Le Morte d' Arthur

Plot Synopsis

• Arthur is the son of King Uther. He is raised by Sir Ector. When King Uther died of sickness, Arthur took over. There was only one person who could pull the sword out of the stone and anvil and that person was by birth right the king of all of Britain. Arthur pulled the sword out of the stone and anvil, proving him the king of all Britain.
• King Arthur's first task was to re-establish the nobles who had lost their land in the troubled years after king Uther's death. He then settle at Camelot and gathered the knights of the round table. Out of these knights Sir Lancelot was the most supreme.
• Sir Lancelot and Sir Lyonel set out for adventure. While they were sleeping under a tree Sir Lyonel was taken away prisoner by Sir Tarquin. While still sleeping Sir Lancelot was taken prisoner by four women wanted him to marry them. While imprisoned Sir Lancelot is rescued by king Bagdemagus's daughter.
• Sir Lancelot once again sets out for adventure and is directed towards Sir Tarquin's castle. Sir Lancelot defeated Sir Tarquin who in previous times had taken many knights of the round table prisoner. Wandering through the woods Sir Lancelot defeats the two giants who guard the Tintagil Castle (King Arthur's Castle). Sir Lancelot became the most famous knight at king Arthur's court because of his success at battle.
• While king Arthur was absent from Britain Sir Modred announced Arthur's death and proceeded to overtake the throne. With king Arthur returning to Britain Sir Modred put together an army of 100 thousand to defeat king Arthur. King Arthur won, and with a smaller army!
  One night while Arthur was sleeping Sir Gawain came to him in his dreams and told him no to go to battle with Sir Modred again or surely he and his men would die.
• The battle was started by one of the knights drawing his sword to kill a snake who had bit his ankle. Arthur struck Sir Modred under the shield and then Sir Modred caught Arthur in the skull striking him almost dead.
• Before Arthur died he asked Sir Bedivere to take his sword and throw it into the water. Arthur was taken to the lake where many ladies sat in a barge. The ladies took Arthur and sailed away to Avalon.
  

Reactions/Reflection

• I liked this reading. I think it appealed to me more because i just recently had watched the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail and it was nice to know a little bit more about what was going on with the characters and so on.
• I thought it was funny after Sir Lancelot takes Sir Kay's armor and rides away with it and then Sir Gawtere says "Why there rides Sir Kay, the most overbearing King of all, in spite of his many defeats. I think I will challenge him and see if I cannot shake his pride a little." It reminds me of teenage boys who always are trying to look tough.
• I also found it funny that Sir Lancelot had to be saved by a little noblewoman. Here you have this big knight who can defeat Sir Tarquin, but yet he is imprisoned by four women who all want him to marry them!
• I believe that Arthur would have made a pretty good king. He seemed to have respect for the people that helped him, and he wanted to do good for others. For example, his first task as king was to re-establish the nobles who had lost their land during the troubled time after king Uther's death.
  Arthur was also a good battle commander. He defeated Sir Modred in their first battle and Arthur had fewer men!
• I think Arthur's weakness would have been listening to other people/advice. Although, for instance, Sir Gawain had come to Arthur in his dreams and told him not to go to battle again or he and his finest men would surely die. Arthur did go to battle but I think it was because of his hatred for Sir Modred because of what he had done to Arthur. In Arthur's own words, "My lords, I care nothing of my life now! And while Sir Modred is at large I must kill him: there may not be another chance."
• One character that puzzled me was Sir Tarquin. He was "the adventure", the "big tough guy". He had his special tree dedicated to the shields of the knights he held imprisoned, and he was afraid of nothing. He hated one knight and was determined to kill him. Yet, when that one knight came (Sir Lancelot), Sir Tarquin was defeated. It kind of portrays the message that no one is invincible (except God of course) and that you should never get to cocky or over confident because you never know whats coming!
• It amazed me how everything was settle by fighting or challenging. Allot of the time it was just for fun too! Like when Sir Gawtere challenged "Sir Kay" just to see if he could shake his pride a little! But i suppose it was just their was of living and they were used to it.

Vocabulary

Interesting Words

• Excalibur - the magic sword that Arthur uses. Is there any reference to like today's roller coasters?
• Medieval Romance - that it was a forerunner for modern fiction.
• Ninescore - 180. What origin or language is that?
• Pentecost - a Christian feast on the seventh Sunday after Easter commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. Was Christianity a practiced faith of the kingdom or was it just a religion that the king practiced?
• Threescore - being three times twenty : sixty. I'm wondering if the formula is that score equals like twenty and then you multiply your first number by twenty.
• Usurp - to seize and hold. This was one of our vocabulary words this past year!
• Alarums - a call to arms. Is this where we got alarms?
• Dauntless - fearless. This was also one of our vocabulary words this past year!
• Sweet Jesu, give him succor! - sweet Jesus, give him something that furnishes relief! King Arthur was a man of faith!
• HIC LACET ARTHURUS, REX QUONDAM REXQUE FUTURUS - Here lies Arthur, the once and future king. Latin is the "mother" of all languages.

Words I Did Not Understand Or Know

• Vehemently - bitterly, antagonistic.
• Lord Jesu - Lord Jesus. Why do they not say Lord Jesus? If that is what it means (I'm assuming).
• Hitherto - up to this or that time.
• Glade - an open space surrounded by woods.
• Christendom - the part of the world in which Christianity prevails. I got that definition from Merriam Webster but it does not make sense in the sentence: Was not King Arthur, the noblest sovereign Christendom had seen, ......
• Fickle - marked by lack of steadfastness, constancy, or stability.
• Vouchsafed - to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner.
• Barge - any of various boats.