King Arthur Themes

Chivalry, Feudalism, Religion, and The Absurd are all important themes in Arthurian tales. All Arthurian tales have these themes and they are important to the story. Provide these stories a satire twist, and now the themes can misshapen. With Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight these movies and stories make it so that there are differences and similarities in these. These important themes make it so their are differences in these important movie and stories.

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

Queen Guinevere is the only woman who does not fully conform to what is expected of her. She does not passively consent to Mordred’s intention to inherit her like an item. She makes use of the women’s persuasive power and feigns the desire to look good on their wedding day to pave her way out of Mordred’s captivity. She is the master of flirtation and she knows how to stroke the male ego.

We as readers realize that many women of this era were objects of courtly love. However, in other Arthurian texts, Guinevere takes a more active role in the story and portrays an adulteress. In "Du Mantel mautaille" a knight arrives at King Arthur's court and brings with him a magic coat which is to fit the women who has been faithful to her husband or lover. Guinevere is singled out by the author as the "incarnation of unfaithfulness" (Bloch 95). In medieval literature, women are also portrayed as adulteresses such as the Lady in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight.

Two conflicting disciplines are prevalent throughout Arthurian Legend; that of chivalry and that of courtly love. The ideal of each clash throughout the medieval tales, and it is impossible to interfuse the two models for society. Chivalry is a masculine code, an aggressive discipline, whereas courtly love is based upon women - their needs, wants, and desires. The consistent problem if Lancelot and Guinevere’s adulterous relationship in different tellings of the affair relates back to the differences presented in chivalric code and courtly love ideals.

But, the definite solution of this panic was the King Arthur’s word to Guinevere, “Dear lady, don’t be daunted by this deed today,/ it’s in keeping that such strangeness should occur at Christmas/ between sessions of banter and seasonal song,/ amid the lively pastimes of ladies and lords” (470-73). The king Arthur’s single comment for relaxing Guinevere also relaxes the whole atmosphere of the court. Though Guinevere is described as weak character, but she was the very important character for symbolize the great stability of King Arthur’s court.

The 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 a 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.

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s, The Coming of Arthur is a long poem that explains a fragment of King Arthurs journey to becoming the king of Cameliard. In this writing the author takes scenes that may require a long description and sums them up in under ten lines, while scenes that need less detailed descriptions are explained in over twenty lines. An example of this would be the stanzas where Arthur and Guinevere get married. These stanzas could easily be summed into ten or less lines but Tennyson decides to take care with his words in this scene and explain all he can. The reason the wedding scene is so heavily descripted is because it is a representation of how far Cameiliard has come and a celebration of its strong beginning. This idea can be explored through events that caused the wedding, the significance of the wedding scene, its hidden symbols in the text and its foreshadowing to a great reign.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail satirizes courtly love and chivalry as portrayed in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the film First Knight in many diverse ways. Satire is the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule; it can be shown in an amusing tone or in a way that provokes a darker kind of laughter. The literary technique known as satire was used in the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail when making fun of easily identified common medieval themes such as chivalry and courtly love.Monty Python and the Holy Grail is intended to be more of a sarcastic piece, which is why it pokes fun at the more earnest works that feature King Arthur. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and First Knight, Sir Gawain and Lancelot both display what can be consid-ered faultless examples of courtly love and chivalry.

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.

Women played an active role in the stories of King Arthur and those of Gawain. Many of these women often caused temptation and at times comfort to those knights who needed it. In the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the lady kept tempting Gawain throughout the whole story. In those stories of King Arthur, Guinevere, his wife, committed adultery and was saved by Launcelot from flames. Both the women in the stories of Gawain and those in Arthur created problems and at times solved them.

Guinevere of the King Arthur legends is called the daughter of King Leodegrance. (Britannia) In early Welsh tales she was said to be the daughter of a giant. (Senior 84) She is actually the daughter of a Roman Roman noble. (Britannia) Born in C.AD 490 . (Fords) Guinevere descended from a noble family of romans. (Lace 63) It is true that Guinevere is sexual, that she craves the love of a man who (unlike Arthur) has “A touch of earth.” (MaChan 200) She is also self-centered and small-minded. (MaChan 200) She is occasionally a political pawn in the hands of Modred, other knights, and even Arthur himself. (Guinevere) With the help of Lancelot, she escapes a number of predicaments, including kidnapping by Sir Meliaguant, burning at the stake,

Three major themes that are present in the King Arthur legend, have transcended throughout hundreds of years of existence because of their ability to relate to everyday universal experiences. The reason that the King Arthur legend is so transparent through multiple generations and time periods is because of its simple themes that are an integral parts of the human experience. The King Arthur legend uses themes of redemption, the unknown, and morals to connect readers from multiple generations and cultures.

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.

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!