The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Courtly Spaces Versus Green Spaces”

In this activity, students will demonstrate their understanding of the book’s juxtaposition of the human and non-human worlds by creating an illustration of the portrayals of green and courtly spaces.

When an author places two things—such as plot events, descriptions, or characters—next to each other in order to make a point about the differences between them, they are utilizing the literary technique of juxtaposition. In The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, Pyle juxtaposes two kinds of space—the non-human spaces of nature and the human spaces of the court. In this activity, you will explore this juxtaposition by creating an illustration that shows the differences between these two spaces.

Gather Evidence

• Review the text and make some notes about the plot events, characters, and descriptions associated with each of the two kinds of spaces.

Create Your Illustration

• Divide your drawing into a left half and a right half. On one half, draw images that represent ideas associated with natural, non-human spaces in the text. On the other half, draw images that represent ideas associated with the court. Add captions or quoted, cited lines to convey additional meaning about your images.
• Make sure that your illustration conveys clear ideas about what is different about these two spaces.

Compare and Reflect

• When you finish, share your work with a small group. Then, answer the following questions about each of your peers’ illustrations:

○ What differences between green and courtly spaces does this illustration convey?

○ After seeing this illustration, is there anything you would want to add to or change about your own illustration? Why?

Teaching Suggestion: This activity can be completed individually or in pairs; if time is short, you might let students work with a partner so that they can divide up the text to be reviewed. Alternatively, you might gather evidence as a class and then ask students to create their illustrations individually. The assignment does not specify whether students should draw literal representations of events, settings, and characters or if they should create a more symbolic illustration. If your students are ready for the challenge, you might review the meaning of the terms literal, figurative, and symbolic and then require that they create symbolic representations rather than literal ones. You can control how much time the final “Compare and Reflect” step takes by deciding how many students will be in each small group; fewer students will mean less time needed for writing responses to peers’ work. After students have finished this activity, you might lead a discussion of what conclusions can be reached about the difference between these two kinds of space in the novel.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with visual impairments may not be able to complete this activity as written. You might, as an alternative, ask these students either to write a brief essay explaining how Pyle juxtaposes courtly and green spaces or to list their juxtaposed ideas in a T-chart.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In Book 1, Part 2, King Pellinore fights several knights and then hangs their shields in a tree.

• Why does the action of hanging the shields in the tree offend Arthur? (topic sentence)
• Provide at least three examples from the text that demonstrate why Arthur would care about the shields. Analyze and discuss these examples in support of your topic sentence.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this part of the story relates to the book’s overall concern with Identity and Disguise.

2. The fay in this novel seem to operate by different values than those by which Arthur and his knights operate.

• How do the values systems of the fay characters and the human characters compare? (topic sentence)
• Provide at least three examples of details in the text that support your topic sentence. Analyze and discuss the similarities and differences between humans and fay with each example.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how this aspect of the story relates to the book’s overall concern with Green Space Versus Courtly Space.

3. The Round Table is mentioned often, making it clear that it functions as a symbol of Arthur’s reign.

• What specific aspects of Arthur’s reign does the Round Table represent? (topic sentence)
• Provide at least three examples of language or plot details that support your interpretation. In what ways is each example symbolic? How is this symbolism seen in connected events throughout the book?
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how the symbol of the Round Table supports the book’s overall concern with Kingship as an Instructive Model for Citizenship.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. In these stories, “green” and “courtly” spaces are juxtaposed. How do these differing depictions relate to Arthur’s development as a character? What kinds of adventures does he have in each space, and what kinds of lessons does he learn? What parts of his character are revealed to the reader in each of these kinds of spaces? How do these spaces develop Arthur as an Instructive Model for Citizenship? Write an essay in which you analyze how Pyle uses the contrast between green and courtly spaces to develop different aspects of Arthur’s character. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text, making sure to cite any quoted material.

2. Sometimes knights uphold the Code of Chivalry, and sometimes they fail to do so. Choose two stories, one in which a knight succeeds in being chivalrous and one in which a knight fails to uphold this code. (The two stories can feature the same knight or two different knights.) What are the actions that either honor or fail to honor the Code of Chivalry? What consequences or rewards do the knights face? Write an essay in which you compare these stories and demonstrate what they convey about the consequences of following or not following the Code of Chivalry. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text, making sure to cite any quoted material.

