Compare and Contrast Film Excalibur to Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’arthur

The most widely accepted myth says that Arthur wins acknowledgement as king by pulling a sword from a stone, after which Merlin reveals Arthur’s true parentage. Despite his young age, Arthur proves to be an able warrior and a noble king and manages to push the Saxon invaders out of Britain. Arthur possessed the sword Excalibur, which was given to him by the inscrutable Lady of the Lake. Arthur surrounded himself with loyal followers that became known as the Knights of the Round Table. Like every good legend, Arthur had a nemesis, his sister Morgan le Fay. Morgan le Fay is usually an evil sorceress who spends her time attempting to steal Arthur’s throne for her and her lover. Mordred, or Modred, is another enemy of Arthur’s. Mordred is either Arthur’s son or nephew by his sister Morgawse. Mordred seizes Arthur’s throne whilst he is away and in ultimately slain by Arthur, but not before fatally wounding the king. Arthur is then said to have retreated to Avalon, where he waits to once again take his place as king, earning him the title the Once and Future King.

Since very few individuals could write, stories of Arthur were mainly told by word of mouth. Oral stories did not get written down until later; Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote down the stories as one of the first written manuscript of Arthurian legend in 1139. Word of mouth was the way in which Arthur's story is passed down through the years, and it is safe to assume that during that time, the story transformed and evolved. Stories are embellished and added to, depending on the audience, in order to make it more exciting. As discussed before in this paper, local tradition had placed Camelot in an area that was proven

The story of King Arthur is widely known, either his beginnings told in The Sword in the Stone or how he led the Knights of the Round Table. While there are many version of his story T. H. White’s written version and Disney’s animated version of The Sword in the Stone are two of the most recognized versions. Most movies have the ability to embody the original intent of the book they were based upon. Disney’s movie version of T. H. White’s rendition of The Sword in the Stone, however, while portraying the correct story, does not truly convey enough elements of White’s version to be effective in telling the original story. The characterization and Merlyn’s ‘lessons’ within the movie inhibit the film from being an effective portrayal of the

a song. It is a very much happier poem than Morte d' Arthur. The tone

There are countless versions of the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Most English versions are based on Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, but where did these tales originate, and what different interpretations are there today? This essay seeks to examine the roots and different renditions of the various legends circulating today. The first section deals with the origins of the legend. The second section speculates on who the "real" King Arthur could have been. A comparison of several different versions, and suggestions of why they differ are given in the third section, and the conclusion presents an analysis on the ambiguity of the legend.

In Book XVIII (Eighteen), Chapter VII (Seven), Sir Mador kidnapped Queen Guinevere. Lancelot knew that Mador was a strong knight, but because he was loyal to Guinevere and Arthur, he fought Mador. Another case of loyalty mixed with a touch of bravery is when Arthur?s knights fought to their death to save Arthur from Mordred.

The events that have been described in the tale of King Arthur are not linked to any authentic historical events. For example, in the myth of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, when they were searching for the Holy Grail, it was described that they found the Grail but, in reality, the Grail was nowhere to be found. It is quite extreme to believe that the King himself and his

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.

Ideally, a king has an old look, a great amount of power, and naturally rules his domain with an iron fist in literature. In the two works, Le Morte d'Arthur and First Knight see two different versions of how king Arthur is portrayed. Yet the honor and respect that a king should have remains undisturbed, much like how both are products of their time. First Knight is told as a modern retelling of the legend and Le Morte d'Arthur is a minorly altered, much older work. While the depictions of king Arthur are seen as the paramount backbone for arthurian times, these two works have also proven to exhibit differences and similarities, illustrate Arthur’s figure in character, and serve as preservation of the time period.

The film King Arthur differs in a great propensity with the traditional Arthurian tale. The elements which represent the medieval society and which forms the key aspect of the traditional tale, have not been included. The Holy Grail, a vital motif that is persistent in the traditional tale of King Arthur is dropped from the cinematic representation of the tale. The film differs from the tale on multitudinous accounts, for instance there is an absence of the love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere in the movie. Moreover, the film chooses to not include Camelot, Avalon and Mordred. Important characters like Mordred, the archetypical villain in the traditional tale of King Arthur is not ascribed to any significance in the film. The character of Guinevere is indispensable in the Arthurian legend as well as in the movie. However, the very characteristic of Guinevere is represented in a dynamically polar opposite fashion in both the traditional tale of King Arthur and the movie. Contrary to the ancient tale, Guinevere is no damsel in distress in the movie. The representation of Guinevere in the movie as a warrior queen who partakes in the war along with King Arthur is emblematic as it does not depict the character of a woman in the light of the gender typicality. It is an important alteration that the movie chooses to make from the traditional tale.

During the years that King Arthur ruled over England, his reign is always remembered as a time of peace, a golden age, a great era, and a glorious time. However, this all comes to a halt, when two of Arthur’s most noble knights bring an affair into the open, causing his round table and kingdom to fall and bringing Arthur to his death. Written by Sir Thomas Malory in the latter half of the 15th century, books 20 and 21 of Morte D’Arthur (Death of Arthur) describe how over time, the tragic hero, King Arthur slowly loses control over his kingdom due to his ignorance, leading to a few errors in judgement that inevitably lead him to his own demise and to the passing of the great era that was the reign of the legendary King Arthur. King Arthur is a tragic hero due to his ignorance, overly trusting manner, and the careless mistakes that he makes during his time as king.

In the novel, Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory, Malory recounts the popular tale of King Arthur and the noble knights of the round table. However, Malory mirrored the Arthurian court in disposition to the current government by analyzing his ties to politics and life experiences. England encountered many difficulties during the 1500s and 1600s, for it was constantly in war while fearing its own revolution within its own government. Sir Thomas Malory lived dangerously as he constantly participated in heinous crimes, though being a knight of chivalry, however, the experiences of being a low-life citizen as well as an understanding of the government led Malory to write his own version of the Arthurian legend during imprisonment. Malory altered the legend to exhibit that chivalry contradicts with courtly love, where it will eventually lead to shame and loss of loyalty through his own experiences.

It can be difficult to define the unifying themes of Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur ; it can seem a tangle of random adventures mired with magic and religion, love and fate. What is the purpose behind all the seemingly similar adventures of so many similar knights? And what is the place that the books of Sir Trystram hold? These books make up the longest section of the work, yet Trystram plays no role in the search for the Holy Grail or the downfall of Arthur. There are many parallels drawn between Trystram and Launcelot: they are both the greatest knights of their time, both the greatest lovers, both become mad for a short time, etc. What distinguishes Trystram from Launcelot;

The early childhood of King Arthur seems to be the foundation of the epic journey of his life. Even though his achievements as a child were brief, they were extremely important to King Arthur’s outlook on life, as well as character. As an optimistic squire, King Arthur had hopes of one day overcoming his social standing. He received his wish when he unknowingly pulled the magical sword out of the stone.

Therefore, it is best to begin with book six, entitled Lancelot du Lake. There appears to be some inconsistency in how the book is to be divided, whether in books or in tales. The reader should be advised that these two terms are not synonymous, and that while there are only eight tales, there are twenty-two books in Le Morte D'Arthur.