1. Can you think of any reason why pulling a sword from a stone but be a symbol of being worthy to rule?
OR
2. Arthur pulls the sword from the stone almost by accident, just trying to get a sword from his brother, and not bothering to read the inscription (if he could read). Any speculations or interpretations?
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3. Given the events of this reading, what inferences about or observations concerning Arthur's character can we make?
32 comments:
The "impossible" act of pulling this sword from the stone is very symbolic. Many people try to pull this sword out, wanting to rule, to be more powerful. Arthur however does not have this desire. He is trying to help someone else, and doing the impossible to help them. This key characteristic of Arthur seems to be the characteristic of an ideal leader. The leader's role is to do whatever neccesary to help the people he governs, and this suggest that Arthur has the character to be a king.
A side comment: The other people who attempt to pull the sword from the stone have a desire or an attachment to becoming the king, while Arthur has none, but is succesfull. In these different acts, the Buddhist theme of attachment is present, although a completely different time, in a completely different place.
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My farely safe interpretation is that the sword will only allow itself to be taken out of the stone when someone comes and tries to take it but not because he wants to be king. All other people trying to pull it out had a desire for power, which can be dangerous in a king. The stone or sword knows that Arthur will make a good king because his ego will not get in the way of him ruling.
yes, i do agree with Rosamund and jake BUT
I think the sword being pulled out is kind of like God's chosen one....like whoever pulls the sword out of the stone is fit to rule and SHOULD be king...i don't really think it has to do with desire or wanting though....you could REALLY REALLY want to be king and pull that sword out of the stone but still not be able to.
Also, maybe physical strength as wll....fit to rule a empire/thrown and God's country?????
The one who pulls the sword out of the stone has the grace, power, and maybe a relationship with God that is dominant and has the right from God to be a ruler
#2 maybe the most unlikely person...the person who maybe himself doesn't feel like he can pull the sword and the most unlikely person who you think would pull out the sword is THE ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gods mysterious and unpredictable (and annoying) ways!!!!!!!!!!
maybe???????
There is a disney movie call ed the sword in the stone....its really good!!!!!!!!
just a side comment/idea....
i think merlin is a trador and a bad man....manipulative and filled with misciouf!!!!!!
yeah, I agree with everyone.
I think pulling the sword is an impossible act, like Jake said, but when he does it, it may show he has the strength to pull through and be worthy to rule, even though he doesn't want to. I agree with everyone else though, I would have said the same things had I blogged earlier.
I agree with everyone also… hehe
Pulling the sward from the stone could have been an act by God and it could also be, because he does not desire to become king. These two both make seem that there was a reason why it was Arthur who pulls the throne not any other man who tried. The fact that Arthur just pulled the sward just looking for one but just happens to pull the one everyone has been harping over says a lot. (wow that got wordy…) This is could also be, because God wanted him to get the sward and become king because he had many plans ready for him as king.
This is Alison
I think one inference that we can make about Arthur's character is that he is very trustworthy. I say this because he was able to pull the sword out of the stone which made the citizens believe that he had enough power to rule and so they trusted him in ruling the place. As Jake, Rosamund and Turner mentioned, who ever takes to sword out is kind of like the chosen one so that sometimes it would be easy for one being to pull the sword out and it would be hard for another being. I think this might be because I have seen this in a couple of other mythes too but as some people say, rulers are usually born as rulers so that if they are, they are able to pull the sword out.
I think that a possible inference is that the reason Arthur could pull the sword out of the stone is because he did not do it for himself but for his brother, and therefore did not even realize what it meant to do so. When someone is in a position of power it is better if that person was not seeking it because then that person will not be power hungry. When people seek power because they want it for their own personal gain then it is not good for that person to be in power, because that person should want it to make his/her's "empire" better with it, not for their own personal gain. This could be how the sword worked, that if one wanted to be king and really wnated to pull the sword out for that reason then it would not copme out. But if one needed the sword for some other reaon, like Arthur, but did not want it so one could have power then that person will be able to pull it out, because that proves that that person does not want power for personal and selfish reasons.
