Long Live The King Savannah M. Lang James Madison High School JM1610242 In the short story “Arthur becomes King of Britain” by T.H.White, the king has died with no heir to take his place. The story is set in medieval England where there is to be a tournament held in London. It is rumored there is a sword stuck in a stone and whoever pulls it free will become the next king. Below, the author’s use of a variety of literary elements to bring his story to life will be explored. First, tone and purpose will be addressed, then some examples figurativelanguage will be identified, and finally symbolism and theme will be discussed. The purpose of a story is defined as to inform, to entertain or to persuade. Here T.H.White’s purpose is to entertain the reader. He does this by using a humorous tone. To create humor the author used such devices as sarcasm and word play. When Kay promised Wart a …show more content…
An example is, when Grummore makes reference to the heir the nurse tearfully said, “never had no hair. Anybody that studied the the loyal family knowed that.” This is funny because the nurse says hair instead of heir and loyal not royal.To support his purpose and tone, the author uses literary devices such as simile and personification. Simile uses like or as to compare unrelated items. When Kay was trying to convince Sir Ector to go to London, White uses the phrase “eyes like marbles” to describe Grummore’s eyes. He also uses simile during the scene where Merlin is giving up his position as tutor and is leaving the household. White describes Archimedes as “spinning like a top” when he disappears from Merlyn's shoulder. Also, in the scene where Wart pulled the sword from the stone, thousands
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
An example of a metaphor in “Four Directions” is when Waverly relates her relationship with her mother to that of a horse and rabbit. “And that’s what she is. A Horse, born in 1918, destined to be obstinate and frank to the point of tactlessness. She and I make a bad combination, because I’m a Rabbit, born in 1951” (167).
In the story “Sword in the Stone” the Wart learns some valuable life educating lessons that will help him in the long run. When Sir Ector, and his friend, Sir Grummore Grummursum are at the drinking port they decide they should go on a quest to find a tutor for his sons, the Wart and Kay. A new tutor was needed since their old tutor went crazy. It was a busy time of the year and Sir Ector did not have the time to find a tutor. After a day of difficult working in the hay fields the Wart and Kay decide to go hawking. Their hawk flies away hoping it will find a rabbit and sadly it flies into the forest and sits in a tree. Kay gets aggravated and storms off while the Wart decides to recapture it. He stops under a tree where it had landed and the Wart gets shot at by an arrow. He runs through the forest and finds a knight named King Pellinore. King Pellinore is on a quest for the questing beast which is a magical animal. King Pellinore hears the beast and dashes off to find it leaving the Wart behind. The Wart was alone and fell asleep under a nearby tree.
Who was King Arthur? Most people would tell of a great King; a devoted circle of heroic knights; mighty castles and mightier deeds; a time of chivalry and courtly love; of Lancelot and Guinevere; of triumph and death. Historians and archaeologists, especially Leslie Alcock, point to shadowy evidence of a man who is not a king, but a commander of an army, who lived during the late fifth to early sixth century who may perhaps be the basis for Arthur. By looking at the context in which the stories of King Arthur survived, and the evidence pertaining to his castle Camelot and the Battle of Badon Hill, we can begin to see that Arthur is probably not a king as the legend holds.
Metaphors and Similes are often used in this story, so the reader has a better image of the setting, this is something, and I find Connell did incredibly well, for instance when he refers to the darkness of the night like moist black velvet, the sea was as flat as a plate-glass and it was like trying to see through a blanket.
