The Once and Future King Study Guide Chapters 1-5

What does Kay's lack of a nickname reveal about his character? Why is Arthur called Wart?

Kay thought he was too dignified to have a nickname. Arthur was called wart because wart rhymes with art which is short for his real name

In the beginning of Chapter 1, Sir Ector has recently gotten rid of their governess (she had a bout of hysterics and was committed to a lunatic asylum) and so is concerned with the boys' education. While sharing some port (wine) with Sir Grummore Grummerson —a visiting Knight—what do the two men decide that the boys need and must quest for?

Sir Ector decides to advertise for a tutor

It is July, every man, woman and child works in the fields during this season. Sir Ector stands atop a cart to supervise. Although Sir Ector mostly hinders the procedure and it is his assistants who make sure everything runs smoothly. What season is it?

-hay-making season

-Sir Ector is a bumbling idiot—he is the figure of highest authority but his rule is carried out by those underneath him, as illustrated with the hay-making. We expect Sir Ector to be chivalrous, being an experienced knight, but instead he is satirized.

After the boys of chore of hay-making has been postponed due to rain, what do the boys decide to go do?

-decide to take Cully the Hawk to catch rabbits. They go to the Mews where the hawks are kept. When Cully only glares in response to Kay's call to come, Kay, impatient, grabs him.

For what reason does Kay claimed the privilege of carrying the goshawk and flying her instead of giving Wart a turn with the hawk?

Kay claims the privilege because he was older than Wart and Sir Ector's proper son.

What two types of education does Sir Ector insist upon for Kay and Wart?

Classic education (astrology, logicales), fighting (knighthood, tilting, falconry, and horsemanship)

What is the relationship between Wart and Kay?

Kay looks down at Wart, and reminds him of his superior status since he will one day be a knight while Wart can only be his squire

What aspects of medieval life are presented in the first chapter?

Quests, knighthood and the manner system

Why does Wart decided to stay with Cully instead of going home with Kay? Why is this an act of courage?

Wart decides to stay because he known Hob will be disappointed to see all of his hard work go to waste. This is an act of courage because, he is willing to find Cully in the dark by himself

How did the boys lose Cully?

-Walking across the fields, Wart suggests that they not fly Cully as they hadn't correctly roused him. Kay brushes this off. Wart itches to take Cully, but thinks how annoying it would be for Kay to hear the preachings of a younger, inferior boy.

-Kay threw his arms upwards to make the hawk take off and Cully swooped into the air.

-Kay had forced him to take off—and flies off away from the boys, ignoring their calls.

In chapter 2, Kay loses his temper and returns home but what does Wart decide to do?

Wart decides to retrieve the hawk. As Cully flies from tree to tree, Wart tracks him deeper into the forest. Soon Wart finds himself farther from the castle than he's ever been before—on the edge of the true forest, one of the great forests of Old England; filled with wild boars, wolves, wicked animals, and outlaws.

Deep in the forest at night, Wart thought particularly about whom whose name the cottages used to frighten their children with?

Wat

Wart comes across an attacker with arrows and is not afraid but he soon realizes that now he has lost Cully and wanders off aimlessly through the forest. He comes upon a clearing and who suddenly appears?

-a knight in full armor

-he thought the knight might be a ghost

Briefly describe king Pellinore. What is the questing beast, and why is Pellinore searching for it?

King Pellinore is very clumsy and falls off his horse. The questing beast is allusive because none of the Pellinores' could catch it

-the beast was a dragon, snake, deer like animal. He was searching for it because it is a quest or a burden of the Pellinores.

-King Pellinore's comedic portrayal—he is clumsy and wearing spectacles. By emphasizing his clownish actions, King Pellinore is a parody of the chivalrous knight

What do you think White is trying to present with the questing beast?

The 'questing beast' is representative of the entire questing genre: White conflates the journey component of the quest with the goal itself. Moreover the questing beast is itself a convoluted conflation of many different magical creatures. More absurd, King Pellinore will never catch the "questing beast" and so the endeavor becomes a game simply for the sake of questing

How does Wart try to get Pellinore to take him to Sir Ector's castle?

-Wart invites Pellinore back to Sir Ector's castle where he could get a warm feather bed, hoping Pellinore would know the way.

-Pellinore is excited at the prospect of a feather bed and soft pillows. Suddenly, they hear a loud noise. Sure it's the Questing Beast, Pellinore grabs his lance and gallops after it leaving Wart alone.

In Chapter 3 Wart sleeps in the forest. When he wakes he hears a sound and goes in search of it. Soon he finds a stone cottage in a clearing, and sees a very old man drawing water from a well. Who is this old man?

