Human Nature In The Legends Of King

Arthur And His Noble Knights Essay, Research Paper

When John Stienbeck translated the tales of King Arthur he realized that he needed to maintain the elements of human nature that appeared through out the original stories. There are many examples of human nature in the sections of the book that we have read, there are good and bad aspects of human nature portrayed through the book and I will only mention a few.

One example is when King Arthur tells the Lady of the Lake that he will do anything that she wants in exchange for the sword Excalibur. It is human nature to be quick to promise things when there is something important to us in exchange. We are more likely to do what ever it takes in order to get something we really ?need?. It is very rare for people to think before they act in situations like this; it seems that there are no consequences in times like these.

People aren?t only quick to promise things though, we are also very quick to judge things and people as well. An example of that from the book is when Balin asks to try to pull the

sword from Lady Lyles? cloak, she refuses him at first because she thinks he looks like a peasant. To her ? No person who looks like a peasant could be noble enough to conquer such a glorious task.? Then, the sense of other people led her to let him try, and he pulled the sword, like she thought he couldn?t. ? Don?t judge a book by its cover.?

One good thing in this book that relates to human nature, is people?s willingness to stand up for their friends and people they care about. All through the book people are avenging their brother?s or father?s death. While that?s not quite the case to day, people always try to get people back for the wrongs they have done. Whether it is through the legal system or through illegal activities, people are rarely afraid to avenge the unjust death of a loved one.

Human nature is every where in this book, making promises without thinking of the consequences, being quick to judge, and ?avenging? loved ones, are just a few. Human nature has many good and bad forms through this book. But I hope the general human nature is good.