King Arthur is a High School Jock!

How do you like King Arthur as a high school quarterback? I do. This new characterization of Arthur as A. William Wagner is another opportunity for our great king to demonstrate strong moral qualities—what we called chivalry back in medieval times.  For instance, look at the way Will stood up for the class geek outside of Mr. Morton’s class. I could have cheered. Even though we who have known Arthur for a number of centuries have become used to his acts of honor, it is refreshing to see him take command of a situation in modern times. Seeing Arthur as a high school quarterback is almost as if he is born again to delight us again.

This time our great king has a woman as devoted to him as he is to his brother, his father, his team mates, and his school mates. Ellie has good taste. She knows instinctively that Will is a good man, and I am not surprised that she falls for him. What an interesting twist to this old familiar story that Elaine (Ellie) has not chosen Lancelot (Lance) to whom to give her love. Perhaps this new version of Lancelot is not as dreamy as the older version. I wish I could say that Will has good taste in women, but I cannot. What is it about Guinevere (Jen) that even after fifteen hundred years, he still falls for her only to be hurt by her?

However, I must say that I am intrigued by Will’s attraction to Ellie. Is he, after all these centuries, finally able to appreciate moral goodness to match his own in a woman? If Ellie is able to stay close to Will and to protect him from the forces of evil that seem to be around him, maybe there will be a better outcome to our king’s life. The presence of water and all the floating that happens—on an inflatable raft or on a sailboat—is a clever connection with Tennyson’s beautiful poem. It is pleasing to imagine that The Lady of Shalott may not only reach Camelot alive, but may also do some good for its inhabitants.   

My heart goes out to Marco. Even though he is a bitter young man and seems determined to hurt Will, I believe that his character could be improved with professional counseling and with a good woman of his own—someone like Ellie. After all, think of what he has endured. He has seen his father die under questionable circumstances and his mother marry the man either directly or indirectly responsible for the loss of his father. 

May the blessings of Camelot be with you all.

Bertilak.