Merlyn

Briefly describe Merlyn's appearance

Merlyn has a long white beard and long white mustache which hung down on both sides. He was far from clean and had a large bird nesting in his hair

Merlyn invites Wart into his cottage, in which there is a breakfast set for two. The room is full of books, lion claws, and other extraordinary objects (like the walking mustard pot). What is revealed when Merlyn takes off his hat?

a tawny, talking owl named Archimedes.

Who is Archimedes? Why does Wart think he's special? List some characteristics about owls that Merlyn believes makes them special creatures

Archimedes is Merlyn's owl. Wart thinks he's special because he can talk and he is wise. Archimedes is a talking owl and is a son of Athena.

Merlyn sets the breakfast table before Wart's arrival. How does Merlyn explain to Wart why the table is set for two? (34)

Merlyn responds by asking Wart if he's ever tried to draw in a mirror, which, after Merlyn makes a mirror magically appear, turns out to be quite difficult. Ordinary people, Merlyn explains, are born forwards in Time. Merlyn, however, was born the wrong way in Time—he ages backwards, which is like trying to draw in a mirror.

After breakfast, Merlyn declares that it's high time they returned to Sir Ector. Wart is surprised, and then astonished and excited when Merlyn reveals that he is going to be Wart's tutor. Excitedly, what does Wart say to Merlyn?

-Wart says, I must have been on a Quest!

-Wart accomplishes the quest set for him in Chapter 1—without him truly knowing he was on a quest.

In Chapter 4, Wart, Merlyn, Archimedes and Cully return to the Castle Sauvage. How does Wart explain how Cully was found?

Wart explains how Merlyn had sent Archimedes to find Cully and then lured him back with a dead pigeon

Sir Ector reprimands Wart for getting lost but why is he secretly proud of him?

for persevering and finding the hawk.

Wart declares that he has been successful on the quest for a tutor—he has found Merlyn, the great magician. When Sir Ector asks for "some testimonials (references), what does Merlyn produce to show him?

Merlyn shows Sir Ector his references (including a tablet signed by Aristotle and a parchment signed by Hecate)

List two magical feats Merlyn preforms for Sir Ector to demonstrate that he is the master of white magic. What limitation does Merlyn himself put on the use of magic?

Two magical feats that he performs are, he makes a tree grow and makes it snow (Merlyn protects himself from the elements with an umbrella). The limitation he puts on the magic is that it cannot be used to create great arts.

What does Merlyn give Kay as an apology for his hot temper and speaking ill of him (thou wast ever a proud and ill-tongued speaker, and a misfortunate one. Thy sorrow will come from thine own mouth)?

Merlyn produced a silver hunting knife come out of the air and gave it to him

How is Merlyn's first spell communicated?

His first spell is communicated backwards, Neptune backwards English

Merlyn is teaching life lessons to Wart by turning him into different creatures. What do you think Wart might have learned by his encounter with sick Mrs. Roach?

I think Wart might have learned that even the meekest creatures deserve help no matter how silly their need of help may be.

What life lesson does Wart learn from the Kind of the Moat's views on power? (52)

Wart learns that Mr. P leads with brute and this has caused him to become an old, heartless, uncaring, leader. As a future leader, Wart would need to do the opposite

In Chapter 5, it describes that Castle Sauvage is more like a village than a castle, it has a moat and drawbridge and eight towers. What does Wart particularly like?

the kennels where the Dog Boy lives.

One morning, Merlyn finds Wart with Dog Boy petting the hounds. Merlyn say it is time for his lessons to start. What is Wart's first transformation?

-Wart finds himself deep in the moat and transformed into a perch (fish). Wart and Merlyn transformed himself into a tench (fish) swim along together—Merlyn teaching Wart how to swim properly.

-This is the first of Wart's 'lessons' while under Merlyn's tutorage. Each of these lessons teaches Wart a specific lesson about the way to rule and will come to inform his innovative ruling methods when he becomes king.

Suddenly, who appears crying, and pleading with Merlyn to help his Mamma who has begun to swim upside down. The three finds his Mamma lying on her back and Merlyn swims around her, singing a strange song. Mrs. Roach suddenly rights herself and Merlyn and Wart continue on their adventure.

a timid young roach (a type of fish) appears

Describe the Wart's encounter with Mr. P (aka Old Jack/Black Peter). Who is he?

-He is King of the Moat—is an enormous pike, almost four feet long with a face ravaged by cruelty and pride. He does not move.

-Wart does not know what to say, but Mr. P simply lectures on the power of the body and about the dominance of Might over Right.

-Suddenly, Mr. P declares it is time for them to leave; Wart, however, is hypnotized and does not notice the enormous mouth moving closer. On his last sentence, the pike's mouth opens wide and his large teeth gnash together. A second later, Wart is on dry land again, panting in the midday heat.