The Endurance of Arthur

The legend and tales of King Arthur and his round table has been around for centuries past and present and without a doubt for the future as well. Readers absolutely love to take in the melodramatic fairy tale like Chronicles of the knights and their never ending journeys of pure adventure and excitement! The tales of King Arthur can be put on the same level as classic Disney stories such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan for they have been around forever and every soul knows of them and their intrigue.
"' There is only one man living who can draw the sword from the stone, and he is the true-born King of Britain.'" (Le Morte d'Arthur, Malory p. 25). That line is the most remembered aspect of the legend of Arthur. Arthur was the one man chosen of out many to be the one that would rule the land and conquer over many others. The ideal of being in a position of such high power and being selected over so many others is something that all humans strive for; the elite-ness that King Arthur embodies is so desirable.
Power is not the only aspect that attracts the readers of the Arthurian tales. There is also the o so romantic and honorable side of the knights. The best example of this is probably from the tale of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell. Here Gawain makes a promise to marry an ugly grotesque woman in order to save Arthur's life. While he talked to his new bride she said that her ugliness was because of a curse her brother put on her and that it could only be broken by the honorable knight's wise choice. "'Gromer said that if, after i married the greatest knight in Britain, my husband freely gave me power of choice, the power to exercise my own free will, the wicked enchantment would be broken forever!'" (24).
Another part of the romance aspect that keeps the Legend alive is the passionate love triangle between Gwenivere, King Arthur, and his most trusted Knight Sir Lancelot. Though Arthur was warned that Gwen and Lance were destined to fall in love he wanted to marry her anyway. Lance and Gwen's love remanded a secret for some time but they were soon discovered. The Movie, "First Knight" directed by Jerry Zucker goes into a in depth view of the affair stirring up floods of emotions. "' I trusted you, loved you, and you betrayed me!' 'I never meant to hurt you my lord.' 'You leave me nothing! Nothing!'" (First Knight).
We as the audience feed of the drama that not only those three create, but what all the characters in the epic story craft together through their own battles and struggles. The people just cannot get enough of the trauma that happens for one simple reason; its interesting! Its not everyday stuff and something new for us to wrap our minds around. And that is why this amazing legend will never seize to exist!