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King Arthur

King Arthur

The historical character King

Statue of , Hofkirche, Innsbruck, designed by Albrecht Dürer and cast by Peter Vischer the Elder, 1520s

King Arthur of Britain, by from The Story of King Arthur and His . (1903)

King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians. The sparse historical background of Arthur is gleaned from various sources, including the Annales Cambriae, the , and the writings of . Arthur's name also occurs in early poetic sources such as Y Gododdin.

The legendary Arthur developed as a figure of international interest largely through the popularity of 's fanciful and imaginative 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain). Some Welsh and Breton tales and poems relating the story of Arthur date from earlier than this work; in these works, Arthur appears either as a great warrior defending Britain from human and supernatural enemies or as a magical figure of folklore, sometimes associated with the Welsh , . How much of Geoffrey's Historia (completed in 1138) was adapted from such earlier sources, rather than invented by Geoffrey himself, is unknown.

Although the themes, events and characters of the Arthurian legend varied widely from text to text, and there is no one canonical version, Geoffrey's version of events often served as the starting point for later stories. Geoffrey depicted Arthur as a king of Britain who defeated the and established an empire over Britain, , Iceland, Norway and Gaul. Many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story appear in Geoffrey's Historia, including Arthur's father , the wizard , Arthur's wife , the sword , Arthur's conception at , his final battle against at Camlann and final rest in . The 12th- century French writer Chrétien de Troyes, who added and the to the story, began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature. In these French stories, the narrative focus often shifts from King Arthur himself to other characters, such as various Knights of the . Arthurian literature thrived during the Middle Ages but waned in the centuries that followed until it experienced a major resurgence in the 19th century. In the 21st century, the legend lives on, not only in literature but also in adaptations for theatre, film, television, comics and other media.

Historical basis for King Arthur

Arthur as one of the Nine Worthies, tapestry, c. 1385

The historical basis for the King Arthur legend has long been debated by scholars. One school of thought, citing entries in the Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) and Annales Cambriae (Welsh Annals), sees Arthur as a genuine historical figure, a Romano-British leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons sometime in the late 5th to early 6th century. The Historia Brittonum, a 9th-century historical compilation attributed in some late manuscripts to a Welsh cleric called , contains the first datable mention of King Arthur, listing twelve battles that Arthur fought. These culminate in the Battle of Mons Badonicus, or Mount Badon, where he is said to have single-handedly killed 960 men. Recent studies, however, question the reliability of the Historia Brittonum.

The other text that seems to support the case for Arthur's historical existence is the 10th- century Annales Cambriae, which also link Arthur with the Battle of Mount Badon. The Annales date this battle to 516–518, and also mention the Battle of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medraut (Mordred) were both killed, dated to 537–539. These details have often been used to bolster confidence in the Historia's account and to confirm that Arthur really did fight at Mount Badon. Problems have been identified, however, with using this source to support the Historia Brittonum's account. The latest research shows that the Annales Cambriae was based on a chronicle begun in the late 8th century in . Additionally, the complex textual history of the Annales Cambriae precludes any certainty that the Arthurian annals were added to it even that early. They were more likely added at some point in the 10th century and may never have existed in any earlier set of annals. The Mount Badon entry probably derived from the Historia Brittonum.

This lack of convincing early evidence is the reason many recent historians exclude Arthur from their accounts of sub-. In the view of historian Thomas Charles-Edwards, "at this stage of the enquiry, one can only say that there may well have been an historical Arthur [but ...] the historian can as yet say nothing of value about him". These modern admissions of ignorance are a relatively recent trend; earlier generations of historians were less sceptical. Historian John Morris made the putative reign of Arthur the organising principle of his history of sub-Roman Britain and Ireland, The Age of Arthur (1973). Even so, he found little to say about a historical Arthur.

The 10th-century Annales Cambriae, as copied into a manuscript of c. 1100

Partly in reaction to such theories, another school of thought emerged which argued that Arthur had no historical existence at all. Morris's Age of Arthur prompted archaeologist Nowell Myres to observe that "no figure on the borderline of history and mythology has wasted more of the historian's time". Gildas' 6th-century polemic De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain), written within living memory of Mount Badon, mentions the battle but does not mention Arthur. Arthur is not mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle or named in any surviving manuscript written between 400 and 820. He is absent from Bede's early-8th-century Ecclesiastical History of the English People, another major early source for post-Roman history that mentions Mount Badon. Historian David Dumville has written: "I think we can dispose of him [Arthur] quite briefly. He owes his place in our history books to a 'no smoke without fire' school of thought ... The fact of the matter is that there is no historical evidence about Arthur; we must reject him from our histories and, above all, from the titles of our books."

