Imagination In Morte D' Arthur
A recurring theme in Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d' Arthur is the use of
imaginative descriptions of characters and settings. Imagination is what the
reader of the story must use to form his or her own mental images of a
situation, and the better the storyteller is, the clearer the mental image. His
descriptions, ranging from horrific to chivalrous, always manage to draw the
reader into the story and make him or her an active participant, usually
knowing a bit more than the characters about their own fates. Malory employs
many literary techniques, but perhaps his most prominent is his use of
imagination.
When the exerpt begins, King Arthur is having a nightmare involving
falling into a ...
Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers
|
to slay it. All that
Mordred's men see is the blade being drawn, and a battle immediately ensues.
Once again, the reader is told more than the characters. The only thing
keeping the reader a part of the story is the vivid descriptions given of the
nightmarish world of Arthur's dream, and the smoking, bloody battlefield of a
war that wasn't meant to happen.
Malory also makes use of drama in his portrayal of the double-death
scene, again with Arthur and Mordred. When he describes Mordred's sword being
driven into Arthur's chest, and Arthur's spear running Mordred through, the
reader almost cringes at the thought. However, it is not enough that they are
both killed by each other's hand, Arthur doesn't die immediately. He is
carried by his most faithful knights back to a chapel, where he died more
honorably. The reader is bearing with him all the way, glad to be rid of the
villain Mordred, but at the same time pitying him, for he was Arthur's son.
This makes the story even ...
Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.
Already a member? Login
|
CITE THIS PAGE:
Imagination In Morte D' Arthur. (2007, February 20). Retrieved May 18, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Imagination-In-Morte-D-Arthur/60639
"Imagination In Morte D' Arthur." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 20 Feb. 2007. Web. 18 May. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Imagination-In-Morte-D-Arthur/60639>
"Imagination In Morte D' Arthur." Essayworld.com. February 20, 2007. Accessed May 18, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Imagination-In-Morte-D-Arthur/60639.
"Imagination In Morte D' Arthur." Essayworld.com. February 20, 2007. Accessed May 18, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Imagination-In-Morte-D-Arthur/60639.
|
Save
Report