Le Morte d'Arthur

King Arthur is known as one of the most popular legends of all time. There are a number of stories and pieces of literature written about King Arthur's reign. The most popular and historical story about King Arthur's death is a prose piece written by Thomas Malory an English writer entitled La Morte D'Arthur. This work was first published in 1485. Although King Arthur tried to maintain structure and order as a king betrayal by the people closest to him eventually led to his demise. Arthur was born to King Uther and a woman named Lgraine. His mother was married to another man. Arthur grew up with his foster father Sir Ector in secret. A magician named Merlin suggested it would be better if no one knew Arthur was the son of the King. Arthur served as Squire for his foster brother and eventually became King because he pulled a sword from a stone. While he was King Arthur was successful in defeating many enemies. King Arthur then decided to help others who needed assistance along with his knights of the round table. Merlin a wise magician helped Arthur in battles throughout Arthur's life. One of Arthur's best Knights Lancelot fell in love with King Arthur's wife Guinevere. Lancelot tried to resist his feelings for the Queen by going on several quests to find the Holy Grail. Lancelot was unable to resist his desire for Guinevere and continued his affair with her. This eventually led to the downfall of Arthur's Kingdom. King Arthur wanted to punish his wife and his knight for their affair and planned to burn his wife at the stake. Lancelot saved Guinevere from her death. One of Arthur's knights his son Mordred wanted to become King and encouraged King Arthur to battle Lancelot. Mordred convinced everyone that King Arthur died in battle and Mordred over took the throne. When King Arthur discovered his son's betrayal he went home to reclaim his throne. While in battle with his son Mordred King Arthur died and Mordred was also fatally wounded. After his death King Arthur's body was sent on a boat down the Isle of Avalon never to be seen again.

There are a number of Themes and Symbols in the legend of King Arthur. One theme of importance regarding the death of King Arthur is Trust. Trust is depicted in King Arthur's relationship and friendship with Lancelot his best knight and his marriage to Guinevere. Recall that Lancelot eventually betrayed King Arthur by having an affair with King Arthur's wife. Merlin is also shown as a trustworthy character because he established a trusted relationship with King Uther and King Arthur. Merlin kept Arthur's true lineage a secret and helped King Arthur throughout his life.

Betrayal is another theme represented in King Arthur's legend. Betrayal is brought forth by Lancelot's relationship with the Queen. The two people whom King Arthur trusted the most betrayed him with each other.

Deception is another theme from King Arthur's legend. King Arthur expected his wife and his best Knight to be loyal to him.

Love is also a theme in the legend of King Arthur. Love is shown in the relationship between King Arthur and Guinevere prior to her affair. And then again between Lancelot and Guinevere.

Now let's take a look at a few Symbols in this legend. King Arthur tried to maintain peace in England and among his knights as well.

The round table represents Arthur's view of fairness and equality. Arthur created the table to prevent conflict regarding ranks and feelings of importance between the Knights. The round table was a central part of King Arthur's ability to maintain stability in England and helped bring the knights together during difficult times.

The Holy Grail is an important symbol in the legend of King Arthur. Because the knights of the round table searched for the Holy Grail until they found it. The Holy Grail was used by Jesus at the Last Supper. Finding it represented achieving the highest form of purity. Sir Lancelot was not able to find the Holy Grail because his affair with Queen Guinevere was sinful and contradictory to the ideals of chivalry important during King Arthur's reign. Only three Knights Sir Bors, Sir Percival and Sir Galahad were pure enough to find the Holy Grail.

The legend of King Arthur is one of the most popular Work of medieval times.

Sir Thomas More's Utopia

 

Sir Thomas More's Utopia

 

Sir Thomas More's utopia is a major work in the history of English literature. It represents the flowering of the spirit of Renaissance in England. It was written by the great Christian humanists Sir Thomas More. Utopia was originally written in Latin and published in 1516. Erasmus supervised its printing of “utopia”. And later on it was translated into English by Ralph Robinson in 1551. The form of Thomas More's “Utopia” was influenced by the narrative of voyages as the record of the Explorer Amerigo Vespucci. It was printed in 1507. utopia is a Greek word meaning nowhere land. In this book Sir Thomas More gave the description of an imaginary kingdom of his ideals. In Utopia, Thomas More's purposes to paint a republic after his own ideals. By doing so, he wanted to expose the evils of the actual set up of his own country.

Utopia comprises two Books :-

In the first book we are told how the writer and his friend Peter Giles happened to meet a Portuguese traveller named Raphael Hythloday. Thomas More and Peter Giles accompanied him to the garden. Hythloday tells them about a country called utopia which he had happened to visit, while he was on his way back home from travel.

The description of the land covers the second part of the work. In Utopia, there is no private wealth or money. Thomas More describes the society which is very much like Marxist. In Utopia, there is no unemployment, neither poverty nor excess of wealth.

There are no wars of aggression and the utopians have no lawyers as they have no laws. The only law is conformity to love. There is great religious tolerance and only those are held guilty who deny the existence of God. the utopians glorify physical culture. According to utopians. Perfect health is the greatest of all bodily pleasure. There is no drinking, gambling, hunting and thieving. Thus, the utopians are highly moral people.

Sir Thomas More has narrated the ideal state existing in his imagination. Utopia is not merely a piece of More's idealizing imagination but a criticism of life. It represents the socialistic pattern of society and has aptly been called the first monument of modern socialism. More derives many of his ideas from Plato's Republic. Compton and Rickett commented, “Whereas Plato's Republic is an aristocratic communism Sir Thomas More's is on a democratic basis”. Utopia is a People's State with an effective government even though state controls.

The book embodies the spirit of Renaissance. Sir Thomas More criticizes fanaticism, scholasticism, the other worldliness, and the ideal of chivalry.

The word utopia was coined by Sir Thomas More it was adopted by many writers like Francis Bacon in his “New Atlantis”, William Morris “News from Nowhere” and Edward Bellamy's “Looking Backward” Jonathan Swift's “Gulliver's travel” and Samuel Butler's “Erawhon” can be called as satirical utopias.