Some scholars argue that Arthur was originally a fictional of folklore—or even a half-forgotten Celtic deity—who became credited with real deeds in the distant past. They cite parallels with figures such as the Kentish totemic horse-gods Hengest and Horsa, who later became historicised. Bede ascribed to these legendary figures a historical role in the 5th-century Anglo-Saxon conquest of eastern Britain. It is not even certain that Arthur was considered a king in the early texts. Neither the Historia nor the Annales calls him "rex": the former calls him instead " bellorum" (leader of battles) and "miles" (soldier).

Historical documents for the post-Roman period are scarce, so a definitive answer to the question of Arthur's historical existence is unlikely. Sites and places have been identified as "Arthurian" since the 12th century, but archaeology can confidently reveal names only through inscriptions found in secure contexts. The so-called "Arthur stone", discovered in 1998 among the ruins at in in securely dated 6th-century contexts, created a brief stir but proved irrelevant.[18] Other inscriptional evidence for Arthur, including the cross, is tainted with the suggestion of forgery. Although several historical figures have been proposed as the basis for Arthur, no convincing evidence for these identifications has emerged.

The legends of King Arthur have been seen as complete fiction, but there is evidence to show that there may have been a real British leader called Arthur who lead his people to victory. However, there is no known answer as to who the historical Arthur actually was, and there are scholars and historians who still doubt his existence. David Dumville said, “The fact is that there is no historical evidence about Arthur, we must reject him from our histories and, above all, from the titles of our books.”

What is certain is that Arthur was not a medieval king. The modern images of knights in plate armour and a grand castle called are not historical at all. We know very little, historically speaking, but Arthur was probably a 5th Century warrior who protected his people from invaders for a time.

The legends talk of a sword in a stone, which could only be drawn by someone truly worthy of it. This story seems too fabulous to be true, but archaeologists believe this could tell us more about the times of Arthur. Francis Prior discovered that bronze swords were made by pouring molten bronze into a stone mould, and later, the sword would be drawn out of the mould. This resembles the Arthurian legends about the sword in a stone.

Countless swords have been found at the bottom of lakes, and water was symbolic of the . When a warrior died, their sword was placed in a lake, marking the end of a king. The recovery of a sword (ie. sword in the stone) may have marked the beginning of a new king.

By 410, the Britons had had nearly 400 years of prosperity, benefiting from their strong Roman government. But by the late 4th Century, the power of Rome had begun to weaken and Britain was quickly in the face of a national threat by an Anglo-Saxon invasion. Britain was never to belong to Rome again. However, in about the year 500, Britain became victorious in the , which ensured them peace in the land for 50 years afterwards. Experts are convinced that one great king was responsible for this great defeat, and this man was probably Arthur.

Who won the battle of Badon? In Wales: A History, Wynford Vaughan-Thomas says, "The great question now arises - who won Badon? Who was the general who led the Britons to success in the many battles which, according to Nennius preceded it? The mentioned by Gildas is the obvious candidate, but if he was a contemporary of Vortigen, the dates rule him out. At this point, a figure steps out of the shadows, a mysterious and powerful personality carrying a special aura of high romance but also a troublesome ghost whom serious historians have long striven to exorcise but who persists in returning to haunt the Dark Ages. We have come to King Arthur!"

In 1191, there occurred at Glastonbury the exhumation of Arthur. Glastonbury is the place Arthur is said to have been taken when he was dying. A cross was found at Arthur’s tomb, and on it was inscribed words, translating to: HERE LIES THE FAMOUS KING ARTHUR, WITH GUINEVERE HIS SECOND WIFE, BURIED IN THE ISLE OF AVALON.

It is known that in the 10th Century, a bishop raised the level of the cemetery and enclosed it with a wall. Therefore, it is possible that the grave of Arthur was discovered during the process of this work. In 1962, archaeologists excavated the area where Arthur’s grave was said to be located, and found evidence of a pit from which a tomb could have been removed at some time between 1180 and 1191. This evidence is proof that the monks of Glastonbury did exhume somebody’s grave in 1191, but was it the grave of Arthur?

