Malory’s Morte Darthur: King Arthurs Sword
1 2016-10-11T10:16:12-07:00 Jaclyn Chizner 98b7161c18e92c2e0de1366c1e689c7579c5a9fb 11878 6 This is the sword believed to belong to King Arthur, it is also know as Excalibur. plain 2016-10-30T12:18:21-07:00 Wikipedia 31 December 2004 King Arthurs Sword Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) 43° 8' 56.6268'' N 11° 9' 10.6128'' E .JPG Alexmar983 Jaclyn Chizner 98b7161c18e92c2e0de1366c1e689c7579c5a9fbThis page is referenced by:
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Malory’s Morte Darthur: King Arthurs Sword
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Jaclyn's page about King Arthurs sword
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Malory's Morte Darthur
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King Arthurs sword, often known also as Excalibur, is a large part of Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur because the sword gives Arthur internal power to rule and reign over the people of England. Within the first book of the epic, Arthur's father, King Uther of England, dies, leaving a tangled mess within his country and family. A stone with a sword in it appears in the courtyard. The with the words, “Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise king born of all England,” were engraved onto it (Malory Book I Chapter V). After many attempts by men all around England, no one was successful, until Arthur. The sword is a symbol of kingship, and it represents the responsibility of power. This theme can be seen throughout the epic, specifically, it ties heavily into Malory’s theory of chivalry, and the order of society around Arthur’s round table. “He [Malory] was influenced in this aim by contemporary ideas about royal governance – not by a theory of royal supremacy as Vinaver may have intended, but rather by a practical understanding of the dynamics of fifteenth-century royal politics,” (Kelly 44-45). Arthur feels he is a leader with great power, and throughout the epic he can be seen gaining true loyalty from those around him. Today, King Arthurs sword is believed to be kept on display at Montesiepi Chapel in Chiusdino, Tuscany, Italy. Not only is the sword still relevant today because it can still be physically seen, but the symbolism and ideals bestowed within it are still important to society today. Today the values that the people of England found within Arthur, and the traits his sword represents, are often found in today's world leaders. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Police Men, Teachers, and more, all carry within them what Arthur carried within his sword. Courage, loyalty, and chivalry guide the power that people in the world use for good.
Kelly, Robert L. Royal Policy and Malory’s Round Table. Scriptorium Press, 2004.
Malory, Thomas. Le Morte Darthur. London: Caxton, 1485.
