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AllisonOster
Ms.Gilbert
3January2014
ArthurianLegendsAnalysisEssay
KingArthurtheProtector
Mydearfather,forsoIshallalwaysthinkofyouif,asyousay,Iamtobeking,pleaseknow
thatanyrequestyouhavetomakeisalreadygranted.(Malory,page1071).Thisquoteshowsthe
chivalrywithinArthurevenbeforehewascrownedKing.Arthurshowedtheaspectsofagreatleader
beforeheevenknewhowpowerfulhereallywas.Inthisspecificexampleheactsgenerouslyandis
sayingthathewilldowhatisneededtohelphisfamilynomatterwhathappensinthelongrun.That
showedtheaspectofchivalryknowasprotectingthoseinneed.Thestoriesthatwerereadandexamined
areTheCrowningofArthurbySirThomasMalory,ArthurBecomesKingbyT.HWhite,andSir
LauncelotduLakebySirThomasMalory.SirThomasMalory,andT.HWhiteusedchivalrytoshow
thetheme,goodthingshappentogoodpeople.
InTheCrowningofArthurchivalryisshowninsubtleyetimportantways.Arthurshowsthe
motifofchivalryinhisactions.Hecreatesthisimageforhimselfearlyonthathewillbethereandhelphis
familygetwhattheyneedanddesire.TheauthorofthisversionoftheArthurianLegend,SirThomas
Malory,didafantasticjobofshowingthisthroughArthurscharacterization.DuringthestoryArthurs
adoptedfamilyheadsofftothetournamenttocompetebutArthursbrotherSirKayforgothissword
backathome.Arthurthengoesbackhomebutcannotfindit.ThereforewhenArthursawtheswordin
theanvil,hepulleditoutandgavethattohisbrother.UnfortunatelyhisbrotherwasnothonestlikeArthur
wasand,hetookthecreditfortheamazingdeed.SirKaysoongaveArthurthecredit(Malory,page
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1069).Thisexampleofchivalryleadstothethemegoodthingshappentogoodpeople.Intheexample
Arthurdoesagooddeedforhisbrotherandfetcheshimtheswordverygenerously.Arthurwasalso
willingtogiveSirKaythecreditforpullingoutthesword.Buthisbrotherrealizedthathewaslyingandso
hethengaveallthecreditbacktoArthurmakinghimKing.Thatfeatisdefinitelyagreatthingtohappen
toaboythatthoughthewasjustaregularguynottheroyalheir.Arthurdidagooddeedforhisbrother
andgotcrownedaskinginreturn.Thisexampleprovesthatgoodthingshappentogoodpeople,
InArthurBecomesKing,ArthurlikeinTheCrowningofArthur,wastheniceboythatdid
ashewastold.ThemotifofchivalryinthisversionisshownalsothroughactionsverysimilarlytoThe
CrowningofArthur.HoweverT.HWhiteputshisownspinonthisArthurianLegend,usingstrong
dialoguetoenhanceArthursalreadychivalrousattitude.TheauthorusesArthurscharacterizationto
explaintheimportanceofchivalryintheplot.InthisversionArthurisreferredtoasWartasanickname
ofsortsandisSirKayssquire.UnlikeTheCrowningofArthur,whenWartwasaskedtofetchthe
swordasasquire,notashisbrother.Thismeantthathehadtodoitinordertocontinueratherthanbyhis
ownwill.EitherwayArthurstillfetchedtheswordashewastoldbutthistimeeveryonecheeredhimand
theygavehimawestrucklooksashelefttogiveSirKaythesword.WartwasnotsurprisedwhenSir
Kaytookthecredit,buthedidnotknowtheimportanceofthesword,andSirkayendedupgivingthe
creditbacktoWart(White,page75758).OnceArthurwaskinghewentuptoMerlinshouseand
wantedtotalk,hewassentbackwithoutanycommunication.LaterthatnightMerlinshowedupat
Arthurshome.Arthurthengothischancetotalkaboutchivalry.ArthursaidMightisnotright.Butthere
isalotofmightknockingaboutinthisworldandsomethinghastobedoneaboutit.(White,page
75960).