In 1998, clues of an earlier castle were found in Tintagel, with inscriptions in 5th Century Latin. Few people could write, so historians first believed Tintagel was a monastery, until broken pieces of pottery were found outside the walls. This shows that someone important or wealthy must have lived there. Later, excavations uncovered the existence of a 5th Century harbour and a moat. Tintagel must have been a royal castle, belonging to a king. This king may or may not have been Arthur.

The legends also talk of knights at a round table. There may not have been an actual round table, but evidence has been found at Cadbury Hill to show that a large Dark Age timber hall existed, and it was big enough to hold many knights. Broken pottery wine jars were found in that area, therefore, the main activity in the hall was men grouped together drinking.

To conclude, there is still very little known about the historical King Arthur. From the evidence we have, I believe there was one great king who lead Britain to victory in many battles, but this king may not have been named Arthur. All we know is that if King Arthur really existed, he probably would have lived in a castle called Tintagel, and fought in the battle of Badon, bringing his people to a great victory. But whether or not Arthur even existed will probably remain a mystery to us.

Arthur and Merlin The story of King Arthur would be nothing if it did not have the sorcerer Merlin. Being an extremely influential character throughout Arthur’s life, Merlin was also around before Arthur was born. Arthur was brought to by Merlin to be raised as a normal boy, but fate had much bigger plans for future king. Merlin served as Arthur’s advisor and relied on him for help in dire situations along quests. Arthur turned to Merlin for advice before battles and tough situations. This led King Arthur to acquire the legendary sword Excalibur. With help from Merlin King Arthur was able to slay many beasts and kings throughout England. Lang gives the reader a direct message that Arthur relies on Merlin in the quote: "…Arthur had many battles to fight and many Kings to conquer before he was acknowledged lord of them all, and often he would have failed had he not listened to the wisdom of Merlin..."

The round table

Through out Arthurian legend, the Round Table has symbolized Arthur's dream for equality and continuous brotherhood of his people in the utopia of Camelot. The sphere shape of the historical round table represents what Arthur was trying to accomplish for the people that saw his as an almost Christ like figure thought his reign. Arthur's city was built around the round table, and was seen as an example of how to live. He saw this as perfection. The thirteen knights that sat around it were only the most chivalrous of all knights and were a perfect role model of what the Arthur was tiring to represent with the Round Table. In turn, this perfect society was established around the ideals of a table.

The origin of the Round table can be dated back to 1155, where the first reference to the round table was written. Robert translated it from Latin to French. (Geoffrey 123) The Round Table was originally owned by King Uther, Arthur's father, and kept in his principle city of Cardoell (Camelot Project 1). Little is known of the whereabouts of the round table after that until Uther's son Arthur, now king of England, wedded Lady Gweniviere. "When Arthur married Gweneviere, her father presented him with a round table that had once belonged to Uther" (Geoffrey 32). It is not known if Arthur had plans for the table at this time, but it plays a big part in his legendary status.

It is disputed how many people the round table has seated throughout the years it was utilized. The majority of sources agree on 150, as in Mallory's story. When Arthur established the city of Camelot, that was thought of as a perfect society, and the round table was a part of this perfect society. The king's court was called the Knights of the Round Table, and they were considered the most brace and chivalrous of all the knights. They sat around the round table, none above or below each other, all in a continuous ring of brotherhood. The names of all the knights were painted in gold paint at each ones designated spots, all spots were equal in space ever Arthur's. All seats at the table were filled except one, , which was set aside my Merlin (Arthur's mentor) for a not to be born till a later time. To ensure the reservation of the predestined seat, Merlin stated, " Anyone else attempting to sit in this seat will suffer dire consequences" (Camelot project 1). Merlin has also arranged that this knight who would fill Siege Perilous would also sit at the table of Joseph of Armithea. This knight turned out to be one of the most famous knights ever, Sir . It was obvious that the spot at the round table belonged to him as "his name appears on the seat destined for him" (Camelot Project 1). All these events contributed to the Round Tables legendary status.

One thing that historically stands out about the Round Table is not the table itself but the knights that sat around it. These men symbolized the perfect and closest knit fighting unit ever assembled in the middle Ages and were the most chivalrous of all men. The Knights of the Round Table were said to be the reason that Arthur was able to resist a Saxon invasion of Britain and eventually defeat them (Cavendish 331). The roster of King Arthur's Knights read as fallows, , Sir Lucus, Sir Bedavire, Sir Badoin, Sir Ulphias, Sir Brastious, Sir , Sir Dynaden, Sir Gwain, Sir Lancelot, King Arthur, and Siege Perilous was later filled by Galahad (Mallory 512). Sir Kay was particularly close to Arthur because he was the son of Sir Ector, who raised Arthur when he was young (Geoffrey 33). These Knights were highly respected in their time because they carried the message of equality for Arthur.

