The Once and Future King

Historians have debated whether King Arthur ever existed. Some historians argue that Arthur is a fiction constructed out of Welsh folktales, and White himself cites Thomas Malory, the 15th-century English writer whose Le Morte d’Arthur laid the foundation for much of Arthur’s popular mystique. The legend has endured in various incarnations for centuries. Early records suggest King Arthur was a 5th-century warrior who led the Briton revolt against a Saxon invasion. In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth, a Welsh cleric, created the more familiar image of Arthur as “the courtly king, a leader in both war and times of peace” (Radulescu, Raluca. “Why the Legend of King Arthur Still Resounds Today.” Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2017). Over the years, writers have expanded upon these original character sketches and created a tragic hero whose tolerance and quest for justice ultimately prove to be his undoing. Other turning points in the development of the myth include the incorporation of the Holy Grail legend and the story of Lancelot and his love affair with Guenever, both innovations of the 12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes that feature prominently in The Once and Future King.