TheseexamplescreatetheideathatArthurwantstocreatethisimageforhimselfofagreatleader.
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Hewasbeinggenerousinthewaythathedidnotautomaticallywantthecreditbecauseoftheroyalty.
ArthurwouldnthavemindedifSirKayhadgottenthecredit,allhewantedwasforhisfamilytobe
happy.Heknewthatbecausetheytookcareofhimheneedstotakecareofthem.Thatquoteaboveis
somethingveryinformativeonhowhewillrule.Heissayingthattherearetoomanypeopletryingtobe
powerfulandnotenoughtakingcontrolfortherightfulcause.Thisstatementbasicallystatesthatheisnt
rulingforpowerbuttoprotectthosearoundhimandwhathebelievesin.HebecameKingandagreat
rulerbydoingtherightthing.Thusthetheme,goodthingshappentogoodpeople.
InSirLauncelotduLake,SirLancelotisamemberofKingArthursRoundTable.Butheis
adventurousandenjoysgoingoutridingandlookingforbattles.SirThomasMalory,theauthor,also
createdSirLauncelotasaverychivalrouscharacter.Hefoughtinbattles,andheprotectedthepeople
thatcountedonhim.SirLauncelotwasfirstintroducedtotheideaofbattlewithSirTarquineafter
beingtheguestofhonouratKingBagdemaguscastle.Hewastoldofhisfightingskillsandhis
prisoners.Butoncehefoundoutthatseveralwerelikehim,partofKingArthursCourt,hewasall
overtheidea.ThenhedecidetojumponhishorseandtraveltofightSirTarquine.Theyfoughtfora
long,hardfoughtbattleandfinallySirLauncelotcameoutontop.Sincehehadjustconqueredthe
toughestknightinalltheland,SirLauncelotforcedSirTarquinetoreleasealloftheprisoners(Malory,
page107879).ThisisChivalrybecauseheriskedhislifetosaveothers.Alsohestoodupfor
somethinghebelievedinandstoodbyit.Hewasnotgoingtogodownwithoutafight.Thiscontributes
tothemebecausehedidwhatheneededtoprotectwhathebelievedin.Hedidwhatheneededtodo
tohelp.Hewentandfoughtthebadtohelpthegood.Hedidagoodthingandheboostedthehonor
oftheRoundTable,whichwasyetanotherhonourablething.Theseexamplesprovethetheme,good
thingshappentogoodpeople.
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TheArthurianlegendsallhaveageneralstructurewhichisrelativelysimilar.Sothereis
normallyasimilaraspectaboutallofthem.Theonethatmostcontributedtothemewaschivalry.T.H
WhiteandSirThomasMaloryusedchivalrytoshowthethemethatgoodthingshappentogood
people.Anothergeneticstructurethathelpedwiththethemewasgoodversusevil.Thisissimilarto
chivalryandcontributesinasimilarway.Forexample,defeatingthebadtohelpgood,whichcould
alsobeconnectedtochivalryaswellasgoodversusevil.TheArthurianLegendsstillcontinueto
influencemodernliteraturethroughtheideaoftheRomanticHero.TheRomanticHeroisstillishow
manyauthorscreatetheircharactersinthestoriesreadtoday.TheRomanticHeroneedstofollow
certainguidelinesinordertobetheprotagonistofthestory.Theprotagonistsinthesestoriesallfollow
thisstructure.Thoseguidelinesareallthingsthatcouldhaveaffectedtheme.Chivalry,however,isone
ofthemajorcontributorstothisstory.

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WorksCited
Malory,Thomas.TheLanguageofLiterature.Ed.ArthurN.Applebee.Boston:McDougalLittell,
2006.1065079.Print.
White,T.H.ArthurBecomesKing.TheOnceandFutureKing.UnitedKingdom:Collins,1938.
75362.Print

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