The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

King Arthur is one of the central characters of English-language literature, within the genre named Arthuriana. Most Arthurian stories feature Arthur more as an archetype or plot device than as a dynamic character, having him dispense quests and judgements that compel other knights to chivalric action. Pyle’s Story of King Arthur and His Knights gives the background of Arthur, describing his father, Uther-Pendragon, and the conditions of his fostering by Sir Ector, as well as the prophesied events that lead to his kingship. Pyle’s Arthur is initially “exceedingly innocent,” (22) and totally faithful in his service to Sir Kay and Sir Ector, and Book 1 follows Arthur’s coming of age and assumption of the throne of Britain.

Unlike other portrayals of Arthur, this innocence is upheld throughout the work. Arthur’s later exploits, such as the battle against Sir Accalon, are mixed with other chivalric stories usually given to the various knights of the round table, rather than Arthur himself. By providing these opportunities for chivalric action, especially outside of the traditional stories of the wooing of Guinevere and the miracle of the sword in the stone, Pyle demonstrates how Arthur becomes a “perfect looking-glass for knighthood” (258).