In many ways Arthur's life and adventures influenced the Round Table, as it is just one of the threads in the fabric of his legacy. One man that has a great deal to do with Arthur's life and the formation of the Round Table is Merlin. Merlin is a prophet and a sorcerer, who is said to be the son of the devil himself (Cavendish 331). During King Uther's reign as king of England, he was at war with the . During there negotiations he became acquainted with the Duke's wife and fell in love with her. Merlin at this point came to King Uther and presented him with an offer to help him in anyway he could, knowing exactly what Uther wanted. Of course Uther requested one night with the Lady of Cornwall, and Merlin grated the request by changing his appearance to make him look identical to the Duke. Uther then went to the Queen that night and Arthur was conceived. Later on in the evening a messenger

General motifs in arthurian legends

The number three is a recurring motif on King Arthurs many stories. Sir encounters the three brothers on his quest with the Lady Linet. He meets a knight in black armor, a knight in green armor, and a knight in red armor, all of which Sir Gareth slay. Another example in which the number three is seen is when Arthur asks Sir to throw Excalibur back into the lake. Arthur received Excaliber from the while he was with Merlin, but towards the end of the story he no longer wants it. In the first of three instances, Sir Bedivere hides the sword and plans on retrieving it later for his self but Arthur becomes suspicious when Sir Bedivere replies with nothing after King Arthur asks what happened. On the second of three instances, Arthur then sends Sir Bedivere back to dispose of Excaliber but he returns with the same story that nothing happened. Arthur then threatens Sir Bediveres's life and sends him for the third time and when he returns he explains that a hand rose from the water and caught the sword as he threw it in. Characters in Romance literature usually have visions or dreams that lead them or give them information relevant to their quest throughout the story. In the story of “The ” King Arthur has a strange dream where "he thought the land was over- run with gryphons and serpents which burnt and slew his people, and he made war on the monsters, and was sorely wounded, though he still killed them all." Arthurs dream came true when later in that same story Arthur and his knights encounter a strange beast that is a combination of a serpent and gryphon. Another example is when a has a dream that a king went on a pilgrimage and his squire was slain. The squire had a dream that he found a gold candle and was stabbed. When the squire woke up, he shouted for help because he had actually been stabbed and he was holding a gold candle. Magical/supernatural events occur often in the book King Arthur: Tales from the Round Table. One example is when King Arthur and all of his are at the round table during the story of “The Coming of the Holy Graal.” Enjoying a Pentecost supper, the knights at the round table suddenly heard a clash of thunder and then a bright light shone into the room. Everyone gazed at each other dumbfounded, then the Holy Graal floated into the room and food appeared before them all as if by magic. Sir Gawaine along with several other nights was astonished at what they saw, so they devoted themselves to search for the Graal. In the story of “The End of it All,” King Arthur is betrayed by his nephew Sir Mordred. Arthur entrusted Sir Mordred to govern the land while he was gone from England to fight Sir Lancelot. Sir Mordred accepted the responsibility but his intents of what to do with Arthur’s kingdom were evil. Sir Mordred betrayed King Arthur trust by sending letters announcing Arthur had died in battle and Sir Mordred was now crowned king. Sir Mordred also betrayed Queen Guenevere forcing her to marry him even when he that her husband King Arthur was still alive. King Arthur then retured only to be denied landing by Sir Mordred and faced a great resistance forcing Arthur to retreat. Sir Mordred also betrayed Arthur by turning his own people against him. King Arthur eventually killed Sir Mordred but at a great cost: only three of Arthurs Knights survived the battles. A test of honor confirms a hero’s morals and what they believe to be is right and also his or her pledges. In the story of “What Beaumains Asked Of The King”, Beaumains, known as Sir Gareth, is tested of honor when Lady Linet asks King Arthur to recruit knights to help rescue her sister. Seeing this as an opportunity to prove himself to everyone, Sir Gareth asks Arthur to let him go on Linet’s quest. Arthur complies with Sir Gareth’s request but only to make Linet furious because Sir Gareth is a kitchen boy. Sir Gareth encounters many knights that he must defeat in order to keep his promise and fulfill his test of honor. After slaying the knights, Lady Linet realizes that Sir Gareth is an honorable man and will keep a promise to a total stranger. Sir Gareth fulfills his promise in the end of the story by conquering the and rescues Lady . King Arthur is the ideal example of a nearly perfect yet flawed hero. Throughout the stories, King Arthur proves to be a powerful, fair, and openhanded ruler. King Arthur hardly ever commits a mistake and has the respect of almost all of his fellow knights. Although Arthur may seem like the perfect hero, there is one thing about him that could be called a flaw: he is too reliant on the people around him. The downfall of King Arthur was the fact that he put too much trust into the people close to him. A prime example of this is when King Arthur left Sir Mordred the position of King. Sir Mordred betrayed King Arthur which led to vicious battles with many casualties. The story of King Arthur would be nothing without his many quests he and his fellow knights undertake. Although King Arthur: Tales From the Round Table is a collection of many famous stories about King Arthur and his companions, the most famous is the quest for the Holy Graal. Known by many, the story of the quest for the Holy Graal has been passed on for hundreds of years. Not only does the book tell the quest of the Holy Graal, but it also tells famous stories such as “The Drawing of the Sword”, “The Sword Excalibur”, “The Passing of Merlin”, “How tried to kill King Arthur”, “”, and may more. King Arthur and Queen Guinevere

