Comparing The Legend Of King Arthur And Merlin

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 was an ideal person to many people during the medieval time period. He was brave, fair, fearless, supernatural, and honorable. These characteristics made King Arthur a legendary person. Many stories of the King Arthur legend exist today. These stories have many similarities and differences such as in Morte d'Arthur and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In both stories, the author's use the code of chivalry and fantasy, but one author decides to let King Arthur die and the other does not.

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

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 the Medieval Period, knights dedicated their lives to following the code of chivalry. In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, a number of characters performed chivalrous acts to achieve the status of an ideal knight. Their characteristics of respect for women and courtesy for all, helpfulness to the weak, honor, and skill in battle made the characters King Arthur, King Pellinore, and Sir Gryfflette examples of a what knights strove to be like in Medieval society. Because of the examples ofchivalry, Le Morte d’Arthur showed what a knight desired to be, so he could improve theworld in which he lived.

Merlin has successfully brought up King Arthur to become a virtuous man and a worthy king who is exceptionally capable of fulfilling Machiavelli’s guidelines. For example, Machiavelli states in “Concerning Things for Which Men, and Especially Princes, are Blamed” from The Prince that “…a man who wishes to act entirely up to his professions of virtue soon meets with what destroys him among so much that is evil.” Merlin taught Arthur integrity and goodness. King Arthur takes this wisdom to build the

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.

The legend of King Arthur and his knights have been inspiring writers of all genres to create some of their most iconic work for hundreds of years. The grandeur of castles, magic, princesses and knights in shining armor is the perfect setting for authors to let their imagination run wild. Two examples that illustrate this are A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, a novel by Mark Twain, and A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, the movie. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and A Kid in King Arthur’s Court not only have apparent similarities and differences but some that lie beneath the surface as well.

    In all the long history of literature, some fictional characters have loomed above others, written about again and again by various authors of various eras. Arthurian literature is one area of fiction that has always been popular for writers to recreate in new versions, and one of the most intriguing characters of all Arthurian literature is Merlin, the magician/ prophet who aids Arthur early in his reign. As the Arthurian saga develops, so does Merlin, changing from an aloof, druidical character into a more human, magical being, though always retaining some traces of his Welsh origins.

People thought as Merlin as just a wizard who could do magic, but he was more than just that. He was also a mentor to Arthur as he was growing up and becoming a king. Merlin’s transfer from childhood to adulthood was very problematic. He was once kidnapped by Queen Mab as a teenager. He was tied down to a tree to be sacrificed to a dragon and survived. His mother and aunt were both murdered by Queen Mab.

Merlin, the wizard with a giant pointy hat on his head, doing magical acts to please the crowd. That is what Merlin has become today, a shadow of his meaning in the Arthurian legends. Another misconception of the stories are the stories’ of Taliesin and Merlin. Most confuse either or some mix both and make them into one. The beginnings or Merlin are confusing and muddled within the stories. While Taliesin has a set story similar to that of Moses in the Bible.

The Arthurian Legend is seen to be extremely influential in benefitting the English people during the Romantic Era. Even if King Arthur is a fictional character of myth and legend in England, his childhood, countless glories and achievements as the king of Camelot, and the final down fall of his strong empire validated his importance to English literature. Proof of King Arthur’s existence would possibly solidify the impact he had on the English culture (Arthurian Legends Vol. 1).

Although King Arthur is one of the most well-known figures in the world, his true identity remains a mystery. Attempts to identify the historical Arthur have been unsuccessful, since he is largely a product of fiction. Most historians, though, agree that the real Arthur was probably a battle leader of the Britons against the Anglo-Saxons in the sixthth century. In literature, King Arthur's character is unique and ever changing, taking on a different face in every work. There is never a clearly definitive picture that identifies Arthur's character. It is therefore necessary to look at a few different sources to get better insight into the character of Arthur, the once and future king.