. And at such a late hour, Leon was not expected to be dressed in official clothes, so he turned up at the king’s bedchamber in his dark breeches and loose tunic top, but made sure they were free of wrinkles.
“Right.” Leon cleared his throat and tucked a wayward long, light brown curl behind his ear. “We have dispatched twenty knights to Brecknock to subdue the rioters, and another fifteen to Cradoc to stop the looters. Should those measures be effective in quelling the unrest…”
Leon droned on and on, detailing the movements and activities of all the Knights of Camelot. At the end of his exposition, he glanced up noticed a pained expression on the king’s face, Arthur rubbed the back of his neck and winced.
Leon stopped reading. “Is there a problem, problem, sire?”
“My damn neck! I’ve had a crick in it since yesterday’s training and it’s
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.
T.H. White is directly referenced within the film and Malory’s idealization of the glory of chivalry can once again be seen. In my essay, I will show how chivalry is used in all the texts above as a bonding agent between all Arthurian knights. As Arthur’s knights honor and respect chivalry they remain as one cohesive group, but once they begin to abandon chivalry the Round Table begins to crumble and chaos ensues. Annotated Bibliography Sprague, Kurth “Conclusion.” Arthuriana 16.3 (2006): 129-152.
King Arthur, a courageous man, who was able to pull out a sword from a rock as simple as possible. As for everyone else who tired, it was almost impossible. This was just the beginning stage of Arthur becoming a king. The thing that Merlin didn’...
Who was King Arthur? Most people would tell of a great King; a devoted circle of heroic knights; mighty castles and mightier deeds; a time of chivalry and courtly love; of Lancelot and Guinevere; of triumph and death. Historians and archaeologists, especially Leslie Alcock, point to shadowy evidence of a man who is not a king, but a commander of an army, who lived during the late fifth to early sixth century who may perhaps be the basis for Arthur. By looking at the context in which the stories of King Arthur survived, and the evidence pertaining to his castle Camelot and the Battle of Badon Hill, we can begin to see that Arthur is probably not a king as the legend holds.
King Arthur’s forgetful nature illustrates the fallacy of the feudal system which Mari de France refers to. Joseph and Francis Gies comment on this as they describe “[the real destroyer was not gunpowder but central government” (219). The political system in place proved ineffective as it favored certain elites. The nobility prospered while the commoners perished in anguish which is clearly presented in Lanval. Lanval fails to thrive while his comrades continue to gain wealth. Lanval’s distress stems from King Arthur which reflects the ineffective political system. Kings stabilize society as they dominate much of the politics and decisions made, yet kings frequently “forget” about the lower classes. Mari de France references this as two separate kings fail to reward Lanval. Lanval received “nothing from [his father]” (Mari de France 31) nor did Lanval receive “ample patronage” (Marie de France 13) from King Arthur. Those unfortunately in the third estate lack any political influence. Therefore, commoners have little control over the quality of their life. King Arthur, as any king should, must ensure the prosperity of his subjects especially the most loyal. Kings cannot deviate from this as the feudal system will not support this. France and Joseph Gies refer to this in their book Life in a Medieval Castle. France and Joseph Gies discuss the daily lives of the king and the subjects. The
Malory, Thomas. King Arthur and His Knights: Selected Tales by Sir Thomas Malory, ed. Eugene Vinaver (London: Oxford UP, 1975) 124-25.
At the onset of Sir Gawain and the Green Night the unknown author goes to great length physically describing the opulence of Christmastime in Arthur's court. For Camelot even Christmastide, a deeply religious holiday, is given significance based on its futile aesthetic veneer rather than inherent religious value. The dais is “well –decked” (Sir Gawain and the Green Night, 75), and “costly silk curtains” (76) canopy over Queen Guinevere. The Knights are described as “brave by din by day, dancing by night” (47 ), this is to say they are the paradigm of bravery and gentility. Both bravery and gentility are not indicative of the knights’ humanity, his feelings and thoughts, rather how appears and acts.
and material wealth to the members of his court. However, in the tale of Lanval, Arthur tends to
The conversation between the Old Man and Lennox after the murder of the Duncan is the most important indicator of the disruption in the natural order of things and becomes the beginning note for the unfolding of the upcoming events after the king’s death. “On Tuesday last/ A falcon, towering in her pride of place,/ Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d”5. The falcon represents the Dunc...
The final stanza of this passage offers a description to the scenery, traditions and some of the usual festivities that take place at Camelot. Under King Arthur's command, the New Year's party is underway, including song, dance, and competitions. It describes how only the youngest and best of all the knights and the fairest of all the ladies were present. "And the loveliest ladies that lived on earth ever, and he the comeliest king, that that court holds, for all this fari fold in their first age were still.
...e is once again surrounded by the familiar faces of Arthur's knights, this return cannot undo what he has experienced, does not unwrite what the poet has written. The return of the endless knot to the place of its beginning does not negate the existence of the pattern that has been created.
The English army under Edward I is preparing to invade. This is the result of Malcolm’s having fled there. In Act III a Lord tells Lennox, “The son of Duncan . . ./ Lives in the English court, and is receiv’d/ Of the most pious Edward with such grace . . .”
Malory, Sir Thomas. “The Crowning of Arthur.” Literature. Ed. Applebee, Arthur et. al. NY, New
The legend of King Arthur has intrigued generations for over a thousand years. Over these years, this tapestry has been handed down through the hands of many gifted storytellers. Bits and pieces were taken out and replaced by new strands woven in to fabricate a slight variation of the original that’s suitable for the audience or perhaps the storyteller himself. These modifications are evident in the 1981 film of Excalibur and Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” published in 1485. The film incorporates magical acts while religious allusions are portrayed in the text. There are several characters that appeared in one but not the other. The two versions have the same essential elements, but with some alterations. The main changes in the story plot are the events leading to the battle and the battle itself. The two versions have the same essential elements, but with some alterations.
King Arthur Arthurian legends are well known in today's society. However, very few people know of the "real" Arthur -- who he was and what his accomplishments were. This paper will establish the difference between legend and truth, show evidence to support and explain who the real Arthur was, and shed some light on the sometimes confusing Arthurian legends. To establish any sort of idea that there was, in fact, a "real" Arthur, it is imperative to look at the legendary Arthur and his impact on different cultures. Arthur's beginnings are shrouded in mystery, though it is generally accepted that he is the bastard child of Uther Pendragon and Ygerna.