3. What role do women seem to play in the Arthurian legends? How much of the depiction of women in Pyle’s text seems to come from Pyle’s own imagination and beliefs, and how much seems to come from the historical origins of Arthur’s story? What historical and cultural forces might have impacted the way women are portrayed in these stories? Conduct research into historical beliefs about women in Britain, especially in the Sub-Roman era and in the Middle Ages. Then, write an essay in which you analyze the portrayal of women in Pyle’s text. Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text and from reputable outside sources, making sure to cite any quoted material and all information drawn from outside sources.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which is the most accurate description of Pyle’s portrayal of Arthur?

A) Although Arthur is very innocent as a young man, he becomes more cynical as he ages.

B) Arthur is a mischievous child, but once he assumes the throne, he understands the value of rules.

C) Like most people, Arthur has flaws, both as a young man and as an adult.

D) Arthur is the embodiment of chivalry throughout his life and changes little during the novel.

2. With which colors is Arthur most clearly associated in this novel?

A) Blue and gold

B) Gold and white

C) White and red

D) Red and blue

3. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of the power of the hermits mentioned throughout the novel?

A) They represent the honor associated with chivalry.

B) They represent the authority of Arthur’s court.

C) They represent the magic controlled by the fay.

D) They represent the power of Christian faith.

4. Which of the following characters is not a father figure to Arthur?

A) Merlin

B) Uther

C) Lancelot

D) Ector

5. Which is the most accurate description of Pyle’s portrayal of Guinevere?

A) She is proud, determined, and brave.

B) She is humble, beautiful, and compassionate.

C) She is charismatic, funny, and wise.

D) She is creative, resourceful, and clever.

6. From which point of view is this book narrated?

A) First-person

B) Second-person

C) Third-person limited

D) Third-person omniscient

7. Which of Arthur’s knights must grow and change the most to be truly chivalric?

A) Tor

B) Pellias

C) Gawaine

D) Ulfius

8. What message about courtly love is conveyed by Arthur’s wooing of Guinevere?

A) A man should be sure to establish that he is in control of his relationships.

B) A man should prove his love by ignoring the woman’s hesitations about him.

C) A man should be careful not to be too distracted by love.

D) A man should show total dedication to the woman he loves.

9. Which color is Nymue most clearly associated with in this novel?

A) Green

B) Black

C) Silver

D) Purple

10. Which is the most accurate description of the narrator’s apparent purpose in telling Arthur’s story?

A) The narrator hopes to encourage the reader to follow Arthur’s moral example.

B) The narrator means to create nostalgia for a long-ago time very different from today.

C) The narrator wants to demonstrate to the reader that Arthur is an unrealistic character.

D) The narrator intends to draw a parallel between Arthur’s life and the narrator’s own life.

11. Which of the following is an important value in the Code of Chivalry that Arthur expects his knights to demonstrate?

A) Ambition

B) Skepticism

C) Education

D) Compassion

12. What does Arthur’s treatment of Ector have in common with his treatment of Morgana?

A) It is clear in both cases that Arthur treats women better than he treats men.

B) Both cases demonstrate how much love Arthur has for family.

C) Both situations show how little Arthur understands the power of magic.

D) It is obvious from his treatment of each that Arthur values tolerance.

13. What do Arthur’s childhood, the story of Pellinore challenging knights and taking their shields, and Arthur’s time in Leodegrance’s home have in common?

A) They all demonstrate the powers of the fay.

B) They all demonstrate Arthur’s faith.

C) They all involve disguised identities.

D) They all involve lies told to protect someone.

14. Which accurately expresses an important difference between environments like the forest compared to life at court?

A) Natural spaces like the forest are more filled with adventure and mystery.

B) Natural spaces like the forest are more filled with God’s love and power.

C) Life at court is a clearer test of the chivalric values Arthur promotes.

D) Life at court is a clearer test of the comradeship among the knights.

15. Which location in the text most clearly represents a blend of “green” and “courtly” spaces?

A) Rivers

B) Gardens

C) Courtyards

D) Stables

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. What is the main concept symbolized by the knights’ shields, and how is this meaning conveyed?

2. How do the customs and descriptions of Avalon associate it with femininity and feminine power?