The Hero: The Legend Of King Arthur

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.

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.

King Arthur is an outstanding British leader of the 5th and the 6th centuries, son of Uther Pendragon and the Lady Igraine. Arthur is one of the greatest mythical heroes that the world has ever known. Arthur has had a great influence on other people and many of them looked up to him. The coming of Arthur was prophesied years before he was even born. Arthur was born into a world of chaos and disorder, full of love and tragedy. Nowadays, many of the scholars continue to argue whether or not King Arthur was a real person or just a mythological figure. Based on facts however, many believe that Arthur was not a real person; just a legendary British leader in the 5th and 6th centuries. According to history, there wasn't anyone named King Arthur

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

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 is one of the most popular literary figures of all time, capturing the hearts and minds of people for centuries. Hundreds of literary works have been created about the great medieval king. However, the debate goes on as to whether King Arthur was a real person or a fictional hero. Historians have yet to verify the actual existence of King Arthur.

King Arthur is a legendary British leader, according to medieval histories and romances, who led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore

King Arthur is a legendary medieval, mythological figure who was the head of the Kingdom of

    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.

We are gathered here today, to not only mourn the loss of a fallen king, but celebrate his life and accomplishments. I, Sir Beviderne, am privileged to have served such a great leader and accompany him in many important quests. Arthur was destined for greatness the second he was conceived. With the path of fate set in stone, Arthur paved the way for future leaders. His first major challenge was to pull the sword, Excalibur, from stone which could only be unleashed by the one true king. With this sword, he slayed evil at the advent of trouble. Arthur collected many noble knights to assist him in battle, causing him to gain popularity from his people. He was admired deeply, so deeply that other soldiers, including Lancelot and I, risk our lives

As the years progressed and the culture changed, so did the story. It has become so famous because it has been altered to fit all the present times. King Arthur has legends written about his heroic deeds and his gathering of so many powerful knights under his banner. He had legendary leadership abilities and great bravery. The legend that he will one day return to rule England has made him

What role did the great King Arthur play in the way English Literature is perceived? Did King Arthur honestly exist? “Whether King Arthur existed or not is doubtful. However if King Arthur did exist, then he would have lived sometime between 400 AD and 600 AD, a time of turmoil in Britain following the Roman withdrawl. And a time when written literature did not exist, therefore events during this period are only known about from folklore passed down several generations before being written down, or from modern archeology giving insights from excavations of sites. If there was ever a true King Arthur in history, he would probably be Romano-British warleader, probably named Artorius, which is a Roman name for Arthur. Though the Roman

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.

There were other great historical figures who became the heros of medieval legends, such as Alexander the Great and Charlemagne. We know that they existed and if somebody asks whether they did, we can say "yes" directly because we have reliable, historical records of them. But with Arthur, it is rather more difficult because the emphasis really is all on the legend, the romance.