The Legend of King Arthur Challenge 1 Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith

Challenge I Objective: Identify characters and background information pertaining to the Legend of King Arthur Directions: Your job is to "think" about the questions and complete the worksheet: Skim and scan to find your answers. Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith

Characters in the Arthurian Legends Based on the short descriptions-Who do you think may be the most important characters in the Arthurian Legends? (choose 6) _____ King Arthur-King of Britain Legendary King of Britain from around 400 AD to 600 AD, Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon and Igraine, whose actual name might have been its Latin version, Arturus. _____ Merlin-the King Arthur’s Magician Merlin is Arthur's counselor and magician, and in many ways, he is the prime architect of Arthur's reign: Merlin helps Uther Pendragon to become Arthur's father; he guides Arthur to withdraw Excalibur from the Stone; he is the creator of the Round Table and prophet of the Grail; and he helps Arthur attain various goals. _____ Morgan Le Fay-King Arthur’s sister Morgan Le Fay is Arthur's half- sister. She is, therefore, the daughter of Igraine and Gorlois. She is often referred to as a fay or fairy. In some epic stories, she is accused of causing the downfall of Arthur's Kingdom by conceiving a child with Arthur in an incestuous relationship with him. This child, Mordred, becomes the foremost rival of Arthur for the kingdom of England. _____ Mordred-Morgan Le Fay and King Arthur’s son The evil son of Arthur and his half-sister Morgana, Mordred seizes the throne of England when Arthur, Gawain, and their troops pursue Lancelot into France. Himself the child of incest, Mordred attempts to claim Guinevere, Arthur's Queen, as his own wife in Arthur's absence. _____Elaine-Lancelot’s Wife Elaine is best known as the unrequited lover of Lancelot, though another Elaine (also known as Helen), was the mother of Lancelot and wife of King Ban of Brittany who after the death of her husband and the loss of her baby son Lancelot, who is stolen by the Lady of the Lake, takes the veil. _____ Gawain-nephew of Arthur Usually appears as the noble, courteous nephew of Arthur, a faithful warrior adept at love, though occasionally shown as a lustful boor. _____ Sir Kay-in charge of Arthur’s house Sir Kay is always described as King Arthur's seneschal (an official in charge of domestic arrangements in the medieval household and overseer of the servants). He is usually shown as boorish, mocking, and cruel. _____Perceval-a blessed fool Perceval is a type of blessed fool, a heroic knight who sees the Grail and visits the Fisher King in his mysterious castle. He is not the brightest of Arthur's knights but this does not seem to impede his success in any way, perhaps a comment on tolerance among the Knights of the Round Table, or maybe a reflection of the general IQ. _____Guinevere-King Arthur’s wife Arthur's queen, reputedly the most beautiful woman in Britain, and the lover of Lancelot, Arthur's best knight. She is occasionally a political pawn in the hands of Mordred, other knights, even Arthur himself, and with the help of Lancelot, she escapes a number of predicaments, including kidnapping by Sir Meliagaunt, burning at the stake, and later, marriage with her step-son. _____Lady of the Lake-gives Arthur Excalibur Niviene or Viviane (elsewhere known as Eviene) is the wise and beautiful step-mother and teacher of Lancelot. In Lancelot of the Lake, the Lady of the Lake first explains the meaning of knighthood to the young man who wishes to become a knight. She tells him that "A knight should have two hearts, one as hard and impenetrable as diamond, and the other as soft and pliable as hot wax." _____Lancelot-knight of the round table, lover of Guinevere Usually presented as the foremost Knight of the Round Table and as the legendary lover of Guinevere, Lancelot is raised by the Lady of the Lake before joining Arthur's court. Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith

