King Arthur: The Myths and the Actual Person Essay

For years there has been a debate over the fact if King Arthur was either a real person or if he was a legendary myth. Many articles, books, and papers have been written about King Arthur. For centuries, no hard evidence has been found to prove the existence of Arthur and the Knights at the Round Table. His existence can not be proven, because back then they did not keep records of who was born and when they died. They did not have the technology that we have today. “No one is certain that King Arthur is dead.”(Malory). Even if King Arthur existed he would not be alive in 2017. If he existed in the late 5th century, and early 6th century there is no possible way he would still be alive. The average human lifespan is only 79 years of age. Then again, back in that time they did not have the medicine that we have today. Most of the citizens were dying from diseases. The point here is that there is no way that King Arthur would be alive, he would be thousands years old.

Arthur was believed to be as a hero who helped fight off the invading Anglo-Saxons. During this time, The Britons were victims to many invasions, hunger, and oppression. There was a huge gap between rich and poor and educated people as well. There was a lot of uncertainty and no security in this society. The people waited for a savior from the long and continuous invasions from the Saxons, Danes, and Vikings. This is where the story of King Arthur is born, this is where the legend begins and spreads through Europe. Arthur’s warrior like skills and great leadership carry a legacy that still lives today. Arthur’s story is hard to figure out because many historians have created their own version of Arthur’s life. Due to the lack of remaining evidence for his existence, historians often have to use their own judgment and observation to tell his

We have all read the stories about the legendary King Arthur. Even though he supposedly ruled thousands of years ago, there are still many opinions today about his existence. Some people truly believe he was a real person, or based off of a real person, while others say he was just a myth. Let’s take a look at the most recent opinions.

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.

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.

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.

Arthur is considered a hero in almost every text that mentions him. In spite of this, though, more was written about adventures of his knights than of him personally (Chambers 155). It is said that Arthur existed not only to kill Saxons but also to be a Christian champion who killed pagans as well. Previous to anything the romantic French poets wrote about him, Arthur was glorified in writing for conducting aggressive wars, during which he conquered "fantastical" places. If he had, in fact, conquered real places, there would have been more written on these conquests since by the time he was active it would have been more controversial for him to attack and conquer foreign countries. However, there are three major battles that Arthur is connected to. One of the most controversial is the war that Arthur fought with the Roman empire. It is suggested by Geoffrey of Monmouth that Arthur's motivation to fight the Roman emperor did not come from the fact only that the emperor was seen as a pagan and sinner against God, but also because there was a rivalry between Arthur's "new" nation as opposed to Rome's old, worn-out nation. The Roman war is considered a "principal artery" of Arthurian legend, possibly next only to the

The film King Arthur overall is a pretty accurate depiction on what actually happened in history. The only turn in events that may not go with the groove of history, is the controversial idea that King Arthur is not a real person. King Arthur is known to be a legend, and a legend is a traditional story that is sometimes popularly regarded as historical, but not proven or validated. There are people out in the world that believe Arthur is a heroic symbol of a group of people. A group of people that conquered the Saxons and that Arthur is just the overall big picture of everything that had happened. Then there are people that believe that Arthur is a real person, and he did everything that is shown to us in the film, and he actually lived the

King Arthur's character has many faces. He is shown to be kind, wise and generous on one hand, yet at the same time, he can be seen as a weak king who is stubborn, childish, and unable to make wise decisions for himself or for the good of the court. He is described by Nennius as a powerful warrior, who is able to personally slay 960 men in one charge. Wace shows him possessing leadership qualities as he establishes the Round Table to ensure that justice and peace prevail. In Celtic legends, Arthur is a supernatural hero who battles giants, monsters, and witches. He kills the Demon Cat of Losanne and hunts the boar Twrch Truyth driving him into the sea. (Camelot and Arthurian Legend: Arthur online 4/27/98)

The legend of King Arthur is undoubtedly one of the most famous stories of all time. People from all walks of life know the tales of his courage and loyalty, his knights and the search for the Holy Grail. But, the big question is, was King Arthur a real person? In 540 CE, Gildas, a Welsh Historian, reported that near the turn of the century there was a great warrior named Ambrosius who stopped the Anglo-Saxons from taking over the western part of Britain. Gildas never directly said he was a commander of the army but did imply he was responsible for the victory at the Battle of Badon. He also never mentions if Ambrosius was a king. This was the most solid evidence found that would lead to the conclusion that Arthur was real. There are other

“King Arthur was said to be the son of Uther Pendragon and Ygraine of Cornwall. Arthur is a near mythic figure in Celtic stories such as Culhwch and Olwen. In early chronicles he is presented as a military leader, the dux bellorum. In later romance he is a king and emperor. The Tudor monarchs traced their lineage to King Arthur and used that connection as a justification for their occupation of the English throne.” (So who was King Arthur) . As it says in this quote Arthur has been said to be the son of Uther Pendragon and Ygraine of Cornwall. He is a military leader, and we all know later on in his life that he becomes king and emperor. “Irrespective of whether King Arthur was real or mythical, it cannot be denied that King Arthur has been

King Arthur was born, son of King Uther Pendragon and heir to the throne. His parents fell in love with him immediately. They had Arthur out of whitlock and had to be very discreet with their brand new baby boy. An intelligent magician, Merlin, advised the parents that Arthur should be raised elsewhere with another family, so his identity will remain a secret. This way, all conflict could be avoided. The last thing these two new parents was an uprising over a new heir. So, they did just that. Years later, King Uther died, and England was without a ruler. As expected, every noble in the land was arguing about who would be the next king. A sword was magically put into a rock, with words inscribed on the side, explaining that whoever pulled out

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is an exhilarating movie which always has you sat on the edge of your seat as the movie is so intense and action packed as it always has something going on whether it be a fight scene or Arthur being told something about his father and his family. King Arthur was a child who was too young to know what happened to his parents as at a young age his parent (Uther Pendragon) the king at the time was killed by Vortigern (Arthur’s uncle) due to want of power as he wanted to

The Sword in the Stone was only to be pulled by the most worthy and courageous hero and that hero was Arthur. Arthur was only able to wield the weapon after the precise and great advisory of Merlin, as well as his experiences in battles that tested his wit and morality. His ability to draw the sword only further proves his morality and honor, making him an even more heroic character. His use of the sword was further to impress the qualities that allowed him to achieve the weapon in the first place.

King Arthur isn’t a strong leader! Everyone believes that King Arthur had a perfect kingdom and that he was a strong and brave leader and could face any danger and come back alive. In King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green, King Arthur has trouble making crucial decisions in the story and lets his emotions get the best of him during drastic times, during the trial of Guinevere he let Lancelot escape with her even though he knew Lancelot would show up, he let his emotions get the best of him when he heard the rumors of Lancelot and Guinevere being together because he was scared of the truth of them actually being together, he doesn’t listen to the warnings of Merlin when he says that Guinevere would bring the end to his kingdom. King Arthur is a weak Leader!