Arthurian Legends

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Whoever pulls out this sword from this stone will be crowned king, born of all Brytaygne (Mallory, The Crowning Arthur 4). Arthurian legends are set in the 12th century. 12th century Britain was a very poor country, and was constantly at war with the surrounding areas. At this time King Uther was at power. He loved a woman named Igraine who was married to the Duke of Tintagil of Cornwall. King Uther disguised himself as the duke and then had a child with Igraine. That child was Arthur. Thus came the legend of Arthur. There are three stories that are important to the theme are, The Crowning of Arthur, by Sir Thomas Mallory, Arthur Becomes King, written by T.H. White, and Sir Launcelot du Lake, authored by Sir Thomas Mallory. Mallory and White use a plot involving a quest to show that trusting and staying true to oneself to accomplish something for the good of others, will lead to success, happiness, and good fortune.
In Mallory’s The Crowning of Arthur, King Uther, Sir Ulfius, and Merlin, go on a quest to Tintagil, on a mission to make Lady Igraine fall in love with the King. Merlin, who is a prophet, devised a method to make Igraine believe that her husband, who was at war, had come home early. The plan worked for the most part. It was discovered that a few hours before Uther and his friends had arrived, the real duke had been killed. Igraine was disrupted by the happenings of the day but confided in no one. She ended up marrying Uther, and together they had a baby boy, named Arthur. Arthur was raised outside of the castle, because of a promise made between Merlin and Uther, that stated Merlin could have the child that they bear and raise him. When King Uther had passed away, Arthur was still too young to claim the throne, and he...

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...death. Both knights put up a good fight but Sir Launcelot came out victorious. He freed all of the knights that had been captured and held captive by Sir Tarquine, including Sir Ector and Sir Lyonel. He helped others and was happy with his new victory, Sir Launcelot was a hero and save many lives.
Using a quest in the plot Mallory and White display that trusting and staying true to oneself to accomplish something for the good of others, will lead to success, happiness, and good fortune. They also use good versus evil in all three stories about the chivalrous Knights of the Round Table and the love of the people in Camelot. Another theme that could apply to these stories is following one’s heart to do the right thing will give way to a strong future. Arthurian legends spark an interest in knights and battles. The stories of King Arthur point to bravery and strength.

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