Arthurian Legends Effects on English Society

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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 legions may have left Britain in AD 410, the general population of mixed Romans and Celts, would have had generations of Roman law, education, culture and way of life” (http://legendofkingarthur.co.uk/). There are various kinds of information stating whether King Arthur was truly real. There is said to have legends speaking of his mythical being and also people attempted to prove that there indeed was a King Arthur.

The Arthurian Legends reveal King Arthur, not as a historical figure, but as a mythical chivalrous king obtaining massive amounts of achievements. From his search for the Holy Grail to his perfect society in Camelot with his development of the Round Table, King Arthur’s legend displays his heroic character. Through the many countless legends of the glorious King Arthur, English society underwent drastic changes in their outlook on life. Along with the influences of King Arthur came extreme changes in philosophy and lifestyle. Various situations caused the English to alter their v...

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