The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1903

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Book 1, Prologue-Part 1

Book 1, Part 2

Book 1, Part 3

Book 2, Foreword-Part 1

Book 2, Part 2

Book 2, Part 3

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Book 1, Prologue-Part 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Book 1: “The Book of King Arthur” - Book 1, Part 1: “The Winning of Kinghood”

Book 1, Prologue Summary

Uther-Pendragon becomes Overlord of Britain with the help of the enchanter Merlin and the knight Sir Ulfius. Uther-Pendragon marries the lady Igraine, a widow with two daughters: Margaise and Morgana le Fay. Morgana le Fay is a sorceress who marries King Lot of Orkney. Margaise marries King Urien of Gore.

Uther-Pendragon and Igraine have a son together—Arthur. While Arthur is an infant, Merlin tells Uther-Pendragon a prophecy: Arthur’s enemies will come after him when Uther dies. Merlin convinces Uther to hide Arthur with another family. Shortly after, as Merlin predicted, Uther-Pendragon dies of a fever. The realm falls into chaos with conflicts between kings, as well as highway robberies and murders.

After 18 years of chaos, the Archbishop of Canterbury asks Merlin to assist him in finding a new king. Merlin foresees a great king, of royal blood, who will bring peace. The Archbishop asks how they will find the king. Merlin suggests a magical trial, and the Archbishop agrees. Merlin creates the sword in the stone. In front of the cathedral, a huge marble block appears with an anvil on top, and a sword stuck deep into the anvil. The sword has a message engraved on it explaining that the person who removes the sword from the stone will become king.

The Archbishop invites knights to try to pull out the sword. People guess who will succeed, including King Lot and King Urien. A huge crowd of people come to London Town to try their luck. As Christmas approaches, Merlin tells the Archbishop that someone unfamiliar will be most likely to remove the sword.

Book 1, Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary

Sir Ector of Bonmaison, called the Trustworthy Knight, is invited to London Town. Ector has two sons: Sir Kay, a knight, and Arthur, who is unaware that he is really Uther-Pendragon’s son. They all travel to London, where at least 12 kings hope to pull the sword from the stone, including King Lot and King Urien. The Archbishop announces there will be a tournament before Christmas. On Christmas, the sword will be pulled. Knights apply to compete in the tournament, and Ector gives Kay permission to apply. Kay is accepted into the lists, with Arthur as his squire.

A large crowd gathers to watch the tournament. The Archbishop joins the lords and ladies in the audience. A trumpet signals the first match of the tournament. Two groups of knights, 93 in the north end of the field and 96 in the south end, prepare themselves. Kay fights with the group in the south. The trumpet sounds again, and they begin the tournament with lances on horseback. Women faint and cry out in the audience. After 70 knights are thrown from their horses, the remaining knights retreat. Squires carry wounded men off the field. In the battle, Sir Kay defeats two knights who attack him at the same time. His comrades in arms congratulate him and consider Kay the best knight at the tournament.

In the next stage of the tournament, the knights fight with swords. Kay defeats five knights, then faces a huge knight named Sir Balamorgineas. When Kay lands a fierce blow, his sword breaks. When Balamorgineas goes after the unarmed Kay, three other knights step in to defend Kay., who escapes and runs to the barrier. Arthur meets Kay at the barrier with a drink. Kay orders Arthur to get him another sword from their father’s tent. Arthur runs off, but he cannot find a sword at their father’s tent. Arthur remembers the sword in the stone and runs to it. There is no one around the cathedral, so Arthur pulls the sword from the stone unseen.

Arthur wraps the shiny sword in a cloak and runs back to the tournament. When Arthur presents the sword to Kay, Kay asks where he found it. Arthur tells Kay what happened. Intending to take advantage of the innocent Arthur and claim the throne, Kay tells Arthur to keep what happened a secret. Arthur trusts Kay and agrees. Kay sends Arthur to get their father.

Book 1, Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary

Arthur goes to Sir Ector and tells him Kay wants to meet at their pavilion. There, Kay shows Ector the sword that was in the stone and Kay claims to have found it. Ector wants to see Kay return the sword to the stone and pull it out again. Kay pretends this will be no problem but, internally debates if he can do what his father asks. He decides that if Arthur could pull the sword, he can too.

They return to the marble stone and anvil in front of the cathedral. Kay attempts to put the sword back in the anvil but fails. Ector is confused, and Arthur asks if he can try, admitting that he was the one who removed the sword in the first place. Ector gives his permission. Arthur puts the sword back in the anvil, removes it, and puts it back again.

Ector, overwhelmed, kneels before Arthur. Now Arthur is confused, and Ector explains how Merlin and Sir Ulfius commanded Ector to raise Arthur and made Ector swear to keep Arthur’s adoption a secret. While they never told Ector who Arthur’s father was, he guesses Arthur is the son of Uther-Pendragon. Arthur is sad that Ector is not his biological father.

Merlin and Sir Ulfius appear at the marble stone. Merlin explains his gift of prophecy allowed him to see what happened with the sword. He tells them another prophecy in which Arthur is king and surrounded by many wonderful knights. Merlin continues, foreseeing that Arthur’s knights will find the Holy Grail. After the prophecy, Merlin tells Ector that he must guard Arthur for the next three days.

Ector asks Arthur if he will make Kay his Seneschal (his second-in-command and butler) when he becomes king. Arthur agrees and still considers Ector his father. Kay is shocked. The narrator foreshadows that Ector will die in five years.