Guinevere's origins seem firmly Welsh. The name Guinevere may be directly from the Welsh 'Gwynhwyfer', or from 'Gwenhwy' (Gwen the Great) in contrast to 'Gwenhwy- vach' (Gwen the Lesser). A Celtic queen was equal in status to her husband and was able to conduct affairs unhindered. Queen Guinevere's involvement with other men, willingly or otherwise, is a recurring theme throughout Arthurian legend. Although the early circumstances of her character may have defined her persona from the beginning, the later Medieval writers, with their Christian-based social perceptions, would have found it hard to treat Guinevere as anything other than a morally dubious, unfaithful woman.

Significantly perhaps, Guinevere stays childless, and loves a man with which she can never bear children because of the circumstances of her husband. To this extent, her life is tragic, but she also represents an ideal - that of courtly romance. Obviously too, she remains both desirable and well-protected (sometimes too well) by the male of the species, and avoids execution at the stake several times

Guinevere's adbuction by men is a recurring theme throughout Arthurian legend, and when kidnapped, she must be saved - the epitome of the damsel in distress, though never is she at serious risk of harm.

In The Life of Gildas by of Llancarfan (c.1130-1150) the queen (Gwenhwyfar) was abducted to Glastonia by the wicked King Melwas of (possibly an early manifestation of Méléagant), and Arthur - then depicted as a tyrant and accompanied by a "countless multitude" on account of his wife being violated and carried off - searched for the queen throughout the course of a whole year, and at last heard that she remained there (in Glastonia). He roused the armies of the whole of Cornubia and Dibneria, but the Abbot of Glastonia, attended by the clergy and Gildas the Wise, stepped in between the contending armies and advised King Melvas to restore the ravished lady. Accordingly, she was restored "in peace and good will".

Geoffrey of Monmouth's version of Guinevere's abduction casts Mordred, Arthur's nephew, as the villain. Arthur left her his care whilst he went to Europe to campaign against the (fictitious) Procurator of Rome, Lucius Hiberius. In the King's absence Mordred seduced Guinevere, declared himself king, and took her as his own queen, forcing Arthur to return to Britain and fight Mordred at the Battle of Camlann.

Chrétien de Troyes in Le Chevalier de la Charrette has poor Guinevere abducted by the evil Méléagant (the son of King ) and this time it was Sir Lancelot who came to her rescue, in a cart driven by a dwarf, then crawling across a bridge whose upper edge was a sharp sword-blade. During the ensuing combat between Lancelot and Méléagant, Guinevere, at King Bagdemagus's pleading, was able to stop the fight but Lancelot defended her honour again later when Méléagant (mistakenly) accused her of an affair with Sir Kay - he thought that bloodstains on the love-bed were Kay's when in fact it was Lancelot's blood (from an injury he sustained forcing the window bars apart to climb into Guinevere's bedroom). Guinevere's abduction by Meliagrance in Le Morte d'Arthur

In Le Morte d'Arthur (Book 19) Queen Guinevere happened to go a-Maying in the woods behind Westminster, with her usual retinue of ladies-in-waiting and page-boys, plus ten of the Queen's Knights (arrayed in green). Sir Meliagrance (Méléagant), inspired by many long years of lust - and aware of Lancelot's absence from the party, attacked with 160 men-at-arms. To avoid her noble knights being killed, Guinevere surrendered herself to Meliagrance, then secretly dispatched a young messenger to bear her ring to Westminster with a plea that her lover come to her rescue.

