Essay/Term paper: A comparison of arthur becomes king and david and goliath

Essay, term paper, research paper:  British Literature

A Comparison of Arthur Becomes King and David and Goliath


Two of the most renowned leaders of all time, King Arthur and King David,
have emerged from very humble beginnings. David and Goliath, written by Samuel,
is a bible story about a young boy defeating a huge Philistine soldier by
fighting in the name of God. Arthur Becomes King, written by T. H. White, is a
story about a young squire becoming the rightful king of England by pulling the
sword from the stone. Arthur Becomes King and David and Goliath, stories about
an unlikely person turning out to be someone very special, have many
similarities and differences.

David and Goliath and Arthur Becomes King are alike in many ways. They
both take place in a wild site torn by war. Both David and Arthur are
subordinate to their older brothers. When David goes to the battlefield to
consult Eliab, his oldest brother, Eliab becomes angry with him and tells him
to go home to his sheep (David watches the family's sheep). When Sir Kay
realizes that he has forgotten his sword, he refers to Arthur as a squire and
orders him to retrieve it. David and Arthur both become heroes while running
an errand. David is taking food to his brothers by order of Jesse, his father.
When the brothers tell David of Goliath, David immediately says that he will
fight him. A desperate King Saul learns of this and prepares David for battle.
Arthur is trying to find a sword for Sir Kay. When they become heroes, both
David and Arthur save an entire population. By defeating Goliath, David saves
all of the Israelites from the Philistines. By coming to power, Arthur saves a
kingless England. Both stories have someone who is jealous of the rightful
king. Saul tries to kill David in order to prevent him from becoming king; Sir
Kay tries to tell his father that he is the one who pulled out the sword. Both
David and Arthur stand for something. David fights in the name of God, and
Arthur has a strong belief in using Might for Right. Eventually, Both David and
Arthur become two of the most famous kings of all time.

David and Goliath and Arthur Becomes King are also different. The
story of David and Goliath has actually taken place; Arthur Becomes King is
mostly fictional. David fights and kills Goliath to become a hero, while
Arthur becomes a hero by pulling the sword from the stone. David is more
determined than Arthur. David volunteers to fight Goliath despite all of the
warnings and put-downs he receives. When Sir Ector acknowledges Arthur as King,
Arthur feels so sorrowful that he bursts into tears.

David and Arthur conquer enormous odds to become heroes. Although there
are many similarities and differences in David and Goliath and Arthur Becomes
King, both stories are about an unlikely person turning out to be someone very
special.