The Once And Future King

The Once And Future King

Time Capsule

Close Reading

http://www.heroofcamelot.com/timeline

Theme Music

This song is the opening theme from the 1963 Disney film, The Sword In the Stone. The describes the Death of King Uther Pendragon and the events that lead up to the begin of Arthur's rise to power. The themes presented by the song are the Frivolity of Knighthood and the Relationship of Force and Justice.

Art

The Wart did not know what to do. He did not know whether it would be safe to go up to this knight, for there were so many terrible things in the forest that even the knight might be a ghost. Most ghostly he looked, too, as he hoved meditationg on the confines of the gloom. Eventually the boy made up his mind that even if it were ghost, it would be the ghost of a knight, and knights were bound by their vows to help people in distress.

"Excuse me," he said, when he was right under the mysterious figure, "but can you tell me the way back to sir Ector's castle?"

At this the ghost jumped, so that it nearly fell off its horse, and gave out a muffled baaa through its visor, like a sheep.

Questions:

1: What does it mean to "hove meditating on the confines of the gloom"?

A) To play COD

B) Check twitter

C) Hide in the shadows

2:Why does the Wart decide to speak to the knight?

A) He wants to make friends

B) He is lost

C) He thinks the knight is cute and wants to get his number

3:What does the Wart's decision to talk to the knight tell you about him?

A) He is brave

B) He is hungry

C) He needs to know what happened on SNL last night

Themes

1.The Relationship Between Force and Justice- Arthur is a great king not because of his strength on the battlefield, but because of his success at translating Merlyn’s morals into a just system of governance.

2. The Role of War in Medieval England- Merlyn tells Arthur that the only time the use of force is justified is for self-defense

3. The Frivolity of Knighthood- The violence of battle vs. the courtesy and honor

4. Love vs. Betrayal- Arthur must chose between the love of friend and wife and the betrayal of them both.

5. Downfall by Sin- Arthur's downfall due to the sin of incest and the downfall of Lancelot due to the sin of lust.

Quotations

1.

Power is of the individual mind, but the mind’s power is not enough. Power of the body decides everything in the end, and only Might is Right.

-The great pike; Book I, Chapter 5. The great pike presents a simplistic view of power and the nature of leadership. He insists that power is a value in itself, to be sought and exercised for its own sake and instituted by physical force.

2.

Why can’t you harness Might so that it works for Right?… The Might is there, in the bad half of people, and you can’t neglect it.

-Arthur; Book II, Chapter 6.. He expresses his belief that the proper function of power is to subordinate might to right.

3.

It is why Sir Thomas Malory called his very long book the Death of Arthur. . . . It is the tragedy … of sin coming home to roost. . . . [W]e have to take note of the parentage of Arthur’s son Mordred, and to remember … that the king had slept with his own sister. He did not know he was doing so … but it seems, in tragedy, that innocence is not enough.

-Book II, Chapter 14. Closes the second book of the novel and introduces a dark tone that carries over into Book III. Presents Mordred’s family tree and reveals that Morgause, the woman Arthur has just slept with, is in fact his half-sister. White locates the downfall of Arthur’s reign in this one unwitting sin.

4.

He had a contradictory nature which was far from holy. . . . For one thing, he liked to hurt people.

-description of Lancelot; Book III, Chapter 6. White describes the inner conflict that drives Lancelot. Lancelot has some terrible characteristics, including cruelty and a love of violence, but he is committed to his desire to be honorable.

5.

It was in the nature of [Arthur’s] bold mind to hope, in these circumstances, that he would not find [Lancelot and Guenever] together. . . . [H]e was hoping to weather the trouble by refusing to become conscious of it.

-Book III, Chapter 16. describes Arthur’s attitude toward the love affair between Lancelot and Guenever. Arthur suppresses his fears because he loves and trusts them both. Once he accepts that the people he loves have sinned against him, he chooses to ignore their sin to preserve their love.

Vocabulary

alpenstock, p.536 - "A long staff, pointed with iron, used in climbing." (OED)

baldrick, p.149 - "a belt or girdle, usually of leather and richly ornamented . . . used to support the wearer's sword, bugle, etc." (OED)

Betelgeuse, p.160 - "A star in the constellation Orion, easily distinguished by its reddish colour." (www.britannica.com)

bodkin, p.83 - "A short pointed weapon; a dagger, lancet, etc." (OED)

toques, p.173 - "a kind of small cap or bonnet worn by men and women in various countries." (OED)