The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade/young adult fantasy/adventure
• Originally Published: 1903
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1350L; grades 6-12
• Structure/Length: 2 books; approximately 416 pages; approximately 11 hours on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The protagonist is Arthur, the rightful heir to the throne of England. The novel traces Arthur’s journey from his boyhood: pulling the sword from the stone, becoming the king, and forming the Knights of the Round Table. The central conflict arises from Arthur’s efforts to maintain justice and peace in his kingdom amidst challenges.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Violence and warfare; patriarchal and classist themes

Howard Pyle, Author

• Bio: Born 1853, died 1911; American author and illustrator, often credited with creating what is now the modern version of the Robin Hood stories; known for his children’s books, particularly those with a medieval setting; works are characterized by a rich and distinctive visual storytelling style
• Other Works: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883); Otto of the Silver Hand (1888); Men of Iron (1891)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Kingship as Instructive Model for Citizenship
• Identity and Disguise
• Green Space Versus Courtly Space

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on the historicity of King Arthur and chivalric and courtly values to increase their engagement with and understanding of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights.
• Read/study paired texts and other brief resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Kingship as Instructive Model for Citizenship, Identity and Disguise, and Green Space Versus Courtly Space.
• Demonstrate their understanding of the book’s juxtaposition of the human and non-human worlds by creating an illustration of the differing portrayals of green and courtly spaces.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the novel, such as symbolism, plot detail, characterization, and historical context, and construct essay responses tying these to the novel’s meaning.