The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

“And, lo! the spirit of prophecy is upon me and I do foresee into the future that thou, Arthur, shall become the greatest and most famous King that ever lived in Britain.”

Merlin declares this prophecy to Sir Kay and Sir Ector after Arthur pulls the sword from the stone. Through the hundreds of years that Arthurian literature has existed, Merlin’s prophecies have played an important role. King Arthur is a famous figure who has endured in literature for centuries, and Pyle acknowledges this early in the novel to connect his work to those earlier narrative traditions.

“Whoso Smiteth This Shield / Doeth So At His Peril.”

In the book, several knights hang shields with this kind of message near them. In this passage, Sir Myles, the newly-knighted Sir Griflet, and Arthur strike the shield and fight the Sable Knight, who turns out to be Sir Pellinore. The White Knight, Sir Pellias, also invites duels with a similar shield sign (133). This demonstrates how shields have several functions—they are not only used to disguise knights, identify knights, and protect knights, but they are also used to challenge knights to action and to symbolize a knight’s honor.

“I will forget that I am a king and I will cherish the thought of this lady and will serve her faithfully as a good knight may serve his chosen dame.”

This passage characterizes Arthur’s courtship of Guinevere. He adheres to the codes of courtly love; even though he is the ruler of all of Britain, he places his beloved in a position above him.