Sir Thomas Malory (The Death of Arthur)

Legends  A legend is a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.  Legends typically contain events that could happen in reality, but sometimes include impossible events.

The Legend of King Arthur  The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is one of the most popular legends in Great Britain  The story, or stories, about King Arthur were widespread during the Middle Ages but declined during the 16 th century  The stories regained popularity during the 19 th and 20 th centuries

Who Inspired King Arthur?  There have been many attempts to verify the existence of King Arthur. Some candidates for the real Arthur include: Riothamus, Celtic chief Lucius Artorius Castus, Roman military officer Ambrosius Aurelianus, Roman/British leader who governed Britain during the Anglo/Saxon invasions

Celtic Chief? Roman Soldier?

Different Versions of the Arthur Legend  Some famous versions of the Arthur Legend include: The Once and Future King by T. H. White (1958) Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ( ) Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory (1485)

Variations of the Tale  There is no definitive version of the Arthur Legend because no two versions are the same. For example: In some tales Arthur pulls Excalibur from the stone as a boy and is made king Arthur receives Excalibur from the Lady in the Lake after becoming the king as an adult in others

Characters  Arthur  King Uther (Arthur’s father)  Igraine (Arthur’s mother)  Merlin (Wizard/Prophet)  Sir Ector  Sir Kay  Morgan le Fay (Arthur’s half sister)  Mordred (Arthur’s illegitimate son)  Gwynevere  Sir Launcelot  Sir Bedivere  Several other Knights

About the Author  Sir Thomas Malory c1416-c1471 Knighted around 1441 From he allegedly committed many crimes including extortion, theft, and rape (twice) Wrote Le Morte d’Arthur while he was in prison between Le Morte d’Arthur is a compilation of King Arthur stories originally written in Old and Middle French and English

“The Death of Arthur”  Every legend has an end.  The hero of the legend dies in the end, but may return someday.  King Arthur is a similar legendary figure in that he is said to return one day.

Idylls of the King  Idylls of the King is an epic poem.  An epic poem is a long narrative written in poetic verse.  They typically contain stories of heroism.  They are often significant to the history or culture of the people they are written for.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson   Named Poet Laureate in 1850  One of the most popular poets during the Victorian Age  Wrote Idylls of the King based largely on Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur.