Gareth, who loves and looks up to Lancelot, warns him of Modred and Agrivaines plans and tells him not to go to Guenever. Lancelot, however, does not listen, and he and Guenever are found out. After killing Agrivaine and all the guards who had come for them but Modred, Lancelot escapes to his own castle.
Arthur is forced to put Guenever to death under his laws, but on the day she is to be burned Lancelot flies in to save her. Arthur and Gawaine are both actually glad for this, but the joy soon leaves when it is revealed that the unarmed Gaheris and Gareth were both killed.
Peace is attempted at by banishing Lancelot from England and having Guenever sent back to Arthur, but Gawaine wants revenge on Lancelot for his brothers deaths, so he and Arthur lay siege on Lancelot in France. While they are away Mordred is in control, and totally corrupted by cruelty. He plans to tell England that both Arhtur and Gawaine have died, that he will take Guenever as his wife, and worst of all, declare himself king.
A letter from Guenever is sent to Arthur explaining to him Mordred's plots. After reading it Arthur decides to leave off fighting Lancelot and return to England to right what Mordred is doing. Another letter is also sent, this time from Gawaine to Lancelot. Gawaine forgives Lancelot for killing his brothers and bids him return to England to help Arthur. He also tells Lancelot that his is about to die.
The night before Arthur's armies are going to meet Mordred's, Arhtur is in is tent contemplating war, the reasons for it, and how to prevent it, when he sends for a page. He tells the page the story of a king, his ideals and how might should always be used for right. He also tells that there will be a bloody battle and all will die but one page. He sends this page off to spread the ideas he spoke of so that they are not forgotten.
This is the way that T.W. White ends his book The Once and Future King. In many ways it is utterly tragic. The destruction of all the good that Arthur tried to, or did accomplish, came from within, from his friends, his wife, his family, and even some bits from himself. The trickery and lust of his half sister which lead to Mordred. Arthur listening to prophesies and advice concerning his son which lead to trying to kill Mordred, which heightened Mordreds cruelty. The affair between the two people he loved most, which caused sorrow for Arthur and his undeniable duty to punish them. Gawaine's pride and stubbornness to have revenge on Lancelot, and Arthurs own inability to say no to it, all contributed to the bloody and sorrowful end. Tragedy and sorrow follow through the tree latter books. No matter how much good is done, no matter how much good is intended or how much good is strived for, tragedy follows and happiness is short lived. You would think that this would leave the reader feeling hopeless and like there is no point in trying to do good, but at least for me, this is not the case. No matter how awful the circumstance, Arhtur never stopped trying for his ideals, he believed in them, even at the end, when all seemed lost he wanted them to stay alive, so someday, someone could try again. The ideals were worth all of it, and because of all that happened people could learn. It wasn't all tragedy, because ideas were born, and progress was made, and even though everything seemed to fall apart, all was not lost, because the ideas stayed. The last few lines of this book made the end that was hopeless, full of hope, when T. H. White wrote the words:
Explicit liber regis quondam regisque futuri
The Beginning
3 comments:
I really like the fact that you feel that ther ending is somewhat hopeful. Is it possible to have the perfect society that Arthur envisaged? Also, what about the fact that Arthur tells his story to the boy, "Tom"? Who does that boy grow up to be, acording to White?
The page becomes Sir Thomas Mallory, author of "The Death of king Arthur"
The page becomes Sir Thomas Mallory, author of "The Death of king Arthur"
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