My Favourite Character

My Favourite Character

My favourite character in literature would have to be King Arthur, as written by T.H. White in The Once and Future King.

It is true that King Arthur has been reinvented and reimagined any number of times, often in negative ways to fit 'modern' ideas of 'relative morality'. Therefore, I am always glad to see a case of characters who do not rely on tearing others down in order to become good.

The mythology behind the character (such as finding the sword, being king, and the fall of his kingdom) remains mostly the same, but the author adds a number of touches that makes the character very likable.

King Arthur is depicted with a constant sense of nobility. It is idealistic in his youth and matures as he grows older, and he has a natural love for his fellow man. Even when dark times fall upon his kingdom, he resolutely pursues his ideals and holds them up.

There is also a sort of tragic dignity in his efforts to rid the world of war and cruelty by trying to make a kingdom of goodness, as there is also a sense of futility in his quest. Even though he fails in the end, King Arthur remains a dutiful thinker trying to work his way to a solution.

He is a character who gets things done in order to achieve good, and was responsible for altering a number of traditions to bring about chivalry in the book. In his relations, he is always generous and just, but fair as well, growing from his competitive days as a boy. There is also a certain steely willpower, as in the early stages of his career, he has to resort to proper violence to break the unlawful lords of the land in order to rebuild the kingdom.

King Arthur, in summary, is a genuinely good and faithful character who suffers from indecision and being unable to solve the long term problems of his life, though some of his tragedies stem from external influences. There is likable morality as well as tragic nobility in his actions and his efforts. That is why I consider him to be my favourite character.