- This topic has 82 replies, 25 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 9 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
“My intellectual friends of those days, between the wars used to say to me: ‘Why on earth do you waste your talents feeding wild birds with dead rabbits?’ Was this a man’s work today? They urged that I was an intelligent fellow: I must be serious. ‘To arms!’ they cried. ‘Down with the Fascists, and Long Uve the People!’ Thus, as we have seen, everybody was to fly to anns, and shoot the people. It was useless to tell them that I would rather shoot rabbits than people.”
T. H. White, The Goshawk (1951)
How does this quote from “The Goshawk” exemplify the entire novel of “A Once and Future King”? Is it a true statement? or a false statement? Why? Use examples from the entire novel.
In The Goshawk, the speaker mentions the peoples’ talents being wasted. While Arthur was a squire, his talents were not of use. His main responsibility was to be Kay’s servant. Merlyn was the only one who knew Arthur’s destiny. Arthur’s destiny is not revealed to him until he pulls the sword out of the stone. (White 198) The speaker also mentions the ideals that Merlyn implements into Arthur after he becomes king. Merlyn taught Arthur to value life in all aspects. Arthur learned that might is not of any use, unless it is used for right. This is where Arthur gets the idea of the Round Table and implements the term “Might for Right”.This quote is true, because everyone’s life and destiny are valuable. Why do you think Merlyn played such a critical role in Arthur’s life? Do you think Arthur’s life would have been different without his guidance?
The quote from Goshawk displays a similar theme to Once and Future King. This quote talks about wanting to do something else rather than what is assigned to you. For example, Gareth is known for his sentimental and merciful behavior meanwhile, his brothers can be violent and ruthless. On a special occasion, the four Orkney brothers sought out to capture a unicorn, but Agravaine, being the most violent of all the brother, slew the unicorn unexpectedly. This was the opposite of what Gareth wanted. He wanted it to bring it home alive to show his mother. Gareth was sickened and only wanted to gaze at its beauty rather than murder it. Similar to the quote, Gareth would rather kill something common rather than a beautiful rare unicorn. In relation to these examples I used,Does Gareth seem more of a better friend than Lancelot? Think about it, Lancelot lied to Arthur about him and Guinevere and was never honest with him. But Gareth was a loyal knight a the round table and died for Arthur in the end.
@taylornicholas13 Merlyn was Arthur’s tutor and was a very important role model to Arthur. If Arthur didn’t have Merlyn as a tutor, he would not have learned his lessons on what he needed to know. These lessons shaped Arthur and what he believes in.
@amelia152016
I think that Lancelot was a better friend, because he was always there when it really counted. Lancelot saved both Guenevere and Arthur many times. Lancelot never did care for one over the other, he loved both of them equally. Without them, Lancelot would truly be lost. Even though Lancelot made mistakes, he never stopped loving his friend, and Arthur never stopped loving him.This quote seems like it displays Arthur’s life in a nut shell. When he was a boy, he wanted to go on Merlyn’s adventures as animals or go hunting with Kay. When he became king, he became a man of war and this took a tole on him in his life. He realizes this at the end when he is preparing for battle. If he had realized this sooner rather than later, would things be different for him, or would things be worse?
@taylornicholas13
Merlyn shaped Arthur’s life and gave him the first idea for the round table. He taught Arthur to think for himself because he knew that he would not always be there to guide him. Arthur’s reign would not have been what it was without Merlyn’s first guidance.@amelia152016
I think that Lancelot was an overall better friend than Gareth. Gareth just had loyal heart and compassion for others, which made him a good and loyal subject and knight to Arthur.@taylornicholas13 I do think that Arthur’s decisions would have been very different if not for Merlyn’s guidance in Arthur’s early life.
This quote from Goshawk is a great example of Arthur’s life. Arthur was a great man who had great morals. If he hadn’t become king, all that he had learned from Merlyn would be of no use. In other words, Arthur’s beliefs to better England would have done no one any good if he couldn’t make the rules. But because he became king, he used his max potential and made England a great place to live. Do you think that if Gawaine made it out alive that he would be promoted to a higher social rank for his loyalty and act of valor?
