ELA 12: British Literature—Semester A

Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 2.05: The Once and Future King

Don't you hate it when you're trying to read and your evil wizard beard gets in the way?
(Source)

What do T.H. White, Monty Python, and Disney all have in common?

If you guessed that they all retold the ol' Arthurian legend, then you would be right. But of these, White was the pioneer. One of the earliest modern retellings of the tale of King Arthur, his The Once and Future King,was first published in four separate books and draws heavily from Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur (alluding directly to Sir Thomas's text on several occasions). Although many other works of fiction have since done the same, White's story took the first step in making Arthur accessible to a modern audience.

So how does White's version of the tale stack up against Malory's? Well, The Once and Future King follows the source material pretty closely when it comes to characters and plot. All of the basic ingredients are still there—the noble king, the legendary sword, the knights of the Round Table, and the wise old magician who gets himself sealed into a cave for centuries after running afoul of a magical temptress.

As you journey through the story, however, you'll notice that White bestows upon his characters an emotional depth and individuality that's lacking in Malory's version. We get more insight into ladies man Lancelot's insecurities, Arthur's tragic character flaws, and Merlin's role as a wise and socially conscious, albeit lovesick and slightly absentminded, mentor—all of which leads to a greater emotional impact on the reader when these imperfect heroes meet their downfall. Lev Grossman said it best when he proclaimed that White had taken a story that was "as stiff and two-dimensional as a medieval tapestry" and turned it into something much more "rich and real and devastatingly sad."

In other words, in the modern era, the cherished tale of King Arthur and his noble knights is no longer a black and white romance. Instead, it has become something that did not appear until centuries after Malory's original retelling: a novel.

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 2.2.05: Old Stories, Retold

Now that we've explained why White's modern interpretation of Arthur's adventures is unique and brilliant in its own way, we see how reading his book can hold up.

Today, you'll be revisiting the most important moments in Arthur's journey in the following selections from The Once and Future King:

• "The Sword in the Stone": Choose two from this list: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 21, 22, 23, 24
• "The Ill-Made Knight": Choose two from this list: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45

These chapters cover the following:

• Young Arthur's education and upbringing
• How he came to be king of England
• His wedding to Guinevere
• Merlin's imprisonment in the cave
• The development of Lancelot and Guinevere's adulterous affair

(Oh come on, you knew it was coming.)

As you read, pay special attention to how White portrays the four main characters of Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, and Merlin. Does he do a good job of transforming Malory's romantic archetypes into real, fleshed-out characters?

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 2.05a: Making Legend Come Alive

Reinventing a legendary character in a way that appeals to a popular audience and at the same time retains his or her integrity can be a difficult task. Just ask Disney, accused by literary critics and Danes of transforming Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid from an earnest sea-dwelling creature with a heart and moral lessons into an animated "gimmick."

So how does one do the job right, anyway?

White had his work cut out for him in The Once and Future King, especially when it came to creating three-dimensional protagonists from the relatively vague character traits and scattered hints in Malory's version of the tale.

Building these new characters therefore required a certain degree of creative license—where Malory's account lacked in characterization, White had to fill in the blanks. As a result, many of the characters in The Once and Future King show new personality traits and eccentricities that were not present in the original retelling, while their back stories have also been more richly developed and fleshed out for readers. (Maybe he could give Disney some pointers.)

And now, Shmoopers, you're going to do the same thing.

Sample Lesson - Activity