KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS
The Legend Begins…
• Arthur is the son of King Uther Pendragon and Igrayne, wife
of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall.
• Merlin the Magician forced the King to “swear a solemn oath”
to allow Merlin to bring up Arthur as he chose.
• Merlin delivered the newborn unchristened child to Sir Ector.
• Sir Ector christened the child and raised him as his own, not
knowing he was the future king.
• King Uther died two years after Arthur’s birth, leaving
England in turmoil – a country without a king
• Several years passed, until all the lords of the realm
gathered on Christmas Day looking for a miracle to show
them who should rightly be King.
• The “Sword in the Stone” appeared in the church courtyard,
bearing the famous inscription.
Who would be King?
• It was decided that a tournament would be held to determine
who would win the right to pull the sword out of the stone.
• Sir Ector and his son, Sir Kay, traveled to the tournament.
• Sir Kay forgot his sword and asked his younger brother,
Arthur to retrieve it.
• Arthur decided to get the sword that was in the stone and
give it to Sir Kay.
Arthur Becomes King
• Sir Ector and Sir Kay both knelt down to Arthur and told him
of his true identity.
• The Lords were upset because they did not want a boy who
was not of “high blood” to govern their country.
• The commoners finally cried out that Arthur was the rightful
King and should be crowned.
• Arthur was first knighted, and then crowned, by the
Archbishop of Canterbury.
• Arthur swore to his Lords and Commoners to be a true King,
and to govern with “true justice.”
The Land Called Camelot
Arthur ruled in peace for many years…
• Guinivere, daughter of King Leodegrance, married Arthur
• Sir Lancelot, son of the Lady of the Lake, Arthur’s “First
Knight”
• Merlin, wizard and advisor to the King
• Other Knights of the Round Table: Sir Gawain, Sir Galahad,
Sir Percivale, Sir Bedivere
The Age of Chivalry
Arthur and his Knights practiced the Code of Chivalry…
• Courage, Justice, Mercy, Generosity, Faith, Nobility, Hope
Settings: Rome
Characters: Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot,
Tristan, Gawain, Galahad, Bors
Merlin, Bishop Germanius, Marius Honorius,
Alecto, Saxons, Woads, Jols
Conflict: The conflict of the story when the bishop Germanus did
not give the release paper for the freedom of Arthur and his knights
instead he give them another task to save Alecto son of Marius
Honorius.
Resolution: Even though they feel the betrayal of bishop, still they
did their mission as a true man to get their discharge paper.
ELEMENTS OF A SHORT STORY
OVERVIEW
Short stories often contain structural and character elements that
should be familiar to you.
These elements can be used as guides to help you think about the
actions, themes, and contexts of the story.
Elements of a Short Story
• Theme, Setting, Characters, Point of view, Characterization,
Plot, Exposition Statement, Rising Action, Conflict, Climax,
Falling Action, Resolution
THEME- The main idea of a literary work usually expressed as a
generalization.
SETTING- The time and place in which a work of literature
happens
CHARACTERS- The people (or actors) in the story
• CHARACTERIZATION- The description of the personalities of
the characters in the story and the way in which an author
reveals their personalities.
*Mr. Bean
*Sadako
POINT OF VIEW- The story teller from whose point of view the
story is being told, the narrator
Kinds of Point of View
• First Person -The story is told by the protagonist or one of the
characters who interacts closely with the protagonist or other
characters (using pronouns I, me, we, etc).
• Omniscient -The author can narrate the story using the
omniscient point of view. He can move from character to
character, event to event, having free access to the thoughts,
feelings and motivations of his characters and he introduces
information where and when he chooses.
PLOT - The sequence or order of events in a story. The plot
includes:
• Exposition Statement - The part of the plot that tells how the
story begins.
• Rising Action - The action in the story leading up to the climax.
• Conflict - Struggles or problems between opposing forces.
More PLOT
• Climax - The point of crisis in the plot. It may be the reader’s
point of highest interest.
• Falling action - The action in the story after the climax is
revealed.
• Resolution - The part of the plot that reveals the final outcome.
Types of Conflict
• External - A struggle with a force outside one's self
• Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make
some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an
urge, etc.
Kinds of Conflict
1) Man vs. Man - The leading character struggles with his
physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or
animals.
2) Man vs. Circumstances - The leading character struggles
against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
3) Man vs. Society - The leading character struggles against
ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs. Himself/Herself - The leading character struggles with
himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong,
physical limitations, choices, etc.
Introduction 7The Holy Grail quest
1Merlyn becomes disperses Arthur's
Arthur's tutor. knights.8
Rising Action Mordred exposes
2Geese teach Arthur Lancelot and
about having no Guenever's love affair.
political boundaries. Climax
3Arthur pulls out sword 9Lancelot rescues
from stone, becoming Guenever from
King of England. execution.
4Arthur forms the Falling Action
Knights of the Round 10Arthur wages war on
Table. Lancelot, destroying
5Arthur makes the Round Table.
Lancelot a Knight of 11Arthur wages war on
the Round Table. Mordred.
6Lancelot and Queen Resolution
Guenever begin their 12Arthur tells the page,
love affair. Tom, to carry on the
idea of the Round
Table.