Book 1, Part 1, Chapter 3 Summary

On Christmas, a crowd gathers in front of the cathedral. The Archbishop, on his throne, oversees the event. There are 19 kings and 16 dukes who want to try their luck with the sword in the stone. King Lot tries first and fails to pull out the sword. King Urien is the second to try, and he also fails. Eventually, the rest of the kings and dukes fail to pull out the sword. Six of them complain to the Archbishop that Merlin’s task is impossible and ask the Archbishop to appoint a king. The Archbishop wonders if Merlin’s trial was a joke and hopes that Merlin will arrive soon.

When the Archbishop asks for another candidate, Merlin and Ulfius accompany Arthur to the cathedral. Merlin asks if Arthur can attempt to pull out the sword. The Archbishop and the crowd admire Arthur, and Merlin reveals Arthur’s father was Uther-Pendragon. Everyone is shocked, and Merlin explains he hid Arthur with Ector. Ulfius and Ector vouch for Merlin.

The Archbishop grants Arthur permission to try, and he pulls the sword out of the anvil. Arthur swings it around and replaces it. Everyone rejoices. Arthur pulls out the sword a second and third time. Some of the kings and dukes, including Lot and Urien, reject Arthur because of his young age. The Archbishop stands behind Arthur, and the unhappy kings and dukes leave.

Other kings and dukes, including King Leodegrance of Cameliard, salute Arthur. Arthur comforts Ector and Kay, still treating them as family. The crowd follows Arthur, declaring him King of England. The narrator hopes the reader finds success like Arthur.

Book 1, Part 1, Conclusion Summary

There is dissent among the people regarding young Arthur’s kingship, so the Archbishop allows for more attempts to pull the sword from the stone on Candlemas, Easter, and Pentecost. Arthur is the only one in all these trials who can remove the sword. The royalty demand that Arthur be officially crowned King of Britain, and the Archbishop completes the coronation.

After this, Arthur’s enemies begin two wars with him. Arthur, with the assistance of Merlin and his allies, wins the two wars. King Lot’s two sons, Gawaine and Gaheris, come to live at Arthur’s court as part of the terms of peace. King Urien’s son, Ewaine, also comes to live at court.

Arthur appoints Kay to be his seneschal, Ulfius to be his chamberlain, Merlin his counselor, and Sir Bodwin of Britain to be his constable. When Arthur gained fame, knights came to join his court. These knights include Sir Galahad, Sir Lancelot of the Lake, Sir Percival of Gales, and many others.

The narrator then previews the stories that will comprise the rest of the book, including both famous adventures, as well as lesser-known ones.

Book 1, Prologue-Part 1 Analysis

In the first of Pyle’s linked short stories, the author introduces the major themes of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, and indicates how this retelling will both participate in and reframe the Arthurian legend. Pyle’s third-person omniscient narrator alludes to both the origins of Arthurian legend in oral storytelling, and to the conventions of classical fairytales, in which the narrator serves as a guide to moral behavior. At the end of Chapter Three, Pyle’s narrator addresses the reader directly, saying “I do hope it may be with you as it was with Arthur that day, and that ye too may achieve success” (43). Arthur is explicitly presented as a model king and citizen throughout the book, as Pyle intends to make the British King an example of contemporary masculinity for his young male readers. Here, while Arthur is still young, he is honest, and this honesty—along with his royal lineage and Merlin’s assistance—ensures his success in becoming king. In 1903, when Pyle wrote The Story of King Arthur, it was very common for children’s literature to be both intentionally didactic and stereotypically gendered. Pyle’s narrator also references Robert de Boron’s “Le Roman de Merlin” (7) as a source on Merlin, and this kind of retelling of stories is seen across Arthurian texts; narrators frequently mention they are engaging in the act of retelling famous stories, even falsely claiming to have sources when introducing new characters. This creates a sense of continuity with ancient storytelling traditions, blurring the lines between fiction, legend, and history.

The theme of disguise and identity appears from the very beginning of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. Before the birth of the titular character, Arthur, Pyle’s narrator sets up Merlin as the architect behind Arthur’s reign. Merlin hides Arthur in the care of Sir Ector and “prepares a test of Kinghood” (6), during which he will reveal Arthur’s identity. Merlin does not even tell Ector whose child is in his care, so Ector is only able to tell Arthur that he was given to him by Merlin until Merlin confirms that Arthur is the son of Uther-Pendragon. However, Ector’s ability to guess at Arthur’s parentage and Merlin’s certainty that Arthur will succeed suggest that Arthur’s worthiness is inherent. Throughout the book, moral goodness is continually aligned with nobility and royal lineage, emphasizing Pyle’s suggestion that moral identity is innate and will always ultimately reveal itself. Through Arthur’s revelation of his own lineage, Pyle invites his young readers to imagine similar hidden abilities within themselves. Pyle inserts Kay’s tournament adventures into Arthur’s story of becoming king to keep young readers engaged through exciting action and adventure.

Part 1 also introduces a division between public and private lives, which later develops into a division between green (undeveloped) and urban (courtly) spaces. In the early life of Arthur, he reveals his power over the sword in the stone multiple times—privately, in front of his adoptive family, and repeatedly in front of large crowds. Arthur’s initial removal of the sword from an anvil on a marble stone is completely private, and Arthur “performeth the miracle of the sword and the anvil” (28) only for Ector and Kay the second time. Then Arthur is required to repeat “that miracle” (41) in public during the Christmas ceremony Merlin planned. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the recent discoveries of Charles Darwin and other naturalists inspired new consideration of the human relationship to order and the natural world. Pyle participates in this phenomenon of his own time while also recreating the medieval distinction between wild and domestic spaces, related to anxieties about safety and survival.