Heros in King Arthur

8/6/2019 Heros in King Arthur

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Shanon Williams

Mythology Period 3

A Heroic Legend

If there is one concept that has interested us for thousands of years, it is the concept of

heroes. As humans we yearn to achieve, and heroes are a perfect depiction of that intrinsic

need. We have developed a cliché outline for our heroes over the years, and almost every hero

from every story stems from this origin. In the Christian view, a hero is a mortal male whose

athleticism tops all of his opponents. He must be brave and resourceful, and must accomplish

something that either cannot or do not. He is also most often in the top portion of the social

hierarchy, from the blood of royals. But most importantly, in order for the man to be

considered a hero in the Christian eye, he must go on a quest, an altruistic one. For the

righteous mind of a Christian, a hero with an ego is not a hero at all; he must be selfless. In

Malorys Le MorteDArthur, this mold a Christian hero was made to create several characters.

Males have been the dominant sex since the genesis of civilized society. Though this has

changed over the years, in the Middle Ages, the idea of equality between sexes had yet to be

conceived. And just as men did the back breaking work, supplied for the family, and went to

war, they were the only ones that could be idolized into heroes. Moreover, they could only be

heroes if they portrayed athletic prowess. Heroes, both Classical and Christian, dominated the

field of athletics and warfare. If they did not, then they would not be able to accomplish the

great feats that were told. However, they could not only be strong and fast, by they had to also

be brave and resourceful like no other. They would have to tackle daunting challenges and



jump the highest hurdles, and thus they must have unequaled bravery and resourcefulness to

find a way to accomplish the task.

Unlike the Classical hero, a Christian hero is not of divine lineage. Instead he is of royal

blood, from the lines of kings, queens, barons, and the like. If that gifted blood flowed through

his veins, a man had the potential to become a hero. As long as he filled the other criteria, it

was up to his deeds to become heroic. If he could accomplish that which others could not, then

he was well on his way to legend.

The most important and prominent requirement for a Christian hero is altruism. Self

was sin in the eyes of God; if a man was selfish, there was no way he could be a hero. Instead

he would have to serve others with the utmost dedication, without material motivation. This of

course is one of the main concepts that the code of chivalry was based upon. Knights would

champion causes they viewed were righteous, and often received zero compensation. And so,

any hero present in the book Le MorteDArthur would have to fulfill this requirement, and

follow the code of chivalry.

King Arthur himself is a legendary hero, especially in regards to the Christian sense. The

legends revolve around him and his court of knightly followers. Arthur was a mortal male,

obviously, and there are several instances that qualify him as a hero. He is of royal blood, as the

mythology of his rise to power tells us; he was born by Queen Igraine, and his father was the

King of all Britain, UtherPendragon. Arthurs prowess on the battlefield and his great amount of

bravery are shown as he fights to withhold his status as the King of Britain. This is clearly shown

at the battle of Bedgrayne, where Arthur and his army fight the eleven kings. He himself joins



the melee, and throughout the battle becomes known for his formidable qualities on the field.

As he claims the throne of the entirety of Britain, Arthur accomplishes what others did or could

not. Although various barons fought eachother for the position, the only one that could

ultimately achieve the rank was Arthur.

Sir Gareth is also a prime example of a Christian hero, for he was also tremendously

brave and selfless. He is so humble that he lowered himself from royal status to becoming a

kitchen boy; this also showed his resourceful and cunningness however, because he was able to

distinguish who his enemies and friends were in the court. He endures Sir Kays ignorance, as

Kay dubbed him Beaumains. He does this even though he is of royal lineage, as he was the

brother to Sir Gawain and the youngest son of King Lot. Perhaps his most obvious

characteristics are his athletic power and bravery. He shows these when he accomplishes the

quest of the Lady Lyoness, in which no other man was brave enough to attempt. He defeats

several powerful knights during the quest, earning their allegiance. And he does this all while

humbly enduring the insults thrown at him by Lynette, the Lady Lyoness sister. He follows the

code of chivalry down to a tee, and his altruism shined through every deed.

Out of all the characters in the book, many of which could be considered heroes, Sir

Launcelot is the most prominent. He was the strongest knight in the world, and that was highly

recognized throughout the legend. If not for his one flaw, his love for Gwynevere, he would

have soared above every knight, including his son Sir Galahad, and he would have achieved the

quest of the Holy Grail. He is of course brave, as he took on daunting tasks and challenged

powerful knights. The first example is when he saves his comrades from the grasp of Sir



Tarquine, who was an extremely strong knight. This is also a task that no other could

accomplish, for many a knight had been captured by Sir Tarquine and his devious tactics.

Launcelot shows his altruism as he serves King Arthur and his court selflessly. He championed

ladies causes without motivation for reward, as his heart was devoted to Lady Gwynevere, and

no other. Even when he was enchanted and captured by Moran Le Fay and several other

queens, he refused to marry or take any of them for a paramour. His loyalty went undying.

The most admirable knight throughout the legend is Sir Launcelot, in my opinion.

Although many may say Sir Galahad was the greatest hero, I believe this is far from the truth.

Sir Galahad represents a pureness that is unachievable, and thus he seems unreal. In the reality

we live in, Sir Launcelot would be the greatest hero conceivable. His power on the battlefield

was unmatchable, and his bravery and courage were equal to no other man. Most importantly,

his loyalty was his greatest and most distinguishable attribute. Not many can say they would

stand through such trial and tribulation that Launcelot endured and still remain loyal to the

prosecutors. Even though Gwynevere treated Launcelot with a sort of underserved disgust at

the end of the book, his heart still remained loyal to his last breath. Even though Sir Gawain

swore revenge at the death of his brothers and vowed to take his head, Launcelot refused to

take the life of a comrade he once held dear. And although he went to war with his beloved

kingdom, Launcelot refused to let his liege, King Arther, fall. Surely, Sir Launcelot was the

greatest hero of all.

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Heros in King Arthur