Lancelot rushed to her aid on his horse, but the animal was disabled en route by archers so he hijacked a chariot and was soon at the gates of the kidnapper's castle, at which point Meliagrance immediately surrendered. Guinevere and the Queen's Knights were saved and Sir Lancelot became known as 'Le Chevalier du Chariot'.

As in Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot that night climbed into Guinevere's bedroom by forcing the window bars and injuring his hand in the process (also in the bedroom, incidentally, were the Queen's Knights still recovering from their wounds and presumably still dressed in May-green). Malory continues: "Sir Launcelot went unto bed with the queen, and he took no force of his hurt hand, but took his pleasance and his liking until it was in the dawning of the day ... and when he saw his time that he might tarry no longer he took his leave and departed at the window, and put it together as well as he might again." [ one imagines Malory was aware of his own joke ]

In the morning Meliagrance saw the blood and claimed Queen Guinevere had been dishonoured by one of her wounded knights. Lancelot answered for the Queen, denying the charge but not admitting the blood was his. Meliagrance threw the gauntlet, Lancelot accepted, and the duel was set for eight days later at Westminster. But Meliagrance tricked Lancelot into falling ten fathoms through a trap door down into a cave, then made it look as if Launcelot had gone off adventuring. Sir Lavaine stepped in to represent him but Lancelot was able to escape, and at the last moment appeared at the duel, and with one arm tied behind his back (and shieldless) he cut Meliagrance's head in two.

Guinevere's final abduction, by Mordred Technically, this wasn't an abduction. In Le Morte d'Arthur Book 21 Mordred, both son and nephew of King Arthur, was ruler of all England, having been left in charge whilst Arthur had gone to France to wage war with the now treacherous Sir Lancelot. After claiming the King had died at Lancelot's hands he made himself king and tried to marry Queen Guinevere (his father's wife). Guinevere beguiled Mordred into letting her go to , ostensibly to buy "all manner of things that longed unto the wedding" but she locked herself and her entourage away in a well-stocked Tower of London. Mordred laid seige on the Queen and by fair means or foul tried to persuade her to come out, but she stayed put and eventually he departed with his army to Dover to repel a returning King Arthur.

The evil character in arthurian literature Morgan Le Fay is a prime example of the evil enemy. Arthur's sister, Morgan Le Fay, disliked her brother and had a strong skill in magic which caused trouble for Arthur. Later in the story Morgan Le Fay steals Arthur’s scabbard while he was resting. Arthur pursued her but she tossed the scabbard into a lake and escaped afterwards. The next morning Morgan Le Fay sent Arthur a mantle that was decked in jewels in hope the he would forgive her but Arthur was suspicious. The Lady of the Lake appeared to him and warned him to let the messenger put it on first. She fell down and burned to ashes instantly and King Arthur was outraged. Morgan Le Fay had become Arthur's evil enemy because she let her hate control her actions. An archetypal female figure in the book is The Fair Maid Of . The Fair Maid is the daughter of Sir Bernard, the Baron that helped Sir Lancelot to prepare for the tourney. The Fair Maid falls into the category of an archetypal female figure because she is just an innocent maiden who falls in love with Sir Lancelot. Instantly falling in love with Sir Lancelot, the Fair Maid asks him to wear her token to the tourney. Hoping the token will disguise him, Lancelot accepts. The Fair Maid later asks Sir Lancelot if he would be her husband but he declines. Because the Fair Maid was naïve and illogical from her heartache, she killed herself because she swore to herself she would never love anybody but Sir Lancelot.

Arthur and his knights- moral guidelines

Arthur was not afraid to put his crown aside to fight for what is righteous. Arthur also forms the legendary Round Table and has all of the knights who sit at it to take an oath to always help others, and always show courtesy, mercy, and justice. Arthur also later on became known as the "Christian King" and became a very important way of life for many of the knights. Arthur's life would not stay perfect after all of these deeds, however. One of the first misfortunes of Arthur's life was the incestial relationship between himself and his half-sister, . Arthur at the time did not know who Morgause was and at the time he was unmarried. Morgause was very attractive and as a result, Arthur seduced her thus conceiving Mordred, his son and nemesis who would eventually bring the downfall of Arthur's kingdom. As a result, Arthur passed a Herod like degree to assure Mordred's death. Mordred escaped and survived, however and would return one day to Camelot to become a knight of the Round Table and bring Arthur's eventual doom. Another tragedy in Arthur's life was the loss of his friend and advisor, Merlin when Merlin left Camelot forever for his fatal love for the fairy Viviane. This was very hard for Arthur since Merlin had always guided him and brought him to where he was. Soon it was time for Arthur to marry. He disobeyed Merlin's warning, and took the fair Guinivere, daughter of King Leodagrance of Camiliard to be his wife.

