The Sword in the Stone, by Sir Thomas Malory

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“When I came home for my brother’s sword, I found nobody at home to deliver me his sword, and so I thought my brother Sir Kay should not be swordless, and so I came hither eagerly and pulled it out of the stone without any pain.”

“Found ye any knights about this sword?” said Sir Ector. “Nay,” said Arthur.* “Now,” said Sir Ector to Arthur, “I understand ye must be king of this land.”* “Wherefore I,” said Arthur, “and for what cause?” “Sir,” said Ector, “for God will have it so, for there should never man have drawn out this sword, but he that shall be rightways king of this land. Now let me see whether ye can put the sword there as it was, and pull it out again.”

“That is no mastery,” said Arthur, and so he put it in the stone, therewithal Sir Ector essayed to pull out the sword and failed. “Now assay,”* said Sir Ector unto Sir Kay. And anon he pulled at the sword with all his might, but it would not be. “Now shall ye essay,” said Sir Ector to Arthur. “I will well,” said Arthur, and pulled it out easily. And therewithal Sir Ector knelt down to the earth, and Sir Kay.

by Sir Thomas Malory ?1416-?1471

From ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’ Volume 1 by Sir Thomas Malory (?1416-?1471), completed by 1470, and edited (1908) by Sir John Rhys (1840-1915). Additional information from ‘The Annals of Roger of Hoveden’ by Roger of Hoveden or Howden (?-?1202), edited by Henry Thomas Riley (1816-1878) and ‘The history and antiquities of the abbey church of St Peter, Westminster’ (1818-1823) by Edward Wedlake Brayley (1773-1854).

Arthur should have found ten, but they had abandoned their guard duties to take part in the New Year’s Day joust.

Ector knew the prophecy written beside the sword, something which Arthur in his haste evidently had not noticed. “Letters there were written in gold about the sword” says Malory “that said thus: Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England.”

Try, put it to the test. Malory uses assay and essay interchangeably in this passage.

Précis

Sir Ector listened as Arthur described finding the sword and removing it from the stone. When he learnt there had been no witnesses, he made Arthur repeat the feat again and again. He was not satisfied until both he and Kay had tried and failed, and it was clear that Arthur alone was their rightful King.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

Jigsaws

Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.

‘You must be king of this land’ said Ector. Arthur asked him why. Ector said ‘God will have it so.’

See if you can include one or more of these words in your answer.

IExplain. IIReply. IIITell.

Précis

Questions for Critics

Jigsaws

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