Alfred, Lord Tennyson characterizes King Arthur as an archetype of Christ throughout Idylls of the King. Through Tennyson’s plot development and his use of language, he successfully showed King Arthur as an example of Christ. King Arthur’s actions to his knights resembled the actions and decisions of Christ. In the story “Gareth and Lynette”, King Arthur chooses his newest knight, Gareth, to go on the quest with Lynette (Tennyson 44). Lynette asked for King Arthur’s greatest knight he had, but instead she was given Gareth, a knight seen as less than all the others. Arthur’s decision to choose his “least qualified” knight for the mission reflects the decisions made by Christ. Jesus picked his disciples from the lowest groups in society, showing
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Before Arthur’s last battle, he spoke about his knights he was about to fight with and against. “The king who fights his people fights himself. And they my knights, who loved me once, the stroke That strikes them dead is as my death to me,” (Tennyson 243). The last phrase of Arthur’s words represents the reason Christ died on the cross. The sin of humans leads them to their eternal death, and since Jesus came to take away the humans’ sins, that became his death. King Arthur also said before his last battle, “My God, thou hast forgotten me in my death! Nay-- God my Christ-- I pass but shall not die,” (Tennyson 242). Tennyson word choices are close to what Christ said as he was dying on the cross. In Matthew 27:46, Jesus’ last words were spoken: “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”),” (NIV). Unlike Christ, King Arthur does not die then resurrect, but Tennyson does allow for leave in a way similar to that of Christ. For Christ’s departure from the earth, he ascends into heaven (Luke 24:41 NIV). King Arthur, on the other hand, meets spirits at the lake who then take him away on a boat. The boat Arthur boarded eventually disappears to never be seen again. But, Arthur’s knight Bedivere does not believe that will be the last sighting of Arthur, resembling the coming again of Christ. "He passes to be King among the dead, And after healing of his grievous wound He comes again,” (Tennyson
Before Arthur’s last battle, he spoke about his knights he was about to fight with and against. “The king who fights his people fights himself. And they my knights, who loved me once, the stroke That strikes them dead is as my death to me,” (Tennyson 243). The last phrase of Arthur’s words represents the reason Christ died on the cross. The sin of humans leads them to their eternal death, and since Jesus came to take away the humans’ sins, that became his death. King Arthur also said before his last battle, “My God, thou hast forgotten me in my death! Nay-- God my Christ-- I pass but shall not die,” (Tennyson 242). Tennyson word choices are close to what Christ said as he was dying on the cross. In Matthew 27:46, Jesus’ last words were spoken: “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”),” (NIV). Unlike Christ, King Arthur does not die then resurrect, but Tennyson does allow for leave in a way similar to that of Christ. For Christ’s departure from the earth, he ascends into heaven (Luke 24:41 NIV). King Arthur, on the other hand, meets spirits at the lake who then take him away on a boat. The boat Arthur boarded eventually disappears to never be seen again. But, Arthur’s knight Bedivere does not believe that will be the last sighting of Arthur, resembling the coming again of Christ. "He passes to be King among the dead, And after healing of his grievous wound He comes again,” (Tennyson