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It is better for everyone to be able to have a firearm. It is not necessary to have one but it makes some people feel safer. The knights all seem surprised when Mordred uses cannons and guns, why is this?
To me, this statement represents Arthur’s belief of “might and right” and how he and others carried that belief out. Throughout the book, most of his knights never fully understood the concept. Most, including Lancelot, always rushed into “might” more than “right”. Some even thought the Round Table’s purpose was to fight (might). This is similar to the friends in The Goshawk quote. But to Arthur, the meaning of “might and right” was more than just pointlessly fighting for fun, it was fighting for justice. How did Arthur’s perspective and the knights’ perspective of “might and right” affect the kingdom and the Round Table?
Arthur never learning “might and right” would take away from his character. It may have even changed how the story would have gone and events in the plotline. What if Merlyn had never been Arthur’s tutor.
I like how you brought up war as a theme because that builds up to major plot events and even builds up characters, but not every war is physical. What kinds of war, besides physical, affected the characters throughout The Once And Future King?
I believe this applies very much to the book because the speaker sounds like Arthur. when he says, “It was useless to tell them that I would rather shoot rabbits than people,” he sounds like Arthur when he contemplated about war and the purpose of killings and taking a mans life. this statement exemplifies the fact that the king only wanted peace and not bloodshed even though those around him wanted nothing but war. this statement is very true to the book. my question is: although Arthur told tom that everyone would die, what do you think would happen if the once and future king were to live?
@j0sephc
I think it is possible to have a position of power without going mad with it. although it is difficult, not all power brings madness. some power creates great rulers.This quote is exemplifying The Once and Future King by stating about the wars and unnecessary violence. Chivalry is very important to King Arthur and is something that he would focus on rather than going to war. I believe that it is a true statement because it sounds very similar to King Arthur’s mindset. My question is: Do you agree with King Arthur’s viewpoint on violence?
@baileycaptain
Good question, I think there is always an alternative to war, but most people jump to violence due to their feelings. Most of time I think people are way too arrogant and prideful to compromise and instead just resolve the argument with fighting.@christadiaz111
Good question, I think that Tom would have delivered the message of Arthur’s story despite the fact if he died in battle or not.War is a delicate thing. Throughout history, there have arguably been many pointless wars and countless disagreements that could have easily been avoided. Humans seem to have an odd fascination with war. The theme is prevalent throughout “The Once and Future King,” from the very first chapters to the last sentences. The speaker in the quote from “The Goshawk” shares the same philosophy as Arthur – that wars can be meaningless and that there are many more important things in life that such great amounts of time and energy can better be spent doing (“…I would rather shoot rabbits than people”). Even in his youth, Arthur learned from his lessons as different animals that there are many different sides to violence. From the ants, he learned that blind faith is often detrimental; from the geese, he learned that working alongside their kindred spirits in a peaceful environment is much more effective than fighting; from Archimedes, the owl, he learned that killing only when necessary is much more honorable than killing for sport, which is a human past time. In human history, war was often used as a superfluous way of exerting some sort of superiority over others, or as an unnecessary way to settle a disagreement between two governments. In “The Once and Future King,” St. Toirdealbhach made a comment about wars not being what they used to be, and that they were so big and grand that it was difficult to determine what was being fought over. The Orkney brothers instantly remarked that without big wars, there wouldn’t be nearly as many men to kill. This is the type of complex that often begets such meaningless battles that cost many lives. Arthur, however, understood the importance of “Might for Right,” and fighting only for what is absolutely necessary. He later pondered at the very end of the novel that wars are often fought over imaginary borders, thus inferring that many battles in his lifetime were useless. Do you think it is possible to have honorable aspects to war?
The person speaking in the excerpt from The Goshawk reminds me of King Arthur from The Once and Future King when he says, “I would rather shoot rabbits than people,” because neither of them enjoy the idea of fighting and war. The quote reminds me of King Arthur because he is always trying to prevent war and hurt on people. King Arthur and the speaker also share the same thoughts on war because they both dislike the idea of hurting their own kind. There are so many instances in our world today where people are killing their own kind to get what they want, such as Isis in the middle east. They are forcing their religion on innocent people and killing them when they do not comply to their beliefs. Unlike the Orkney brothers who killed for sport, Arthur was very familiar with the concept of “might for right.” Fight only when you need to, such as when protecting loved ones or your country, but not fighting just because you feel like it. Do you think the leaders in our country today understand the concept of “might for right?”
@mmegsj I believe there are honorable aspects to war, such as fighting for your country when help is needed or fighting when innocent bystanders are at risk. War is okay when there is a justified cause. If you are fighting just to get your anger out of your system; you are doing it for all of the wrong reasons. Fight for what helps others, and not what hurts them.This quote from The Goshawk illustrates exactly King Arthur’s point of view when he says “I would rather shoot rabbits than people.” Both speakers demonstrate their dislike for killing human beings and war itself. Merlyn taught Arthur that there is few reasons for war, unless you have a noble cause. I agree with that statement wholeheartedly! King Arthur also discussed the idea “Might for Right”, which I also support. Power should be used for the benefits of those around us, not for ourselves. So my question is this: what are ways that King Arthur used his power and “might” for right?
@mmegsj I agree with @sofiahmckeown too. There are reasons to go to war, being honorable reasons, and reasons to refrain from it. If you are defending someone or something, sometimes war is necessary. This does not mean, however, that war should be our first response to every situation. There are usually always better options.
@melodygrace I do agree with King Arthur’s view on violence. He promoted the idea that war was not to be our first response to everything, but sometimes was indeed the right response as I said in response to @mmegsj ‘s question. There are reasons to fight and reasons for flight as well.
@426624gardner
If Merlin was never Arthur’s tutor then he would have probably ended up being just like his father, enjoying and encouraging war. He also would not have learned as much as he did by transforming into different creatures.In T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, King Arthur’s main focus is to use “might for right,” which coincides perfectly with the quote from The Goshawk. “I would rather shoot rabbits than people” relates to Arthur because Arthur wanted to have justice and peace in his kingdom with as little blood shed as possible. I can imagine that the man in the Goshawk wanted something similar. In both cases it seems that people around the perspective areas were using violence and aggression to either get there way or to take over kingdoms, but Arthur and the other man do not wish to inflict harm on the people. I agree that this statement exemplifies the broad picture of The Once and Future King due to the similarities they share through the book and the quote. What problems were not accounted for while Arthur was creating the Round Table?
Overall, I think their perspectives on “might and right” helped control the Kingdom but also had some flaws. The positive part about their views was that all the men wanted peace and as little war as possible. This would create a “perfect” kingdom and allow “bad” people to leave. A problem I see with this view though is that the knights can get out of control with their power. If the knights’ jobs are to get rid of unfair treatment throughout the land then many people will die. There are a lot of bad people in the kingdom/world and the might over right situation makes it sound like the knights can do whatever it takes to get rid of the people doing wrong. Could Arthur’s view of “might and right” be somewhat considered a communistic ideal because it is one ideal that is enforced and important throughout the kingdom?
If Arthur were to be wrong, then people might not take the ideals or thoughts of Arthur seriously. How often do you believe someone who tells lies? It’s the exact same here, if Arthur lied, then nobody would believe him on any of the other things he had said. Would you believe Arthur even though he was wrong and lied?
@sofiahmckeown
I believe many leaders in our country today understand the concept of “might for right.” Their intentions are pure, but the way they attempt to act upon this ideal is often skewed. Using strength to defend those who cannot defend themselves has turned into getting involved in situations where there is no immediate threat. Using might to uphold what is right has turned into becoming the judge for what’s right and wrong. What would you say?
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