King Arthur Synthesis

Synthesis Essay: Young Arthur In the several versions of Arthur’s story regarding the Sword in the Stone, there are many unique difference among them. Like these several variations, Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d 'Arthur and Thomas Westwood’s “The Sword of Kingship” are different in their own way in the retelling of the Sword in the Stone. In Westwood’s time period of the 1800s, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Gothic Fiction movement was prevalent. Because Westwood lived in the 1800s, these movements have influenced him in his writings. Westwood’s perspective on Enlightenment, Romanticism and Gothic Fiction has caused his writing to differ with Malory’s version. Regarding the difference of Malory’s and Westwood’s version, one noticeable

Another difference is the way how the relationship of young Arthur and Sir Ector’s wife was presented. Malory’s version hardly mentioned the Sir Ector’s wife. She was only mentioned in the line that says “and so Sir Ector 's wife nourished him with her own pap”(Malory). Although Malory might have shown relationships of characters later in the story, he was focused more on chivalry and God than relationships and emotions. Many authors of Malory’s period would often focused on the plot and moral lessons instead of emotions and relationships. Westwood’s version, on the other hand, described and emphasised the loving relationship between Arthur and Sir Ector’s wife. Arthur was shown to “saw, and ran to meet her from afar, and kiss 'd her mouth, and kiss 'd her wrinkled cheeks, and knelt before her”(Westwood). The emphasis of the relationship relates to Romanticism which is about human emotions. Romanticism, like the Enlightenment, was also popular in Westwood’s period; many authors highlighted emotions in their stories back then. Like these many authors, Westwood was influenced by the Romanticism movement. These difference in the two version occurs because Westwood was shaped by the Romanticism movement in his time

In the Beginning of the legend, many versions shows the Story of the Uther and how his son Arthur was born. Malory’s version describes the rather shameful act of Uther in the story by saying “So after the death of the duke, King Uther lay with Igrayne more than three hours after his death, and begat on her that night Arthur”(Malory). Malory might have happened to just show the scene; he also might have mentioned the scene to show how Arthur is different from his father or make up for his father’s action by showing chivalry. However, Westwood’s version did not mentioned story of the circumstances of Arthur’s birth. In fact, Igrayne was an official queen rather than the duke’s wife as described by “To royal Uther, by his queen Igrayne, was born a son; whom, wrapp 'd in swaddling clothes”(Westwood). The story of Arthur’s birth was likely omitted because of Westwood’s possibly negative view on Gothic Fiction. Gothic Fiction deals with the supernatural, death and violence and was significant in the 1800s. Elements like violence and death occurred in Malory’s version where it describes the war of Uther and the Duke and Merlin’s magic. Westwood might have not liked the idea of Gothic Fiction; thus, he omitted the story of Arthur’s birth. In a way, the Westwood’s negative view of Gothic Fiction causes the difference between the two versions.
Malory’s Le Morte d 'Arthur and Westwood’s “The Sword of Kingship” shares many unique differences. As previously stated, these