Preview

How Does King Arthur Exist

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1847 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Does King Arthur Exist
The famous legend of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table is arguably one of the most highly acclaimed themes in British literature and history. Although the Arthurian legends, full of magic and heroism, seem to be far-fetched and a complete fantasy, evidence to prove the existence of the so-called “King Arthur” actually does exist, just not in great numbers. The historical foundation surrounding King Arthur is not enough to validate that he actually existed, yet it still leaves historians dubious that it is all a fantasy. The renowned tale of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table is thought to be based on the Christian general, Ambrosius Aurelianus, who lead the Britons to victory during the Battle of Mount Badon against the Anglo-Saxons. The first recording of King Arthur was by the historian Glidas in 546 in which he describes the Battle of Mount Badon, that places Ambrosius Aurelianus, (King Arthur) into existence. The next reference of Arthur came in 796, a written claim by the historian Nennias in his book, …show more content…
The story of King Arthur is known for its distinguished concept of a round table - where there is no head, hence no overwhelming source of power, which levels the playing field thus making all equal. These values of fairness and honor is partially what made King Arthur so successful, and his knights so trusting and loyal. Not only was he loyal to his knights, but he was also loyal to his people, and as shown in the movie “King Arthur,” he was willing to sacrifice his life in order to save his knights and people from the invading Anglo-Saxons. The story of a noble and compassionate king, and his battle to save his people and knights against the invading Anglo-Saxons, teaches the readers to be fair, honorable, loyal, and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the book, King Arthur is like a Godly figure. He is portrayed as the best king in the world, who everyone knows and respects. In the book he and the Knights of the Round Table in the book are considered the best of the best. For example, we can see that when King Arthur pulls out the sword from the stone that no one could to get, everyone views King Arthur as a God. However, in contrast, the movie shows that King Arthur does not get as much respect as he should have. For example, when King Arthur passes by Dennis the peasant, the peasant talks to him in a very rude manner. When King Arthur orders him to be quiet, the peasant doesn’t listen; he just keeps on saying bad things about him. Also, the knights in this movie show us that they are not very bright. For example, when they try to go in the French castle they use the “Trojan Horse” plan by building a wooden rabbit. However, they forget to hide some of the knights in the wooden rabbit first before they send it into the castle. According to Malory, all of the knights should be brave, but in this movie we can see that Sir Robin, one of the Knights of the Round Table, is a coward because he runs away from a…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story of the greatest king of all time has been developed over centuries. The Arthurian legend has no known author’s that can claim the original Arthurian legend however it is stated that three authors helped shaped the Arthurian legend, such as Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chretien de Troyes and Sir Thomas Malory. These author’s work, specifically Sir Thomas Malory’s, have been the main sources for many authors that translate the legend from Middle English to modern English in the late nineteenth century and the twentieth century for modern readers to understand and enjoy the fantastic legend of King Arthur. However, Malory’s famous novel “Le Morte D’Arthur” did not seem appropriate for youngsters, because of its sexual details, betrayal, adultery,…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This excerpt from Malory’s Morte D’Arthur illustrates the greatness of King Arthur and the importance of following the rules of war and chivalry. King Arthur is betrayed by his close friend Lancelot, his most favored knight, and by his queen Guinevere. Upon being betrayed, Arthur is forced to follow the rules of the time, and do as he is expected.…

    • 293 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marie de France in her description of King Arthur's court and its rules leaves a romantic notion, as to how noble knight shall carry himself as true gentleman. Her Lanval…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    King Arthur is a fictional character based off of an actual king in the fifth century. The tales were originally coined by the author Nennius, although, as years progressed it was discovered to be the craftsmanship of several authors. The several different writers each contributed to many different versions of the same story, much of the key elements remain the same. King Arthur was a Christian figurehead. He was the epitome of grace, modesty, and faith; just a few virtues that are heavily endeared by the Christian faith. In Le Morte d’Arthur, written by Sir Thomas Malory,Arthur says, “I may not so, for I have promised to do the battle to the uttermost by the faith of my body, while me lasteth the life, and therefore I had liefer to die with honour than to live with…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    lab question

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages

    King Arthur is a good legend because he is noble and strong and those are both great quality’s to betray.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “Who in time became one of the noblest of all the Knights of the Round Table...Some call him simply ‘The Fair Unknown’ ” (228). In King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table edited by Roger Lancelyn Green, Percivale is said to be the son of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell. According to the tales he grew up isolated from the outside world in the forest of Wales with his mother. Percivale’s story , like the majority of all heros’, can be broken down into a single cycle or journey referred to as the Hero's cycle/journey. In the tales of King Arthur and his knights, Percivale sets out on the Hero's Journey as he is called to adventure and receives assistance, experiences trials and crises, and finds treasure and a new life at the end of his journey.…