This quote from The Goshawk expounds on the importance of doing what one is destined to do. Although it is first believed that Arthur is destined to become a squire for Kay, it is disclosed that his true destiny lies in his role of king. It is stated that one’s talents would be wasted if he spent his life shooting rabbits rather than people. If Arthur’s life were to be spent in servanthood, his true fate in kingship would never occur, thus wasting his full potential. However, by pulling the sword from the stone in Chapter 23 of Book I, Arthur’s true destiny to be king is revealed. Only then is he able to fulfill his fate. Do you think Arthur’s destiny would be different if Merlyn had told him about his future as king before Arthur could discover it for himself? In what ways did Arthur’s adventures with Merlyn help him later as king?
@taylornicholas13 The experiences Merlyn gives Arthur is able to guide Arthur in the decisions he makes later as king. Because Merlyn has traveled back in time, he is able to advise Arthur in the decisions that will effect his future. Without Merlyn’s guidance, I believe Arthur’s rule would be even more destructive than it is already disclosed.
@amelia152016 While Gareth appears that he would be more compassionate and loyal as a friend than Lancelot, Lancelot’s friendship with Arthur is crucial for the outcome of the novel. In addition, in many instances Lancelot even saves both Arthur and Guenever. While he is dishonest to Arthur, Lancelot still cares for him deeply as a friend.
I believe that the quote does embody the whole premise of Once and Future King. Before Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, he is destined to be Kay’s squire. This wouldn’t have made use of his whole potential. Once his full potential is discovered, he rules with wisdom and knowledge from Merlyn’s teaching. The quote also shows that sometimes what you are assigned to isn’t what you are destined for. The character from the Goshawk would much rather shoot bunnies instead of shooting people. Likewise, Arthur didn’t want to be Kay’s squire but did so anyway. In the end, Arthur became the king of England and created the Knights of the Roundtable. Why do you think that book 4 had such a serious tone?
@lizzytrinh
I believe that it would have changed the way Arthur learned. He could have quit or given up. At the end of book 1, we see that Arthur was not comfortable when Sir Ector and Kay bowed before him. I think Merlyn did the right thing not telling Arthur. Doing this led Arthur to become a great ruler of England.@taylornicholas13
I believe that Merlyn played a major role in Arthurs life. His teaching and upbringing taught Arthur how to be a ruler of England. Arthur’s life would have been completely different without Merlyn. Arthur may have never become king without Merlyn.
Overall, Merlyn was a great influence on Arthur’s maturing.This quote from “The Goshawk” displays the whole novel and Arthurs life. This quote is all about destiny and the importance of it. Arthur was supposed to be Kays squire before he was king. He grew up interested in adventures and Merlyn guided him through these. Merlyn knew Arthurs destiny and his values even before Arthur did. When Arthur pulled the sword out of the stone he found his destiny. Merlyn knew that Arthur was not destined to be a squire, but to be a king. This quote describes this novel in a great way. It shows how sometimes what your destined to be, may not be what your assigned to be at first. Merlyn’s guidance helped shape Arthur and made him understand the real meanings of life. In the last battle Arthur looked back on all that he has learned since he was a child. If he wasn’t king, all that Merlyn had taught him, would have been useless.
What do you think would be different if Arthur never met Merlyn?@dchin, I think it had such a serious tone because Arthur was heading to his last battle. In the end Arthur knew it was going to be his last battle and he reflects on the past and all that he has learned. The worst part was that he was going to battle against his son. The author made Book IV dark and serious because of all that was going on.
@taylornicholas13, Merlyn taught Arthur most of the stuff he knew. He taught him what was right and what was wrong. I don’t think Arthur would have been the man he was without the guidance of Merlyn. Arthur grew up to be a mature King and he began to think for himself.
@lizzytrinh If Merlyn had told Arthur about his future than Arthur would have sought out his life and be distracted rather than letting it happen the way his life was supposed to. Arthurs adventures with Merlyn assisted him during his reign in ways to have him think for himself. In all his adventures as animals, he was always alone and had to handle situations. This gave Arthur the ability to not rely on others som much and to lean on his own understanding.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.