LE MORTE D’ARTHUR

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 16th century

The stories regained popularity during the 19th and 20th 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 chiefLucius Artorius Castus, Roman military

officerAmbrosius 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

(1856-1885)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 kingArthur 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 1450-1451 he

allegedly committed many crimes including extortion, theft, and rape (twice)

Wrote Le Morte d’Arthur while he was in prison between 1450-1470

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 1809-1892 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.