Critical reading
support
your responses
with evidence
from the text.
1. respond: if arthur had asked you to throw his sword into the
water, would you have hesitated? why or why not?
2. (a) what warning does king arthur receive in his dream?
(b) how do circumstances frustrate his attempt to heed this
warning? (c) interpret: how does this series of events make
the ending of the tale seem fated?
3. (a) what is the relationship between mordred and arthur?
(b) interpret: how does the conflict between them emphasize
the theme of betrayal in the tale?
4. (a) compare and contrast: how does the description of sir
lucan's death contrast with the speech in which arthur bemoans his
passing? (b) draw conclusions: what conclusions can you draw
from this contrast about the range of medieval taste in literature?
5. generalize: at the tale's end, rightful authority has been betrayed
and may yet return, but it is not here now. what idea of leadership
and loyalty in the present does this ending suggest?
6. apply: do you think leaders are "arthurs"—those who should
receive perfect obedience-or should people sometimes question
their leader's decisions? explain.