MORTE D’ ARTHUR – LORD TENNYSON

MORTE D’ ARTHUR – LORD TENNYSON

v  The work’s title rooted from middle French of Le Morte D'arthur, which means the death of Arthur.  It narrates a medieval story, but it has for leading psychological and allegorical significance. It also symbolically stated that importance of obedience and discipline in the society which make up people to live united.

v  The poem first appeared in 1842, volume of poems by Tennyson. It is a 11th poem of The Idylls of the King which contains twelve poems all about king Arthur and his life.

v  It is based on a prose book entitled Morte ‘d Arthur translated from French by Sir Thomas Malory and published in 1469. Poems by Morris, Swinburne and Arnold etc., are also based on this book of Sir Thomas Malory.

v  Tennyson began to write it in 1833-34, created a frame for it in about 1837-38 and published it in 1842.

v  First he incorporated in The Idylls of the King as “The Passing of Arthur” where it was preceded by 169 lines, and followed by 29 lines.

v  The poem describes the circumstances of King Arthur’s death. In the battle at Lyonnesse, all King Arthur’s Knights were killed except Sir Bedivere.

v  King Arthur was himself severely wounded. Sir Bedivere took the wounded King on his shoulders and carried him to a nearby chapel.

v  King spoke to Sir Bedivere and said “This day marks the dissolution of the Round Table………..”.

v  King explained to him that the past would not return. How he was disappointed by the people of his own. But he hoped that once Merlin, the magician, prophesied  he would be returned to the King. The deep wound that he suffered diminished his faith on prophecy.

v  Then he narrated him how he got the magic sword Excalibur, during summer noon. One mysterious arm arose from the depth of the lake, holding the sword covered by white rich silk cloth.

v  King ordered to throw the sword in the middle of the lake and told him what he would see there.

v  Sir Bedivere took the sword and went towards lake to cast away the sword when he dazzed by the beauty and value of the precious stones studded on its hilt and decided not to throw it away, as desired by the king.

v  He conceded it among the shrubbery and returned to King.

v  King questioned him what he saw in the lake he replied that he didn’t see anything except the sound of striking against the rocky shore.

v  King rebuked by his lie and commanded him again to comply the order.

v  Sir Bedivere felt unable to execute the king’s command and argued himself how he would lose the precious sword just for the command of sick king.

v  So he returned again to the king as before.

v  Now the king was fury and scolded Sir Bedivere for shameful act of Knight.

v  He ordered him a third time to go and fulfil his desire, if failed again he would raise and slay him.

v  Now Sir Bedivere was obliged to overcome his hesitation. He went to the bank of the lake and retrieving the sword, from its hiding place, tossed it to the lake which fall down on the water, a mysterious arm arose from beneath the surface of the water.

v  The hand took the arm with it and brandished it three times and then drew back under water in it.

v  Sir Bedivere reported the scene that he watched on the lake.

v  The king asked Sir Bedivere to carry him to the bank of the lake. At the bank of the lake, Sir Bedivere arrived carrying the king and beheld a boat waiting with three queens on it.

v  They received the king kindly.

v  The king’s face was white and colourless and hair covered with dust. Sir Bedivere could no longer control his emotion and recalled  with laments the days when he, with his fellow knights led by the king performed deeds of valour and chivalry, all of which was to remain a dream now.

v  The king consoled him by saying that the conditions and circumstances kept always changing, that nothing remained the same for good, and that if they do no change they became stale and useless and would even corrupt the world.

v  The king concluded after enjoining on Sir Bedivere farewell to pray on his behalf when he was gone because more things are wrought by prayer than the world dreamt of.

v  Bidding Sir Bedivere farewell he told him that he would now sail to the ocean island of Aviliaon where he would be healed of his wound.

v  The boat then sailed away and Sir Bedivere stood silently watching till the barged looked a mere dot in the distance.

Points to Ponder:

v  The poem is written in blank verse.

v  Excalibur means cut steel.

v  The Lady of the Lake – she is a supernatural character in the Arthurian legends. She is one of the three queens in the boat in which Arthur is borne away to be healed of his wounds. She also appears as Morgan le Fay, a sister of King Arthur.

v  Valley of Avilion – a mythical land where king Arthur is borne to be healed of his wounds. It is a legendry paradise.

v  The Round Table – according to one version, the Round Table was made by Merlin, the magician.  It was given to King Arthur as a wedding present when he married Guinevere, the daughter of King Leodegrace of Cameliard. It could seat 150 knights and all places round it were equal without distinction and discrimination.

v  Knights of the Round Table – the best known among King Arthur’s knights were – Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot, Sir Perceval, and Sir Bedivere.