The Once and Future King - Might vs. Right

A detailed Summary of The Once and Future King - Might vs. Right

The legend of King Arthur is a tale as timeless as any other found in literature today. Introduced to us by Sir Thomas Malory during the fifteenth century in Morte d' Arthur, it was the first complete tale of Arthur's life. Countless portrayals followed for any reader interested in the tale of the boy who was destined to become King. The Once and Future King by T.H. White is certainly the most popular representation of the immortal legend of King Arthur. It is similar to the tales woven before it but White gives new meanings and modernization to the traditional story through his unique perspectives and writing. White takes the reader on a journey in the past enriched by the knowledge of the future. Most importantly, White's notion that society cannot be governed by might alone is a prevalent theme throughout the work. He expresses the ideals of "might vs. right" as it relates to a world much like our world today. He clearly understands that "might" rules the actions of individuals, but "right" is the ideal that we seek to obtain. As we often find, the former prevails.

The novel is divided into four sections that represent periods of time in Arthur's life. The novel begins with The Sword

The next section entitled The Queen of Air and Darkness tells of Arthur's war to defend his title and secure his throne. His fight to claim his rights leads Arthur to a battle within himself. At one point Arthur declares to his subjects "Why can't you harness might so that it works for right" (254). He believes that in his pursuit to conquer his foes, he could use might to turn the bad things into something good. Merlyn is aware of his naivete but knows that time will bring knowledge or failure. Only time will tell the story. Later in the Ill-Made Knight, he creates a roundtable of his best and most noble knights to fight for the good of the kingdom. He chooses as one of his knights, Sir Lancelot, known as a "knight with a medieval respect for honour" (353). This early description of the knight was for a man not corrupted by his desires. Lancelot is also described as not wasting his time trying to discover what is right or wrong. It is this lack of character that overwhelms his love for Arthur and allows him to fall in love with Arthur's wife Guenever. White alludes to Sir Lancelot's quality of having no desire for right as the one "which brought their ruin" (353). Such a forbidden love was certain to bring them all heartache in the end.

Arthur later declares the roundtable to be a mistake because "the table itself was founded on force" (450). He realizes too late that "right must be established by right; it can't be established by force majeur" (450). In The Candle in the Wind, Arthur realizes his sins will torture him. He states emphatically that "do you think that you can stop the consequences of a bad action, by doing good ones afterwards? I don't" (612). His dreams of t

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Approximate Word count = 1150
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English