“The Passing of King Arthur” Alfred Lord Tennyson
Warm up: When have you found it difficult to part with something you wished you could keep? What special
meaning did the object have? Did you find a substitute or consider it irreplaceable?
Narrative Poetry: poetry that tells a story
○ this poem tells about the death of King Arthur and his final command
○ Begins in a battle at Lyonnesse – All the Knights have been killed except Sir Bedivere
Excalibur – Two different legends on how King Arthur obtained the sword
○ 1 – Sword in the stone 2 – the Lady of the Lake gave Arthur the sword
○ The owner was to possess great power because of the sword
“The Passing of King Arthur” Questions
1. As this excerpt begins, what is King Arthur’s condition?
2.
What has happened to King Arthur’s other men?
3.
Who helps King Arthur?
4.
“They sleep - the men I loved” What does this mean?
5.
What is King Arthur’s wound?
6.
How did King Arthur get Excalibur(his sword)?
7.
What does King Arthur direct Sir Bedivere to do with the sword?
8.
According to Sir Bedivere, what does he not want to do? Why?
9.
Where did Sir Bedivere go?
10. Why is he going there?
11. What does Sir Bedivere decide to do with the sword? Why?
12. What is Sir Bedivere’s response to King Arthur when asked about Excalibur?
13. How does King Arthur respond?
14. What does King Arthur ask Sir Bedivere to do AGAIN?
15. What is Bedivere afraid of if he throws the sword back? (hint: p 3, line 3)
16. What is Bedivere’s reason on why he can disobey the king? (hint: line 10)
17. What does Sir Bedivere decide to do with the sword?
18. What is Sir Bedivere’s response to King Arthur when asked about Excalibur? Does this sound familiar????
19. How does King Arthur respond?
20. King Arthur gives Sir Bedivere a THIRD chance! Would you have given him a third chance? Why/why not?
21. What does Sir Bedivere do this time with the sword?
22. What happens to the sword? (hint: look at the end of the stanza)
23. What is Sir Bedivere’s response to King Arthur when asked about Excalibur?
24. What might the barge and the three queens symbolize, or represent?
25. What happens when King Arthur is placed on the barge?
26. Sir Bedivere asks King Arthur “Whither (where) shall I go?”
What is he asking?
27. Why has the Round Table dissolved?
28. What does King Arthur mean by “The old order changes...Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.”
29. What does King Arthur ask Sir Bedivere to do “if you should never see my face again”?
30. Where is King Arthur going? (this is considered the King’s heaven)
31. What does Sir Bedivere do?
Overall
32. How do you characterize Arthur’s feelings about his impending death? How do his feelings compare with Sir
Bedivere’s?
33. Do you think Sir Bedivere is justified in hesitating to follow King Arthur’s orders regarding Excalibur? Why or
why not?