Arthur loved Guinivere dearly and she was very special to him. Arthur's Round Table attracted knights from all over including the greatest knight in the world, Sir Launcelot of the Lake. There became a very close relationship between Arthur and Launcelot and the two regarded each other as best friends. Life would not always remain so simple as Launcelot and Guinivere felt a deep, unstoppable love for each other that would not die. The two had to hide their love from Arthur and this hurt them both terribly because they both loved Arthur very much. It is very sad to see how happy Arthur was in those years and how he felt for Launcelot and Guinivere and yet did not know of their betraying love.

Soon Arthur grew older and knights such as Gawaine, Gareth, , and came to the Round Table. The focus of the story gradually shifts from Arthur to different stories of his knights. The image of Arthur is transformed from the younger, heroic king to the older, dignified king who everyone honored and adored. When Arthur was young it was quite possible that he was the greatest knight in the world but when knights such as Launcelot and Tristan entered his company, this was seen to certainly not be true. Even though he was a bit older, Arthur never stopped jousting and when an enemy would attack, Arthur would always be on the battlefield with his knights. After awhile instead of being the rescuer, Arthur many times took the role of the rescued as different knights helped save Arthur from different enemies. Arthur took great pride in his great kingdom and his noble knights. So generous was Arthur, that he would grant almost any boon to those that came to his kingdom and asked for one.

As the years went by, more and more knights came to the Round Table until finally, Sir Galahad, Launcelot's son came to the Round Table and too the seat of the Siege Perlious. This was one of Arthur's greatest moments to see all 150 seats of the Round Table filled. Unfortunately, this moment was very short lived as Sir Gawaine, Arthur's nephew declared that he would quest for a year and a day until he had found the Holy Grail. Soon, all of the other knights set upon the same quest and Arthur and Camelot were stripped of all their legendary knights. This was a very hard moment for Arthur to see all of his loyal and beloved knights abandon him to seek out their destinies. Arthur then knew that not all of them would return and the Round Table would never return to its former state of glory. Deep inside, Arthur probably wished to join his knights on their quest. The next year Arthur spent in loneliness and lamentation for the absence of his knights. As the year progressed, many of the knights returned, tired and wary, with tales of failure and despair. Out of 150 knights that sought the grail, only 3 achieved it. The Round Table was never the same after only half of the knights returned and Galahad and whom had achieved the grail died, after fulfilling their destinies. Arthur was in great sorrow for the departed knights but was none the less, very happy to see many of his knights return.

After the grail quest, Camelot knew a few more years of happiness. During this time however, Launcelot's and Guinivere's lover grew stronger than ever and Mordred secretly plotted on revolting against the king to become king himself. Another sad example of Arthur not being the greatest knight in the world came when Sir Urre of Hungary came to Arthur's court with wounds that could only be healed by the greatest knight in the world. Arthur was the first to volunteer to attempt to heal Urre. Arthur knew that he was not the greatest knight in the world but had small hopes that he possibly was. When Arthur failed, he sadly admitted, "It is not I," and watched as all of the others knights failed as well until finally Launcelot succeeded and was declared the greatest knight in the world. Arthur wanted to be much more than a king, he wanted to be the greatest knight that he could be.

