Fantasy and Magic

Malory's piece on King Arthurs allows the reader to explore some key differences between the tale and Geoffrey of Monmouth's piece. Malory's story reads more like a novel. There was a wider range of characters, deeper narratives, and an emphasis on magic and trickery. Geoffrey's piece reminds of a  modern propaganda with a disproportionate emphasis on warfare and religious fervor. The major difference that stood out was the major role that Merlin played in Malory's work in comparison to the minor role that he played in Geoffrey's work. Merlin's character represented a split from a focus on the crusading and religious fervor to a focus on the internal conflict and fantasy. Both narratives posit that War of the Roses and rising problems with the Catholic Church made the common folk look for something that would give them a reprieve from the harsh world they inhibited.

                                   Image source-BBC.UK.com