Honestly I TOTALLY disagree with Tuner. I think that this has nothing to do with God but is some form of like magic or something. Also is has nothing to do with physical strenghth otherwise Arthur would not have been able to pull it out. Arthur's brother who is a knight and therefore older and physically strnger could not pull it out but Arthur could.
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I think that the act of pulling the sword from the stone definitely makes him worthy of being a ruler. It was deemed impossible to pull it out. Only the rightful ruler could get it. So, he obviously has the right "strength" both internal and physical to take charge. Even though he was the most unexpected person to succeed, he did it when all others couldnt. It just goes to show, never rule someone out. People may surprise you with their unexpected, sudden abilities.
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Well it's symbolic that he is the only one to pull it from the stone. Many other men try and he's the one doing the impossile. A leader is usually more important or has some sort of key feature. Arthur is the only one to get the sword which is a jey feature to him. The fact that a sword which is a symbol of war also. War is something that a leader must e very skilled at in order to lead well.
This is Sofia...
I think that pulling a sword from a stone is considered a symbol of being worthy to rule in that it's not just as simple as having brute strength or force. The sword has to be pulled out in a certain way, so there's strategy involved. I also like Jake's idea of how maybe it's because Arthur has the right character to be king. That is, he doesn't have the desire for power and greed. Turner also brings up the interesting idea that perhaps Arthur is just the chosen one (divine intervention).
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Sorry, I meant that he doesn't have the desire for power nor is he greedy.
very true alex......checking in :)
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It is impossible to pull a sword from stone. It shows, as Jake said, many people want to do it, as they want to rule but they cannot. He does the impossible, and it makes his stand out, and he is a good ruler. His not reading of the inscription and doing it by mistake it also very symbolic because it shows that he is a natural. He is a natural at being king, and being a leader, and by nature he could do the impossible.
-Rocco
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2: it could mean that he does not really care about being king, so he is unlikly to be corrupt.
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just a fore note.... I thought that it was quite interesting that Christ's birth played such a key role in tonight's reading. By holding the event on the night of Christ's birth they believed that "God will make him (the future king) known." This showed that they were using a combination of magic and religion to determine who the next ruler should be.
2. Building on that...I believe that Arthur's physical strength had little effect towards his being able to complete this task. I believe that rather he was only able to accomplish this because it was his DESTINY. The heavens and the magical willed it in other words. That's why it was so easy for him. He was not alone. He was being helped by other forces...bringing him towards his destiny.
Arthur is merely fetching a sword for someone else rather than possessing a sword for himself. This act of his is a selfless one where he has no sort of self interest or connection to the power that came with the sword. In a way, the interest of power is being transferred by Arthur when he gives the sword to his brother. So Arthur instead of ceasing power is in contrast giving power away.
Maybe this is what the stone is looking for in a king; a king that instead of ceasing power (the way tyrants do) he should give power to his people, to strengthen them.
Promt#2
3:
I think these chapters tell us a lot about Arthur's character. We know he is a strong willed person. He is determined. He must get Kay a sword, and he will do anything to get one. He is very physical about his actions, forthright, if you will. He acts by the most straightforward means possible. He sees a line of action and goes for it. I think these characteristics represent a kind of leaderly quality, he is driven to the most straightforward means possible. I think his character is readily evident, his intentions written on his face. Kay and Ector strike me as more weaselly characters, more sneaky and conniving. Arthur is truly the king of England, truthful and trustworthy.
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I completely agree with Jake...people have tried to pull this sword from the stone for a very long time, and many of them were much much stronger than Arthur. However, these people tried to pull the sword for their own self interest; to gain power. Arthur, however, wanted to help someone else. This is a key aspect in a good kings virtues. Arthurs act of pulling the stone wasnt showing that he was the strongest man in the kingdom physically, but it was a symbolic way of showing that he was destined to be king.
just checking in...(didn't have time last night) and I agree with what alot of people have been saying about Arthur's selflessness playing a role in him getting chosen as king.
I agree with the ideas alex brought up. To be a good king you have to think of other people before yourself. They need to serve the peoples needs. Aurthur was not pulling the swoard because he wanted the power of being king for himself. All the people who came before him just wanted it to themselfs which means they wouldn't be a great king.
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