King Arthur by Joseph Comyns Carr is a four-act play. It is a retelling of the legend of King Arthur. The setting of medieval romance and chivalric traditions, the story focuses on the life of this ideal kingdom of Camelot and its king. Because it is a play, there is a dramatic flair to the prose, which I really enjoyed.
This play follows the complete life of King Arthur, from his rise to the legendary King of Britain. After he pulls Excalibur from the stone, he proves that he is the rightful ruler and begins to build Camelot. The kingdom of Camelot is founded on the ideals of courage, equality, and justice. The narrative introduces the famous Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, and Sir Percival, each representing different virtues and struggles. At the heart of the story lies Arthur’s dream of unity and moral order in a divided land.
However, in time, the ideals of Camelot begin to crack. The forbidden love between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot becomes the emotional core of the tragedy. It’s this betrayal, jealousy, and internal conflict in the kingdom, along with external enemies threatening the reign, that weakens the kingdom. Then, the story moves into the final battle and Arthur’s departure to Avalon.
The main theme for me is the rise and fall of idealism in this story. King Arthur has a very clear idea of what he wants his kingdom to be like, and Camelot represents it. There is equality and justice with honour, which slowly begins to unravel. Human emotions of love, ambition, and pride get in the way of this idealism. Arthur himself is burdened with leadership because he wants to be a wise ruler and a moral example. There is a lot of exploration of the medieval sense of honour and chivalry woven throughout the plot.
Another theme that stood out for me was love and betrayal. The love triangle between Guinevere, Arthur, and Lancelot is the emotional crux of this play. The struggle between duty and desire is portrayed really well, so it doesn’t seem like an all-out betrayal. This contrast between public heroism and personal weakness added a gravity to this book. There is a lot of symbolic imagery in the play, like Excalibur, Avalon, the Round Table, etc., which symbolise the ideals of destiny and unity. Meanwhile, Arthur himself becomes the dream of a better society.
King Arthur by Joseph Comyns Carr is a wonderful play. The prose has a poetic quality to it with the grand speeches and dramatic descriptions. It reflects the theatrical element. Language is a little hard to read for a long duration of time, because it’s like Old English, but the engaging pace and story kept me hooked. I liked the characters, the medieval setting, the romance, and the atmosphere of the play. I enjoyed reading it.
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