Le Morte d'Arthur
What happens when Bedivere finally throws Excalibur (Arthur's sword) into the lake?
Bedivere never throws the sword in the lake.
Why does Arthur attempt to pull the sword from the stone?
He was sent to find a sword for Sir Ector, who lost his.
Under what condition does the Lady of the Lake give Merlin her sword?
That he will give her a gift when she asks it of him.
Le Morte d'Arthur is French for:
The Death of Arthur
A legend is a story so grand and universal that it can be passed down generations. It is believed to be partly historical but continues to change and become more fantastic as the story is retold. How do the following quotations from the end of Le Morte d'Arthur establish King Arthur as a legend? "Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesus into another place, and men say that he shall come again, and he shall win the holy cross. I will not say it shall be so, but rather I will say: here in this world he changed his life. But many men say that there is written upon his tomb this verse: Hic jacet Arthurus, Rex quondam, Rexque futurus (Here lies Arthur, the once and future king)."
The following quotations from Le Morte d'Arthur establish King Arthur to be known as a legend through the confidence people hold for Arthur to be there king forever. Having said that some believe that "he shall come again" which displays the hope and faith they had and still have for Arthur. Arthur's worthy actions shown on earth is recognized and praised for, giving Arthur a title of a legend by his story told.
In ancient times, kings and emperors commonly claimed to be gods in human form. In Medieval Europe, this concept was interpreted as the "divine right of kings." According to the divine right of kings, God himself appointed the rulers of England, in the same way that prophets anointed kings in the Old Testament. How do the sword in the stone and the sword in the lake episodes reinforce the medieval "divine right of kings?" Use examples and/or quotations from the text. Your response should be 4-6 sentences.
The sword in the stone and the sword in the lake represents the protection and preservation the sword has for the right person to uphold it. The sword in the story symbolizes the "divine right of kings" to be able to take it out of the stone and pick it up from the lake. Having Arthur be the one to have authority and worthiness to take the sword out of the stone displays his divine right as a king. Because Arthur was the only one who was able to hold the sword, he will uphold the throne to be the ruler.
Arthur is mortally wounded because he failed to heed Sir Gawain's warning in a dream.
true
