Donald Barthelme, The King

Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

King Arthur’s postmedieval return has fulfilled the promise said to be written on his tombstone in Thomas Malory’s

Morte D’Arthur

. Fascination with “the once and future King” and his Knights of the Round Table indeed “changed his life” from an ancient mythical king to a living literary legend (Malory 21.7:35; 33). Arthur has survived in literature and visual arts over centuries, and the lifecycle of his myth continues today because the values, themes, motifs, symbols, and characters of his universe are easily transferable or adaptable to modern contexts, genres, media, and audiences. The contemporary Arthurs of movies, documentaries, videogames, cartoons, comics, romances, graphic novels, and translations are avatars of the legendary king whose eternal return makes his…

3193 words

Citation: Ayed, Wajih. "The King". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 April 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=15899, accessed 23 November 2024.]

15899 The King 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.