    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The legend of King Arthur can be traced as far back as the fourth and fifth centuries. But the earliest tales of Arthur were almost nothing like they are today. There were no wandering minstrels, or ladies–in–waiting, or knights in shining armor taking on bold quests to defend their ladies. Instead, there were tales of giants, and magic cups, and invaders from a foreign land. In some ancient versions of the legend, Arthur is a hero whose deeds are comparable to those of Hercules. In more modern versions, he is merely a king whose knights are the real heroes of the story. The earliest tales of Arthur were spread largely by word of mouth, and very few written accounts survive. Of the ones that do, we do not have the original documents, only copies…

    • 228 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    All throughout the poem the ideals of chivalry are prominent. These morals can be described as a lifestyle for these knights followed by not only Arthur's court but by all knights.…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Arthur's Tragic Flaw

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Arthur Pendragon more famously known as King Arthur is a legendary leader who lived during the medieval era. There are various versions of the story of the knights of the round table and of how King Arthur came to be. Arthur is considered a heroic figure in most modern text, in many ways Arthur is a hero but in reality he is a tragic hero with flaws. Noble Stature is an important element of being a tragic hero, one must be remembered in order to be considered a hero, a tragic hero is not complete without a tragic flaw, most importantly a tragic hero must be excessively punished in order to learn an important lesson.…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When he first became king, Arthur set out to help “re-establish those nobles who had been robbed of their lands during the troubled years since the reign of King Uther” (Malory 26). Arthur’s main objective was to assure his people that he would take care of them and that they could trust him. Despite many challenges within his kingdom, King Arthur always stayed loyal to his people. In Arthur’s court, the round table was a major aspect to pay attention to. This round table implies that there is no head, meaning that those who sit at the table are of equal status. King Arthur wanted to ensure equality in his court to make his people feel as if they were not a minority and that they actually mattered. King Arthur did his best to keep his people happy. On the day of Arthur’s feast, he stated that all “reasonable petitions would be granted” (Malory 58). From this, Gawain had been knighted. Seeing that Arthur was a giving man, a boy named Torre had asked for the same request even though he did not resemble his father Aryes. When Torre had mentioned that he had a sword Arthur stated, “’Then give it to me, kneel down, and request to be knighted.’ Torre did so and Arthur dubbed him” (Malory 58). Arthur was a reasonable man who his people trusted enough to inquire for things that other kings would not have considered fulfilling. King Arthur was good with interacting, understanding and helping his people, even the…

    • 1740 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf and King Arthur are two entirely separate characters, originating from different cultures and time periods. Beowulf is the oldest known example of English literature, being the most important example of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) epic poetry to date. Beowulf the character was a Scandinavian warrior-prince in what is modern day Denmark, helping the Danish king slay the monster Grendel, a "descendant of Cain," who has been killing his men. (There is more to this story, but that's the part most people are the most familiar with). It is believed to have been written between 700 and 1000 A.D, but the story it tells is purported to be much older, believed to have taken place long before it was written.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Griflet

    • 1102 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I awoke in the morning feeling like it would be a good day. I ate breakfast as usual, then went on to do my daily chores and attend to my masters needs.After I finished caring for my master’s horse,I went to meet up with a friend in the court. Shortly after arriving, another squire came in, on horseback, with a knight who looked pretty roughened up like he was attacked. He explained to the whole court about a knight who had set up pavillion by the fountain just up the road and had attacked his master, Sir Miles. “He was a good knight”, he proclaimed with a tear in his eye,”Arthur, I beg you to please see to it that he be buried, and have a knight avenge my masters death.” This is my chance,i thought to myself,to get out the captivity of being anothers errand boy, to become a true knight of Camelot. I walked up to Arthur, gathering all my courage and confidence to speak, i said “King Arthur, although i am of a young age, I plead to you to allow me to become a knight, so I may avenge Sir Miles death, and stop this knight of the fountain to stop hurting more people”…

    • 1102 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    King Arthur

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Some historians believe, Arthur was a hero from the Old North, the British Kingdoms of Elfed (Old Welsh: Elmet) (Minard). The reason historians believe this to be true, is due to poetry and medieval manuscripts that were left behind when the Britian’s fled to Wales. Historians found one piece of evidence to be quite significant. In the Battle of Mount Badon dux bellorum is a title meaning the general; the general’s name is Arthur (Minard). Gildas did describe this same battle, but historians believe that Ambrosius fought alongside…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    led the Britons against the Anglo-Saxons from the London area in the fifth century AD. There is a record of a King Arthur winning the battle of Mans Badonicus in 516 AD. However, another account gives the date as 500 but does not mention Arthur. The death of someone called Arthur is recorded at the Battle of Camlann in 537. Camelot could be a corruption of this name. The theme of romantic, courtly love and the importance of chivalry runs as a thread through the Western literature of the Middle Ages. At a…

    • 2434 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics