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Coming Of Arthur

Decent Essays

Concerned, Ulfin said, “My Lord, the damage has been done, and we must repair it as well as possible” (de Boron 354). As Ulfin states, the courtship between Uther and Ygerne causes complications throughout the kingdom because, instead of just one night together, Ygerne becomes pregnant with Arthur. Within literature, this courtship is presented in different manners depending on the time period of the author and their target audience. Stewart’s The Hollow Hills, written in the twentieth century, includes a romantic version of the marriage to entertain the readers; it also has extended explanations because it is a novel. The Prose Merlin by de Boron was composed in the fifteenth century and is based on multiple sources to provide a straightforward …show more content…

Since the work is brief, more details are left to the imagination. Uther sees Ygerne for the first time and is instantly in love, so much that does not agonize over hiding it. He is obvious about his flirting and Gorlois catches on; this creates a war to outbreak just as in the other two texts. “The Coming of Arthur” differs here though because Gorlois is quickly overthrown and killed by the King. Uther is so involved in getting what he wants, he does not care what the consequences can be. Ygerne is pushed into marriage with the King, which is seen in the line: “Enforced she was to wed him in her tears” (Tennyson 203). Uther is selfish because he does not wait for Ygerne to grieve over her husband’s death. In Tennyson’s poem, Uther’s approach is more demanding; he does not try to win her over at first or give her time to process her the Duke’s death before marriage. Another difference is that Uther did not turn to others for help; he did not have a servant go talk to her or ask Merlin to break into the Tintagil castle. Ygerne is not fond of Uther from the first time they meet; she “loathed the bright dishonor of [Uther’s] love” (194) because she is devoted to her husband. Once Golrois dies in the war, Ygerne’s men ditch her in the castle so she is left with no choice but to stay with the King who promptly …show more content…

Stewart uses a silent Ygraine, no magic from Merlin, and a King who wins over his wife with a deal between the two families. The Prose Merlin includes an obsessive Uther trying to be with an opinionated, married woman with help from the sorcerer and Ulfin to get only one night with the woman of his dreams. Lastly, Tennyson has more focus on Ygerne because the King passes away earlier than the rest of the works and Merlin is not as involved with the first steps of the relationship. Each source is from a different time period and brings a unique aspect to the popular Arthurian story

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