Who? (3 facts) King Arthur: The Once and Future King Legendary King of Britain from around 400 AD to 600 AD, Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon and Igraine, whose actual name might have been its Latin version, Arturus. This king is mentioned briefly in the Easter Annals, or the Annals of Wales, describing battles of the sixth century, and later by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his History of the Kings of Britain (ca 1136). According to legend, Arthur's conception takes place when Uther seduces Igraine. Uther was made, by Merlin's sorcery, to resemble Igraine's husband, Gorlois. After Arthur was born, he was given to Ector to be raised in secret. Uther died in battle shortly after Arthur's birth. However, before Uther died, he planted Excalibur in a stone where it remained for many years. Merlin said that whoever withdrew the sword from the stone would be the future king of Britain. Though many tried to remove the sword, Arthur alone succeeded. However, this young King stirred controversy among other knights who had been competing for king. Arthur, under the guidance of Merlin, stopped the rebellion against him and married Guinevere. After this Arthur established the Knights of the Round Table at the castle of Camelot. http :// csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs993a/arthurian/chars.htm Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith

Guinevere Arthur's queen, reputedly the most beautiful woman in Britain, and the lover of Lancelot, Arthur's best knight. She is occasionally a political pawn in the hands of Mordred, other knights, even Arthur himself, and with the help of Lancelot, she escapes a number of predicaments, including kidnapping by Sir Meliagaunt, burning at the stake, and later, marriage with her step- son. In Malory, she flees after Arthur's death to Amesbury, where she becomes a nun, as well as "abbess and ruler, as reason would." After the last battle in which Arthur and many others are killed, Lancelot comes to find her there, and when Guinevere sees him as she walks with the sisters in the cloister, she swoons three times so "that all ladies and gentlewomen had work enough to hold the queen from the earth." Who? (3 facts) Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith

What was the importance of the round table? (3 facts) As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status. The knights were usually of noble birth: they were usually kings and princes, dukes, counts (or earls) and barons. They formed the backbone of the army, since they were the only one who could afford expensive armor and weapon, as well as the cost of training and maintaining the war-horse. When the knights attend a festival or council at the king's main hall, those who sat at the head of table, usually have precedence over others. These knights would feel envy or jealousy to those of higher ranking. Sometimes, the knights would cause a brawl, over who would take the seat at the head of table. To resolve these problems, Arthur resorted to having his table constructed in a rounded shape. The ingenuity of this design, make all the knights equal, regardless if he was a king or a minor baron. No one would have precedence over others. The knights in Arthur's company became known as the "Knights of the Round Table". These knights were heroes, renowned for their strength and courage, and for their skill in combat and warfare. They swore to protect the king and the kingdom. The symbolism of the Round Table developed over time; by the close of the 12th century it had come to represent the chivalric order associated with Arthur's court, the Knights of the Round Table. So the Round Table actually began in a more basic tradition, that of political expenditure. There was no magical or mystical ingredient that would appeared later in this century or early next century. Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith

Where and When did Arthur live? King Arthur: The Once and Future King Legendary King of Britain from around 400 AD to 600 AD, Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon and Igraine, whose actual name might have been its Latin version, Arturus. This king is mentioned briefly in the Easter Annals, or the Annals of Wales, describing battles of the sixth century, and later by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his History of the Kings of Britain (ca 1136). According to legend, Arthur's conception takes place when Uther seduces Igraine. Uther was made, by Merlin's sorcery, to resemble Igraine's husband, Gorlois. After Arthur was born, he was given to Ector to be raised in secret. Uther died in battle shortly after Arthur's birth. However, before Uther died, he planted Excalibur in a stone where it remained for many years. Merlin said that whoever withdrew the sword from the stone would be the future king of Britain. Though many tried to remove the sword, Arthur alone succeeded. However, this young King stirred controversy among other knights who had been competing for king. Arthur, under the guidance of Merlin, stopped the rebellion against him and married Guinevere. After this Arthur established the Knights of the Round Table at the castle of Camelot. csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs993a/arthurian/chars.htm Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith

How and why did Arthur become king? The Sword in the Stone, sometimes a sword in an anvil, is drawn by Arthur as proof of his birthright and of his nobility. It is both a test and a miraculous sign of his royalty. The sword drawn from the stone is different from the one given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake. The latter is always referred to as Excalibur; the former is called by that name only once, when Arthur draws the sword at a crucial moment in the first battle to test his sovereignty. Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith

Why do you think the concept of the round table and equality might have been so important to King Arthur? Created/Adapted by Mrs. Smith