In a few years to come, Launcelot's and Guinivere's love was finally discovered and thus began the saddest moment in Arthur's life which eventually unraveled into the end of his glorious kingdom. It was Mordred and Agravaine who discovered the affair and told Arthur of it. Arthur was silent in disbelief that such a thing could have happened. Launcelot fled from Arthur's kingdom and Arthur faced the greatest decision in his life. Arthur had to betray his love for Guinivere in order to carry out justice and save the reputation of his kingdom. At the advice of Mordred, Arthur reluctantly sentenced Guinivere to be burned at the stake. With Launcelot, many other knights had left Camelot and Arthur felt devastated to see their loyalties to Launcelot be more valuable than loyalties to himself. Before Guinivere was to be burned, Launcelot and his knights led siege on Camelot and freed the queen. In this struggle, Launcelot had accidentally slayed two of Arthur's nephews, Gareth and . This was another tragedy and infuriated Gareth's and Gaheris's brother, Gawaine who had once had a great love for Launcelot. Gawaine pleaded for Arthur to make war against Launcelot and Arthur finally gave in to his wishes and led siege against Launcelot's forces. This was very hard for both Arthur and Launcelot because both of them still loved each other dearly and did not want to harm each other. In this battle, Arthur was unhorsed and about to be slain until Launcelot ordered for him to live and kindly returned Arthur to his horse. This kind gesture made Arthur have no desire to fight anymore but Gawaine persisted to avenge his brothers. Launcelot and Gawaine soon met in single combat and Arthur watched with tears in his eyes as he saw the two men that he loved most in this world fight each other. Twice, Launcelot defeated Gawaine and sparred his life.

At this time, Mordred was left in charge of Britain and told the country that Arthur was dead in order to become king himself. Mordred also tried to wed Guinivere. Soon, words of this reached Arthur and thus began the final betrayal of Arthur's life. On word of this, Arthur and his forces returned immediately to do battle against Mordred's forces. When Arthur reached Britain, his forces were besieged by Mordred and his traitorous knights. The battle was very hard and many were killed. Mordred's forces eventually retreated. In the course of the battle, Arthur's last and most loyal nephew, Gawaine was killed. Gawaine pleaded for Launcelot's forgiveness and spent his final hours with Arthur and then died. Arthur grieved vigorously at this moment. That night, Gawaine's ghost came to Arthur in a dream and warned Arthur not to fight Mordred until Launcelot had returned to help Arthur. Arthur then set out to make a truce with Mordred. On the morning of this day Arthur visited his wife Guinivere who had betrayed him who was now living as a nun at a convent. Arthur did not come to her with words of anger and bitterness, but of love and forgiveness. This is a very powerful moment and shows Arthur's true nature. This is also the final time that Arthur and Guinivere are together. Later on in the day, all of Morded's men and all of Arthur's men were present and ready to fight if even one sword was drawn. Right when the truce was to be signed, a viper bit one of the knights in the foot and the knight drew his sword to kill it. At this moment, every knight drew their sword and thus began the final battle. "Oh dreadful moment!," cried Arthur, "I no longer have any happiness left within me and all of which I once had is now lost." The battle raged on for hours and was very fierce. Many of Arthur's greatest knights died on that day. In the end, there was only Arthur with his two knights Bedivere and Luncan, and Mordred. Arthur took a spear, determined to finish what Mordred had started. Arthur stabbed the spear right through Mordred but at the same time, Mordred mortally wounded Arthur with a stroke to the helm. Knowing that he was dying, Arthur asked Bedivere and Luncan to help him up. Luncan who himself was severely wounded fell down and died once he attempted to lift up Arthur. As a final request, Arthur asked Bedivere to take his sword Excalibur and throw it into the lake. At first, Bedivere could not bring himself to throw the beautiful sword into the water. Arthur was very upset at this and ordered Bedivere to toss the sword into the lake. As Bedivere tossed the sword, a hand reached up out of the water and took the sword. When Bedivere returned, a barge came from the watery mists of the lake with 4 queens, one of which was Arthur's sister, Morgan le Fay.

The weak and dying Arthur was placed in to the barge and told that he would be taken to the mystical island of Avalon to be healed and rest until one day he was needed.

The barge with Arthur slowly glided into the mist and disappeared forever.

There are many legends what happened from there. Some believe that Arthur died and was buried at Glastonbury. Soon after Arthur passed away, so did Guinivere and Launcelot, and soon the entire kingdom of Arthur. But the Arthurian dream never died. It continues to live on in the hearts of many who today dream of being knights of the Round Table. Arthur left this world with a very sad tone. Perhaps he thought that he had failed. He did not fail, however. Arthur will always be remembered as a great hero and one of the greatest kings that this world has ever known. Some even say that Arthur never died. There are legends that speak of Arthur sleeping in Avalon until one day a hero will come and awaken him when he is needed. In some stories, Arthur has returned. In the brilliant television program "Gargoyles," Arthur has returned.

In "Gargoyles" Arthur has awakened and travels the world to seek justice. He has even reclaimed his sword Excalibur and chosen a gargoyle named Gryph to be his . In this tale, there is no doubt that Arthur is once again the greatest knight in the world. As long as the Arthurian dream stays alive, there is always hope for a better world.