Arthur

Character Analysis

King Arthur. You've heard the name before. What kinds of ideas does it conjure up?

• knights and heroes
• something about a sword
• beautiful women
• more knights and heroes

There has been more written about King Arthur that we can even keep track of here at Shmoop. He's just one of those figures from myth and legend (and hey, maybe actual history) that keeps popping up in pop culture again and again.

So we have to ask ourselves, how's he being portrayed here, in the Idylls. What makes this Arthur distinct from all the others?

Artie the Conquering Hero

Idylls of the King portrays our man Arthur as a conquering hero who tames an unruly, lawless land. Within the first few pages he drives the pagans (non-Christians) out of Britain, unites the petty warring kingdoms under him, and puts an end to British tribute to Rome.

Job well done, right? Well, we'll see…

Arthur is a man with a dream: to “have power on this dark land to lighten it / and power on this dark world to make it live” (“Coming,” 92-93). For a while Arthur’s dream seems to be coming true. His mere presence is such a powerful force that he has the complete loyalty of his knights in an almost magical bond. When they swear their oath of allegiance, they all wind up kind of looking like him—that’s how strong the bond is.

The Power of Positive Thinking

Arthur is an idealist: he believes in the best in people and that people are good at heart. We like to think this faith probably comes from his own strong moral compass: he is unable to imagine breaking a vow or not fulfilling an obligation.

But he's also unable to imagine that other people might behave differently. He is so morally perfect, in fact, that the poem describes him as the “conscience” of all his knights. Which is maybe not the greatest thing in the world. We mean, can you imagine having that kind of weight on your shoulders? Especially when his knights don’t exactly have the clearest of consciences. (Just ask Gawain.)

99 Problems

Arthur and the knights are able to achieve order and peace because of Arthur’s role as their moral compass. But Arthur’s perfection—what Guinevere calls his “pure severity of perfect light” (“Guinevere,” 641)—also puts him out of reach. How easy is it to relate to someone who is perfect all the time? Not very, as it turns out.

Guinevere, for one, finds herself unable to love someone so godlike. She prefers the more human Lancelot, who is capable of making mistakes. (And when we say "prefers," we means, she jumps right into bed with the handsome knight.)

For a while, it seems like Arthur's idealism might turn around and bite him in the butt. After all, things are not looking good with Mordred on the rise in the last few Idylls. But in the end Arthur’s superhuman belief in the ability of humans to perfect themselves is rewarded: Guinevere repents because of his superhuman forgiveness and faith in her, and Bedivere shows him mad loyalty and obedience in the end, which helps Arthur find a happy ending in heaven.

These small successes add fuel to Arthur’s beliefs, even as the world he’s built upon them is crumbling like a Starbucks muffin.