Response to T.H. "White's The Once and Future King"
             "Anguish of Ireland had once dreamed of a wind which blew down all their castles and towns, and this one was conspiring to do it."
             This quote from The Once and Future King symbolizes the huge wars fought, as well as the wars to come, during King Arthur's reign, in which blood flowed as freely as the rivers. The Once and Future King by T.H. White is a collection of many King Arthur tales including "The Sword in the Stone," "The Queen of Air and Darkness," "The Ill Made Knight," and "The Candle in the Wind." They tell of Arthur's life from childhood through his old age. The tales describe King Arthur's rise to power, from youth to king of all Camelot.
             The novel begins with "The Sword in the Stone," which concentrates on Arthur's upbringing. Arthur Pendragon, nicknamed Wart, is a young boy living with his guardian, Sir Ector, and Ector's son, Kay. Arthur knows he is not related to these people, but he has no idea who his father is. Arthur runs wild until he meets Merlyn, who becomes his tutor. Merlyn is a wizard who is living backwards. This backwards living makes him absent-minded and muddled, but he manages to be a good teacher, especially to Arthur. He is a generous, uncomplicated, loving boy. White describes him as a hero worshipper, a born follower; He does not lose these traits when he becomes king. At the end of "The Sword in the Stone" Arthur pulls a sword from the stone in which it is imbedded, thus proving himself the rightful king of England. The tale ends with him being declared King.
             "The Queen of Air and Darkness" focuses mostly on Morgause, Arthur's half-sister and queen of Orkney, and on her four sons, all of whom grow up to play important parts in the Arthurian drama. Gawaine is hotheaded and loyal, and figures prominently throughout Arthur's life. Agra...