Book Report/Character Analysis on the Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck
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The Acts of King Arthur and His
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Noble Knights
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By John Steinbeck
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Part One: Plot The first section of the book is entitled Merlin. The story begins by telling how Arthur came to be born and then flows into the life of Arthur. When Arthur is in his earlier years, God brings about a sword driven into an anvil set in stone. The gold writing on the stone claims that only the person meant to be King of England by right of birth shall be able to pull it out of the stone’s death grip. Many knights try to pull the sword from the stone, but all end up with nothing but tired hands.
One day Arthur rides over to the divine sword with the intention of delivering it to his brother. Arthur walks up, grasps the sword by the handle, and easily and fiercely draws it from the anvil and the stone. Shortly after that Arthur is declared the King of England. Many people are jealous and doubt his right to rule, but there are also many who are happy for the young fellow. With the help of Merlin, Arthur grows up to be a magnificent king, righting wrongs and restoring peace to his kingdom.
Some form of war is always occurring, and through Merlin’s guidance and prophesy Arthur is able to win many battles and become a highly respected king throughout the land. It is also in this first section that the ideas and rules of chivalry and knighthood are established; honor is very important to every knight, along with showing mercy when it is asked for and fighting for the rights of all ladies. It is clear that there is no central form of law enforcement during the time of King Arthur. Each knight can kill another knight with no fear of punishment as long as the death is the result of an agreed
The Acts of King Arthur and His
-------------------------------------------------
Noble Knights
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
By John Steinbeck
-------------------------------------------------
Part One: Plot The first section of the book is entitled Merlin. The story begins by telling how Arthur came to be born and then flows into the life of Arthur. When Arthur is in his earlier years, God brings about a sword driven into an anvil set in stone. The gold writing on the stone claims that only the person meant to be King of England by right of birth shall be able to pull it out of the stone’s death grip. Many knights try to pull the sword from the stone, but all end up with nothing but tired hands.
One day Arthur rides over to the divine sword with the intention of delivering it to his brother. Arthur walks up, grasps the sword by the handle, and easily and fiercely draws it from the anvil and the stone. Shortly after that Arthur is declared the King of England. Many people are jealous and doubt his right to rule, but there are also many who are happy for the young fellow. With the help of Merlin, Arthur grows up to be a magnificent king, righting wrongs and restoring peace to his kingdom.
Some form of war is always occurring, and through Merlin’s guidance and prophesy Arthur is able to win many battles and become a highly respected king throughout the land. It is also in this first section that the ideas and rules of chivalry and knighthood are established; honor is very important to every knight, along with showing mercy when it is asked for and fighting for the rights of all ladies. It is clear that there is no central form of law enforcement during the time of King Arthur. Each knight can kill another knight with no fear of punishment as long as the death is the result of an agreed
Bibliography: John Ernst Steinbeck. 2004. Contemporary Authors Online, Gale. Infotrac. March 6, 2009. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/726/80/59379379w16/purl=rcl_CA_0_H1000094705&dyn=4!ar_fmt&bkm_4_1?sw_aep=boon19847 Steinbeck, John. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights. U.S.A: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1976: 364 pages. Boone High School Library, Boone, IA. Feb. 9, 2009.