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"Boorman's Excalibur" and the Legend of King Arthur-part I

Filed Under ( ) by Lex Luthor on Thursday, March 18, 2010

Posted at : 3:36 PM





Introduction:

 "The Dark Ages.

The Land was divided and without a King.
Out of those lost centuries rose a Legend ...
Of the Sorcerer, Merlin,
Of the coming of a King,
Of the Sword of Power":
so begins the movie of John Boorman, "Excalibur".
Among the many movies dedicated to the legend of King Arthur, the so-called "John Boorman's Excalibur" is undoubtedly one of the best on this issue.
History and legend, reality and fantasy are mingled together in the numerous texts related to this story. It tells of a King who became sovereign of a vast empire, comprehending the entire Europe; after a long and brilliant life, a life of conquests and wise administration of Justice, a life lived with valorous knights, his friends, King Arthur retired in an enchanted island, from which a day he will returns, for to take back the Sword of Power, Excalibur, and for to rule again the world ... .        
The legend of King Arthur has been written in many ancient texts, grouped in the "Matter of Britain", a collection of books dating from the 900 to the XV century. Among the authors of the "Matter of Britain", Malory is one of the most known. And the screenplay of the movie "Excalibur"  was in fact adapted by R. Pallenberg from "Le Morte d'Arthur", written by Malory, the most famous text regarding this legend.


 




  


     
  












The Author of "Le Morte d'Arthur", Sir Thomas Malory:

Very little is known about the author of "Le Morte d'Arthur", a man whose life was a mix of reality and legend, as the subject itself of his literary work. From the studies of G. L. Kittredge, however, something about Malory's life can be reconstructed:  born in the early 1400's, Malory lived at Newbold Revell, the family estate in the Warwickshire. 
He had fought among Richard Beauchamp's retinue, the Count of Warwick, in the siege of Calais of 1436; then around 1444, Malory became a member of the Parliament as representative of his county.  Until then Malory therefore lived a life normal for that time; but from around 1450 his life changed radically. From 1450 he lived alternately as a prisoner, a runaway, and a fugitive, marred by terrible and shameful accusations for which he was imprisoned and forgiven several times; but since it is not come down to us any documents relating to processes or convictions against him, it is also possible that the charges against him were in fact false, and then only slander. In 1450 the "Wars of the Roses" (1455-1485) began in England, a fierce dynastic civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. It can be said with certainty that during those times of trouble wars in England, Malory was first by the side of the House of York, but after some times he became a follower of the Lancastrian: he was a great Enemy of the Duke of Buckingham, and a great friend of the Count of Warwick: with his friend, Malory fought for the House of York, in the name of the King Edward IV, and against the Lancastrian Henry VI. But when the Count revolted to the House of York, Malory followed his friend, and therefore the House of Lancaster. Imprisoned again, he was then also excluded from the pardon granted to the Lancastrian Edward VI in 1468. Malory died a few years later, in 1471, and the fact that he was buried at the prison at Newgate suggests that the death reached him right there, between the walls where he wrote his literary work.












     
  


  


The literary work of Malory: 
 

His work survived him, and it was published in 1485 by W. Caxton.
W. Caxton, the first English printer, printed the writings of Malory, but he changed the author's style and prose overall, and he also entitled the work "Le Morte d'Arthur ",a title which has since become common. But in reality, the text covers the entire life of King Arthur, from the tale of Uther, his father, until the death of the King himself: hence the title of Caxton is actually attributable only to the last part of the work.


   

















Originally, Malory divided his work principally into eight tales:

-The story of King Arthur
-The story of the noble Arthur who became emperor with his own strength
-The tale of Sir Lancelot Du Lac
-The tale of Sir Gareth of Orkney
-The book of Sir Tristan de Lione
-The noble tale of the Grail
-The book of Lancelot and Guinevere
-The death of King Arthur
 
Malory wrote in fact eight separated novels, by grouping them in an unique work, thus creating an actual rewriting of the famous medieval cycle of legends that belong to the Matter of Britain: the stories of the magic of Merlin and Morgana, the story of King Arthur, the loves of Lancelot and Guinevere and Tristan and Isolde, the search for the Grail, the adventures of the wandering knights, and so on.


    




    
   
 
 
 
 
 
 




In the work of Malory there is then the transition from the medieval romance to the modern romance: in fact he replaced the structural complexity of the cyclic French romances, in which the various themes alternate each other and are repeated, with a unified and continued prose. Malory's literary work was soon widely known, and became the most famous text on the legend of King Arthur. And also it had the merit of giving a large spread and popularity to the legends about the knights of the round table.
   
     
   



 

 




























Caxton, in addition to have changed and modified the text, has had also the merit to have preceded his edition by an interesting preface, in which he states and expresses explicitly the purpose, the end, the meaning and the message of the work of Malory:

"I, according to my copy, have done set it in imprint, to the intent that noble men may see and learn the noble acts of chivalry, the gentle and virtuous deeds that some knights used in those days, by which they came to honour, and how they that were vicious were punished and oft put to shame and rebuke; humbly beseeching all noble lords and ladies, with all other estates of what estate or degree they been of, that shall see and read in this said book and work, that they take the good and honest acts in their remembrance, and to follow the same. Wherein they shall find many joyous and pleasant histories, and noble and renowned acts of humanity, gentleness, and chivalry. For herein may be seen noble chivalry, courtesy, humanity, friendliness, hardiness, love, friendship, cowardice, murder, hate, virtue, and sin. Do after the justice and leave the unrighteousness, and it shall bring you to good fame and renown. And for to pass the time this book shall be pleasant to read in, but for to give faith and belief that all is true that is contained herein, ye be at your liberty: but all is written for our doctrine, and for to beware that we fall not to vice nor sin, but to exercise and follow virtue, by which we may come and attain to good fame and renown in this life(...)"
    
  

     

    












 
Some illustrations by G. Doré concerning the Legend of King Arthur:









   
Search Amazon.com for Gustave Doré artwork
   
           






















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