In a poem whose highest compliment is “most human,” it’s not a great thing to be associated with animals. Vivien, whom the poem describes as a serpent coiling about her prey, and Mordred, who becomes a sly fox stalking his prey, threaten everything Arthur is attempting to create. The Idylls of the King portray Arthur as a civilizing force in a world overrun by wilderness and wild animals. These wild animals are not just the ones that stalk the dark woods but also the animal impulses, passions, and violence within man. Arthur attempts to tamp these down by having his knights swear allegiance to him and his moral code, but he fails to account for just how strong and integral to man’s nature they are.
Questions About Man and the Natural World
- How does “The Coming of Arthur” describe Britain before Arthur’s ascent? What kind of relationship does this description establish between Arthur and the natural world?
- How does the Idylls of the King associate Vivien and Mordred with animals? What kind of relationship does this establish between them and Arthur?
- How does the passing of the seasons structure the narrative? (Hint: see “Setting” for some ideas about how to answer this question.)
Chew on This
The Idylls of the King portray Arthur as a wilderness-tamer whose role is not only to bring civilization to wild parts of Britain, but also to tame the beast within man.
The Idylls of the King uses animal comparisons to describe characters who get in the way of Arthur’s goals for his kingdom.