T.H. White Once and Future King

Years ago, a young man named Wart was subjected to extraordinary torment at the hands of Merlyn, the sorcerer, a manifestation of misery that acted as a foreshadowing of a future unknown to him. Wart’s future was determined by the company of respected Knights, mythical queens defined by characters of love, and thereby the unification of a nation whose ideals were built on courage (Brewer 46). The young boy was to be crowned King Arthur and the chief of the Britons in the future. The Kingdom of Camelot will bring enlightenment to the low class and dark ages that marked previous eras. Under the leadership of Arthur, the quests of nobility and knights would sit around respected tables. Nevertheless, Merlyn predicted the coming treachery that would face his liege, one being the unwanted love between Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. Secondly, Merlyn foresaw the impending wicked plots of Morgause, the half-sister to Arthur. Morgause had much hatred which she focused on Mordred, and all these misfortunes could, unfortunately, bring to an end to the reign of the King and distort the dreams the king had for Britain (Brewer 133).

Founded on Le Morte d’Arthur by one Sir Thomas Malory, the book “The Once and Future King” is a revered work by T. H. White, and was published in 1958 for the first time (Brewer 5). Compiled and composed of much more newer content, the book ”The Once and Future King” is a combination of shorter novels which were written between 1938 and 1941. Britain is referred to as ”Gramarye“ by White, and it is the setting that most of the acts across the scenes in the book do happen. Furthermore, the themes are centred on King Arthur, his childhood and early education chronicles as well as his rule and time as King. Moreover, the affectionate and romantic relationship between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot are exploited at length in the book. The monarch who ruled then is known as the ”mythical“ figures in the book, which gives an understanding that the novel must have been written in the fourteenth century, but if Arthur lived, then it must have been way back in the sixth century. Nevertheless, the book comes to a saddening end, even before Mordred, the illegitimate son of Arthur, is done on the battlefield with his father. At a critical view, the material that feels up the book is composed of the Second World War manifestations, and though White borrows the information from Le Morte d’Arthur, it is expressly denoted that the concept is loosely derived.

”The Once and Future King” is a book that has been segmented into four critical partitions (Brewer 7). The youth and childhood of Arthur are detailed in the first portions, which is the 1938 ”The Sword in the Stone”. Published as ”The Witch in the Wood” in 1939 and separately so, this second segment is named The Queen of Air and Darkness. The third part majorly deals with the person of Lancelot, one of the characters, and it was done in 1940, which comes under the title The Ill-Made Knight. The final part of the book is the 1958 composite edition, which is recorded as The Candle in the Wind. After the demise of White, the separate component of the book was published in 1977 and was named The Book of Merlyn (Brewer 18). This last segment majorly chronicles the personality of Merlyn and her relationship and interactions with Arthur.

Personal Perspective and Analysis of the Book

The title of the book and its ending are critical for the plot. The title, ”The Once and Future King,” means that Arthur was an individual who rose into the capacity of a mighty king, but later died. However, in future, Arthur would come back to life and rule again, when his country plunges into trouble, and hence his second enthronement at the point of need. The book ends when the King is in deep meditation about the might and right of his time. He imagines when he was Wart and had Merlyn as his tutor in childhood, and now in the final battle in engagement with Mordred. He tells his story to Thomas Malory, one of the young people to keep the excellent work in check for future generations. In the magical ending, Arthur is taken away by spirit, and Mordred dies, but the King (Arthur) rises again to face the enemy on the battlefield, with his fate unknown.

The setting of this book is in mediaeval England; a destination White creates with a lot of literary flavors to connote a place he calls Gramarye. The characteristics of clothing, woodcraft, botany, art, architecture, and manuscripts all contribute to this setting. The narrator`s point of view is an omniscient individual, who can see and tell the minds of characters, as well as tell more about the past and the future alike. Nevertheless, the information given does not appear in chronological order (Brewer 210). On the other hand, the genre of this book is about romance, tragedy, and fantasy, all of which are descriptive of the life of Arthur. The tone of the book oscillates around a cynical and playful as well as an emotional and philosophical tone. The writing style the author uses is one manifested by complicated jargon, hence a typical show of farfetched diction that needs a keen interpretation for a meaningful understanding.

The themes, imagery, and symbolism are core factors that help make robust the plot of this book. The themes manifested in this book include; coming of age, the supernatural, family and love. Since his childhood, Wart has been changing systematically into the person of King Arthur. On the contrary, White creates demonic characters, including Merlyn`s father, and the subject of family is not neglected either. Moreover, the dark side of the family relationships are is the most illuminated by the author, together with the love and affection of the day, which characterizes the mediaeval romance. The other themes manifested in the book include education, power, war, fate and free will, time, as well as society and class. Imagery and symbolism are used extensively in the book. The use of animal imagery is critical because it helps bring to light the education of Wart (Brewer 101). The utilization of swords is a show of power, and Arthur has one to mean his significance as an icon to offer direction and leadership. The Holy Grail symbolizes the divine power, which is the spiritual element of knighthood, and most knights do not have the same because of lust, drinking, and treacherous behavior.

Work Cited

Brewer, Elisabeth. ”T.H. White’s The Once and Future King Arthurian Studies, ISSN 0261-9814 Volume 30 of Exeter Maritime Studies.” 1993: 1–236. Web.