King Arthur's Mistake In The Once And Future King

“A mistake is an event, the full benefit of which we have not come to realize.” (Unknown) Something that was not initially meant to happen can shape those involved for better or for worse in the future. In The Once and Future King, the slippery trail that leads to one of King Arthur (the protagonist’s) greatest mistakes starts with a fault in someone else entirely. While Arthur is planning a wedding, Merlyn, Arthur’s teacher, remembers what he has forgotten to tell Arthur earlier. Long story short, Merlyn forgot to tell him that Morgause is Arthur’s half-sister, and the characters Gawaine, Agravaine, Gaheris, and Gareth are his nephews. This was a mistake because before Merlyn can warn Arthur, Morgause uses her captivating looks and own charms to lure Arthur to sleep with her. Nine months later, she gives birth to their son, Mordred. What makes this moment most tragic is that a simple, unwitting mistake by Arthur tears him and his dreams apart many years later. This is considered to be an extremely pivotal point in Arthur’s life because his affair with Morgause is the first step in the reign’s collapse. It showed the reader that he was not as righteous as the reader might have thought he would be, and the overall plot of the story changed, based on Arthur’s mistake. Arthur’s affair with Morgause is the ignition to his reign’s collapse. Because of the broken bonds of blood, feuds …show more content…
Up until this point, Arthur stood by what he said, but after committing this sin he broke many of his laws of chivalry.He was not living by honor and for glory. Arthur was certainly not respecting women if he slept with someone he recently met because of her looks and charms. In todays society, sleeping with someone you recently met is frowned upon, imagine what it must have been like in those times. Arthurs problems overwhelmed