A simile is a rhetorical device that can be used to compare two unlike things and cleverly bring them together to give the audience something to relate to. In other words, a comparison of two seemingly different things. One particularly powerful simile is, “the wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and mores and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given (Edwards 97),” In this quote, Edwards compared God’s wrath to a raging body of water. He goes on to say that the longer the stream is stopped, the harsher it will be. The word choice, or syntax, Edwards had was simply spectacular. The comparison of His wrath to great waters gives the people an idea as to how ferocious the wrath of God is to Edwards. This word choice struck fear into the hearts of the audience and also shows that Edwards directed his anger at the audience. One can almost feel the passion and hatred within his
The story, The Once and Future King, takes place in England during the medieval times. In the book I, Arthur, also known as “Wart”, the adopted son of Sir Ector and brother of Kay. Merlyn, a wizard, is hired by Sir Ector to tutor Wart. In his lessons Wart learns how to lead and govern. During the next six years, Kay is knighted and Wart becomes his squire. When Uther Pendragon, the king of England, dies, a prophecy is proclaimed; The next rightful king will be whoever can pull a mysterious sword out of the rock. The boys go to London for a tournament to see who can remove the sword. In his quest for a replacement sword for his knight, Wart stumbles upon the sword in the stone and pulls the sword from it, later being announced King of England. In book II, young King Arthur experiences the struggle to hold on to his power. A new enemy emerges, causing wars to break out in England. With Merlyn’s guidance, Arthur decides that he will use his power and the strength of his fellow knights to defend those who cannot defend themselves, thus creating the Round Table. In the heat of the war, Morgause, Lot’s wife (maybe former wife), goes to Arthur’s court to “reconcile” Arthur with Lot. While in the court Morgause uses magic to seduce him. Arthur, unaware Morgause is
What starts out as a story meant to intrigue its audience soon evolves into a true legend known throughout the world reaching almost every inch and crevasse in sight. The tale of King Arthur Pendragon is one that sees many forms, nevertheless still stays true to certain aspects of its origin. We seek to explain Arthur’s history in books, in voice and, in the contemporary world, through films. Although some tell a story, it is interesting to also learn the recorded history and parallels found throughout each that cause Arthur Pendragon and his Knights of the Round Table to be such unique aspects to look at. The documentaries The Legend of King Arthur directed by Sylvain White and King Arthur: His Life and Legends directed by Sue Hayes both depict such intriguing points of Arthur’s life that fascinate its audience’s curiosity in many ways. To be more descriptive these two documentaries offer vast knowledge about the Once and Future King explaining his adventures in battle, honour, love and bravery through art, reenactments, scenery, music, interviews and visually interesting aspects...
When looking back at the medieval ages, one may realize that the knights had many extraordinary abilities- they were like superheroes. In different Arthurian Legends, like The Crowning of Arthur, Arthur Becomes King, and Sir Launcelot du Lake, many people admire the person who has these inhumane abilities. Arthur and Sir Launcelot are both characters that initially seem like ordinary people, but show their superior strength and power by the end of the story. Arthur releases a sword from a stone that not even the strongest man can pull out, while Sir Launcelot murders a knight who is known to be an undefeated fighter. Because of these actions, both characters grew to fame. Sir Thomas Malory and T. H. White use unique abilities to exhibit the theme that one should never underestimate who they are and their capabilities in doing something.
Truman Capote uses a simile in order for the readers to visualize what the scenery looks like. He compares the country to a lake using the word “as.”
If the name of King Arthur is mentioned, I suppose what comes to mind is not so much one person as a whole array of characters and themes, a montage so to speak. Of course we do think first of the King, the magnificent monarch of a glorified or idealized medieval realm. But we think also of his Queen, of the fair and wayward Guinevere, we think of his enchanter, Merlin, who presided over his birth, who set him on the throne, who established him there in the early and traveled days of his reign. There were the knights of the Round Table, vowed to the highest ideals of chivalry, and the greatest of them, Sir Lancelot, who, of course, has a tragic love affair with the Queen. There is another great love story, that of Tristan and Isolde, the theme of Wagner's Opera.
-Britannia's website on King Arthur. Includes a timeline, an interview with Geoffrey Ashe, chronology, biography on characters, and much more.
By using similes, metaphors, and the speaker's tone the reader can contrast the two speaker's views of
glorious King Arthur that most people know him to be, is largely based on the
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table: An Epic Hero for Modern Times