A study of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot, based on T.H. White's Once and Future King, and The Road to Camlann by Rosemary Sutcliff, will illustrate many aspects of Medieval culture. Three Medieval cultural traits which appear in both works are belief in magic fantasy, humility, and the importance of women. Comparing and contrasting the historical novel and the film to Anglo Saxon poetry will reveal that the belief in magic and fantasy was a modification of Anglo Saxon characteristics, and humility and the importance of women were cultural characteristics which were completely new to the Medieval period.

The belief in magic and fantasy is a characteristic displayed in the film mostly by a man named Merlin. Merlin is the teacher of Arthur, King of England. In Camelot, the first time Merlin appears he seems to emerge from a tree in a forest. This gives the idea that Merlin is part of the tree and the forest. Arthur tells Guenever, to whom he is betrothed that Merlin is said to be someone, whom: "lives backwards. He can remember the future so he can tell you what you will be doing in it. He doesn't age, he youthens" (Lerner). Mordred, the illigiteme

Had bewitched all men's weapons, laid spells

Thompson, Eileen et al. Introduction. "The Anglo Saxon Period." Prentice Hall Literature: The English

Beowulf. Trans. Burton Raffel. Prentice Hall Literature: The English Tradition. Eds. Eileen Thompson

A path for his [Grendel's] evil soul, but their points

Many of these changes from the Anglo-Saxon time to the Medieval period were brought about by Christianity.

My lord and king! May happiness come

The characteristic of humility was a cultural characteristic which is completely new to the medieval period. It was the opposite of their characteristic of bragging. In the Anglo Saxon period, everyone was supposed to brag, and supposed to make a name for themselves that would live on after they died. In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf, prince of the Geats, appears to be very egotistical to the readers. However, he is very representative of the Anglo Saxon society values. Beowulf fights a monster named Grendel without any sword or shield, saying that the monster is not using any other weapons or means of defense, so neither will he. After he kills the monster, no one reacts negatively to this bragging, unlike in the Medieval period when people who would brag or try to make a name for themselves were looked down upon.

Sutcliff, Rosemary. Road to Camlann. New York: Penguin Group, 1982.

In the Anglo Saxon time period, women had little importance. There is no mention of women in the poetry of this time period, which in it self is significant. Women were not thought about or paid attention to by anyone in society. The only example is from Beowulf, when Welthow, queen of the Dane's, brings Beowulf a drink and says:

Could not hurt him, the sharpest and hardest iron

Some common words found in the essay are:
Anglo Saxon, Beowulf Welthow, Prince Geats, Lancelot Lake, Sir Meliagraunce, King Arthur, Round Table, Christianity Humility, Christianity Christianity, La Fay, belief magic, magic fantasy, belief magic fantasy, anglo saxon, medieval period, importance women, round table, sir meliagraunce, prentice hall, completely medieval period, et al, joust innocence, anglo saxon period, humility importance women, trans burton raffel,
Approximate Word count = 2329
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)