White, T. H. The Once And Future King. G. P. Putnam?s Sons, New York.1958. Essay, Research Paper
The main character in the novel is Wart. He lives with his fosterbrother Kay at Sir Ector?s castle in a Forest. Kay and Wart are really goodfriends and they go on a lot of adventures in the woods. One day Wart is outin the woods and he finds Merlyn. Wart takes Merlyn back to Sir Ector?scastle. Merlyn is a magician and he becomes Wart?s tutor. Merlyn turnsWart into many different animals ,such as a fish, an ant, and a badger, andsends him on many adventures. Merlyn teaches Wart many lessons. One day the castle receives a letter that says that the King of Englandhad died and since he had no kin it was going to be a hard task to find a newKing of England. A sword stuck in an anvil appeared in front of the church inLondon and on the anvil were inscribed the words ?Whoso Pulleth Out ThisSword of this Stone and Anvil, is Rightwise King Born of All England? (201).There was a tournament held in London and all were invited to come and theone who pulled the sword out would be the new King of England. Wart andKay went along with Sir Ector to London. In addition to having people try topull out the sword they have activities like jousting. While in London, Kayjoins in on the jousting but he left his sword in the house they were staying inso Wart went back to the house but it was locked and as he walked back hesaw the sword in the anvil. He decided to borrow the sword, and he wentover to it and pulled it out. When he told Kay where he got the sword Kayannounced that Wart was the new King of England, but Merlyn changes hisname to Arthur and from then on he was King Arthur. Lancelot is a knight for King Arthur. He is a very good knight but hismain downfall is that he is very ugly. Lancelot goes through many problemsbut his biggest problem is that he falls in love with Arthur?s wife, Guenever.Guenever also falls in love with Lancelot. They try to deny it to themselvesbut Lancelot is a very unstable emotionally and he can?t handle having to hislove for Guenever and he goes mad two or three times. Later in the book Arthur?s son, Mordred, comes back and tries tooverthrow Arthur. He uses Lancelot and his love for Guenever to try tooverthrow Arthur. Arthur and Lancelot have a big fight that amuses Mordredvery much but in the end Arthur finds out that the whole plot was Mordred?s.In the end he has Mordred executed and he lets Guenever go with Lancelotbecause he sees their great love for each other. My favorite character in the book was Merlyn. For example, he is verywise and he has good common sense because he said ?Sometimes life doesseem to be unfair? (85). Moreover, he is an impact maker. Even though he isnot the main character and not in the book very long he makes a big impacton the story. Merlyn actions made him like me because I think I am verywise. I also think that I do not have to be the main focus to make an impact.I can make an impact no matter how little of part I have. One problem Arthur has in the story is that he has to get a sword forKay. For Instance, when he finds the house the sword is in is locked he hasto find an alternative and says ?Where does one get hold of a sword? Wherecan I steal one?? (206). When Arthur can?t get the sword from the house hehas to find one laying around so he takes the one out of the anvil in front ofthe church. The result of this action is that he gets a sword for Kay. Anotherresult is that he becomes King of England because he can get the sword out ofthe anvil. This book is very much like the book A Connecticut Yankee in KingArthur?s Court. For example, in this book their schedule is ?Mondays andFridays, tilting and horsemanship; Tuesdays, hawking; Wednesdays, fencing;Thursdays, archery; Saturdays, the theory of chivalry? (3). They have to domany things to train to be knights. In A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur?sCourt the Yankee had to learn jousting and horsemanship. He is alsoknighted in the book because he has practiced his jousting and horsemanshipenough he can do a good job for the king. I like this book very much. For example, Merlyn says ?Love is a trickplayed on us by the forces of evolution. Pleasure is the bait laid down by thesame. There is only power. Power is of the individual mind, but the mind?spower is not enough. Power of the body decides everything in the end, andonly Might is Right? (47-48). This line defines the book very well. Power isthe only thing Arthur has because he loved Guenever but it was only a trickbecause she actually left him but he still had his power after she left. This isthe kind of books I like. Someone has total power over a person or a lot ofpeople. I don?t like stories that are just love stories because as Merlyn saidlove is a trick played on us and I don?t like to be tricked. I am not saying thatI don?t like love stories but it?s just you can only have so much of love in astory. You have to have some fighting and people with power.
395