After conversing with Maria on this, I convinced her that this was indeed relative to the topic (and that her english was not poor) and thought perhaps others might alos find it of interest. So here it is... --Jayson -------- Beginning of Forwarded Message(s) --------- Date: Sat, 6 Apr 91 10:59 EST From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Arthurian Legend & Star Wars To: [log in to unmask] Jayson: Firs of all, I'd like to apologize for my English. Since I'm not a native speaker, I'll probably make some mistakes (that's why I didn't want to post this message on SCREEN-L, but if, after reading it, you think some of my comments should be posted there, fell free to do it in your own words). Your question about the relations between the Arthurian legend and _Star Wars_ interested me because I'm a big fan of the trilogy and I'm presently writing my dissertation about the Arthurian legend in English and American Literatures during the nineteenth century. Honestly, I think that there is an amazing number of similarities between the structure of Lucas' trilogy and the basic arthurian story. Take Luke Skywalker as an example. In the first movie he starts what I would call his "quest" (a mission he has to fulfill, although he doesn't know exactly why or how). He is not alone, though, this old and wise man, Obi Wan Kenobi will help him to understand the meaning of his quest while it happens. Luke wants to become a Jedi *knight*, as his father was. Basically, he's doing what all knights of the Round Table are supposed to do: go out seeking adventures. They have to go through different challenging adventures in order to prove themselves worthy of the knighthood. But Luke is not looking for any adventures. He has a specific quest to accomplish. In this sense, he may be compared to Galahad, the knight that will accomplish the quest for the Holy Grail in the Arthurian legend. Galahad, as Luke, learn about his quest with the help of an old wise man. He, as Luke, will finish the quest that his father -Lancelot-, although being the best of the knights couldn't finish because of his love affair with the Queen. Is it to much to think about Darth Vader being "seduced" by the dark side of the Force? Maybe not. In _The Return of the Jedi_, Luke will win the battle against the Emperor only because he had the moral strength to refuse the temptation of being impelled by his anger. And, by doing so, he'll not only free his father, but the universe as a whole. It's the old fight between Good and Evil. Once again, we can remember that Arthur's kingdom is falling apart, and its survival depends on the quest of the Holy Grail. Galahad is the only knight able to finish this quest, because he's the only one that's good enough, that didn't commit any sin. And, as Luke, he'll succeed. Galahad and Luke are ready to face the Evil and succeed because, during their individual quests, they faced themselves, their most terrible fears, and they wan. In this sense, I think it's fair to say that both are involved in the same quest: the quest for identity. The comparison of these two characters is only one example of the similarities existent between _Star Wars_ and the Arthurian legend. I tried not to mention the aspects I consider more obvious: all the confrontations between the representatives of the Good (Obi Wan & Luke) and the Evil (Vader) in the movies are nothing more than futuristic "sword" fights... I've read Temper's reply to your question and I believe that, when he says that he can't think of any correspondence between Malory's _Le Morte D'Arthur_ and _Star Wars_, he's thinking about the stories told. Maybe if he thought about the structure of both stories, he would change his mind. If you have specific questions about the Arthurian legend (or any questions about my comments), I'd be glad to try to answer. Regards, Maria Luiza Abaurre SUNY-Albany e-mail: [log in to unmask] P.S. - Isn't it amazing that the Arthurian legend, that first appeared in the 9th century, is still alive, inspiring movies, books, comic books and (why not?) academic dissertations? -------- End of Forwarded Message(s) ---------