the once and future king

The warrior-codes and methods of warfare demonstrated in the novel The Once and Future King by T .H . White can be seen to differ from those found in the England of today . The ability to know the difference between power and justice , and the wisdom to balance both can be seen as a major difference between the way wars were fought in Medieval English times and the methods in use today . Today , the English justice system contains items that guarantee rights to their citizens , and certain courtesies even in war time , are granted

to civilians . The justice system of contemporary England also regards its soldiers highly , no matter what socio-economic class they originate from . Furthermore soldiers and high-ranking officials of today can be contrasted with the knights of the past , and these persons (according to White 's text overused strength and considered their power to be enough of a justification for whatever warlike acts they performed . Therefore , the ideas of war represented in White 's book and those held by Britain differ in areas of its justification , its treatment of non-aristocratic soldiers , and view of the realities versus the idealization of war

In pre-medieval times , rulers of England engaged in war for many reasons , ranging from greed to religion (Kagay . The historic Arthur was reportedly a warrior - leader of the cavalry during the war between the Britons and Anglo-Saxons (Smitha . Concerning the use of strength to justify war , White writes , Power is of the individual mind , but the mind 's power is not enough . Power of the body decides everything in the end , and only Might is Right (White 254 . Here he describes the sentiments toward war before medieval times , which is exemplified in the actions of Mordred toward his father to usurp his kingdom . However , the ability to conquer is never enough reason for doing so in contemporary England . Today , the concern of the citizens (and the widespread awareness that results from the existence of the media ) makes it necessary for the government to provide explicit justification for its entrance into any conflict , especially in light of their knowledge of the true horrors of warfare (Muhlberger . In fact , Britain has often taken on the role of arbiter in international conflicts

The words and deeds of King Arthur represent a transition period between the justification of actions by mere use of force and the use of ethics as a means of determining the legitimacy of a war conflict . King Arthur 's regime (as described by White ) therefore represents the medieval turning point between the old attitude toward war and the modern era 's methods of ethics-driven conflict . King Arthur states Why can 't you harness Might so that it works for Right (White 254 It was the wish of King Arthur to alter the methods of governing and of waging war so that the welfare of the people of all states involved would be highly considered ( England 's War Policy . In his time as a youth (the Wart , he noticed injustice and sought to use the might of his throne (and control of the army ) as a method of improving the conditions of the people in and around him . He says , Say not therefore to the Lord : What doest thou ? But say in thy heart : Must not the Lord of all the earth do right (85 . Like today 's English system , and unlike the system of his past , Arthur considered war as being justifiable only for purposes of defense - the defense of the country and the defense of the people

Another area in which the warfare of old England differs from that of contemporary England is in its regard for the non-aristocratic members of the infantry . In the second chapter of Book II , The Queen of Air and Darkness ' Arthur returns from a battle complacent because of his victory . Yet he is completely unaware of the number of men lost during battle . He is told , Unless you can make the world wag better than it does at present , King , your reign will be an endless series of petty battles (White 241 . In contemporary England , the death toll is constantly being taken throughout its wars , and honorable decorations or state funerals are given to the wounded and dead of wars . In those times , the general public was not aware of how horrific wars really are By now , England is generally aware of the horrors of war , being confronted with its reality (White 308 . Therefore , those persons (aristocratic or working-class ) who have served through tours during war time are treated honorably and given privileges in return for their patriotism . In contrast to this , Merlin has to scold Arthur for his inattention to the details of the losses he incurred to gain his victory

The similarity of King Arthur 's views with the methods of warfare now in England highlights the contrast between contemporary English methods of war and the practices Arthur saw in his own country and sought to change . The injustice of the system found in the way strength was used as an end rather than the means to a justifiable end is in direct contrast with the contemporary English methods of waging of war based on legitimacy and ethics . Arthur 's England is shown as one subsumed by violence and injustice , as it lived by a code that considered might as right . The changes Arthur sought to bring to this system are heralds of the contemporary methods in which might is considered not as right but as a means to change what is wrong and make things better for all involved

Work Cited

England 's War Policy Debate in the House of Commons on Mr Gladstone 's Resolutions - His Arraignment of the Government and the Porte - Midhat Pasha Accused of Instigating the Bulgarian Atrocities The New York Times . May 8 , 1877 http /query .nytimes .com /gst /abstract .html ?res 9C0CE4DB123FE63BBC4053DFB 3668 38C669FDE

Kagay , Donald J . Review of Religion and the Conduct of War , c300- c1215 . David S . Bachrach . Woodbridge , Suffolk : The Boydell Press , 2003 http /www .deremilitari .org /REVIEWS /bachrach_d .htm

Muhlberger , S . Review of War and Combat 1150-1270 : The Evidence from Old French Literature . Catherine Hanley . Cambridge : D . S . Brewer , 2003

Smitha , Frank . Britain from Arthur to William of Normandy Macro-history and World History . 2000 http /www .fsmitha .com /h3 /h04eng .htm

White , T . H . The Once and Future King . Voyager , 1996

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