The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Book excerpt: Le Morte d'Arthur is, at its core, a story of the life of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The central themes of destiny, identity, and the ideal quest drive the tales, which move from the formation of Arthur's England through its tragic demise. Interspersed throughout the story are a variety of colorful characters and circumstances which illustrate the important moments in the history of his kingdom. At the beginning of the epic, Uther Pendragon is King of all England. He lusts after Igraine, wife of the Duke of Tintagil. They eventually conceive a child together, named Arthur, who is raised by a surrogate family and is prophesized by the sorcerer Merlin to become High King and to unite the kingdom. Chaos ensues after the death of Uther, and the throne remains empty until a young Arthur pulls the sword Excalibur from a stone, which makes him King of all England. Naturally, there is dissention among the other lesser kings, who think Arthur is unworthy of his position. This leads to war, and young King Arthur prevails. Meanwhile, Arthur learns his true identity and accepts his fate. Unfortunately, he has already conceived a child with his half-sister. The child, Mordred, is destined to destroy Arthur and his kingdom. In the meantime, King Arthur establishes a code of ethics for the Knights of the Round Table, which helps maintain the peace of the kingdom until it is unfortunately divided from within.