Transcript The Legend of King Arthur

The Legend of
King Arthur
Challenge 1
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.
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
_____Merlin-the King Arthur’s Magician
_____Morgan Le Fay-King Arthur’s sister
_____Mordred-Morgan Le Fay and King
Arthur’s son
_____Elaine-Lancelot’s Wife
_____Gawain-nephew of Arthur
_____Sir Kay-in charge of Arthur’s house
_____Perceval-a blessed fool
_____Guinevere-King Arthur’s wife
_____Lady of the Lake-gives Arthur
Excalibur
_____Lancelot-knight of the round table,
lover of Guinevere
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.
Who? (3 facts)
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 stepson. 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."
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.
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.
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.
Why do you think the
concept of the round table
and equality might have
been so important to King
Arthur?