Dinner with King Arthur by Ileah

Dinner with King Arthur by Ileah - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

Full Name: Ileah Walter
Email: IleahWalter@gmail.com
Address: 4514 Griffiths Circle
North Lawrence Ohio, 44666
College: Asbury University
Year of Graduation: 2020
Phone Number: 330-413-0559
Dinner with King Arthur
If I could have dinner with any historical figure, I would have to choose King Arthur. I have always held a special place in my heart for the legend of King Arthur ever since I was young, so if King Arthur was in fact a real person, and not just a legend, I would find it very interesting to be able to have a conversation with the leader of the Knights of the Round Table. I would love the opportunity to ask him how he came up with the idea for the Knights of the Round Table, and how he came to the conclusion, in the time that he lived, that if separate “nations” of men would come together as one united force, versus separate forces at odds, they would be stronger. I believe that our society has a lot to learn from King Arthur, fiction or not, because in a time where it was almost every man and kingdom for himself, he brought together a diverse group of men to fight and stand together in what they believed in, whereas much of our own society is crumbling to pieces because people can’t accept others, or don’t want to, thus making it difficult to stand together as one strong nation. I would also ask him some questions about Camelot, such as where the city was once located, and also about the sword Excalibur. The sword has always had a connotation of magic and mystery surrounding it, so I would ask him where he acquired the sword, as some legends say it was given to him from the Lady in the Lake, while others say he pulled it from a stone.
If, on the off chance, King Arthur is in fact just a legend, I would want to have dinner with the person who started the legend of King Arthur in the very beginning. I would want to know how the story of Arthur came to him/her, and how he/she created this whole world full of magic and bravery all centered around one key figure. I would ask how each key character and object came to their/it’s name, and what they represented to the writer, so as to get a better understanding of the world of King Arthur and the key figures in the legend. Overall I would just want to know if the legends are real, was there a real King Arthur, or are they made to represent a time in history where the belief in magic was prevalent and the search for “one true king to unite them all” was the thing most wished for above all others.