Good And Evil In The Death Of King Arthur By Peter Ackroyd

King Arthur is a great mystery debated throughout the centuries. There have been several films and texts that attempt to reveal the truth about King Arthur. Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon, was once the king of Britain and the founder of the Knights of the Round Table. Coghlan outlines that Arthur is present in many different traditions throughout centuries (Coghlan, 1995). In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth told of Arthur as a great king who defeated barbarians by the dozens. Coghlan also mentions Malory as “the standard ‘history’ of Arthur” (Coghlan, 1995). As there are various texts that tell Arthur’s origin and his legend, this essay will focus on one of the more prominent texts, The Death of King Arthur by Peter Ackroyd.

In the typical tale, good will triumph over evil, however, in Arthurian tales, the line between good and evil often becomes blurred. In modern times, we hear of King Arthur as brave and selfless. He is portrayed as a hero plated in gold armour with an army of soldiers willing to lay down their lives for his, as he often displaying great feats of courage and strength. Hermes states that “Arthurian chivalry… can be a rich source of aesthetic satisfaction and cultural identification” (Hermes, 2007). Due to the aesthetic pleasure Arthurian legends grant society, the original tale of Arthur is hidden behind a thick mask. In contrast to this, Ackroyd's version of Arthur is seen having sexual relations with his half-sister resulting in a child then, to further his wicked deeds, he ordered all of the noble’s children to be killed at the hands of the sea (Ackroyd, 2011). He did this because he feared his own child due to a prophecy foretold by Merlin predicting the child will bring about the end of his rule and the destruction of his kingdom (Ackroyd, 2011; Coghlan, 1995). The contrast between good and evil, in Arthurian legends, are blurred. King Arthur did both good and terrible things while he reigned over