Camelot and its Popular and Influential Role as an Ideal Society Today
Written November 28, 2003

At the heart of every tale of knightly bravery from the Arthurian era lies Camelot, the mythical stronghold that served as a base of operations from which crusaders rode forth to purge evil and injustice from the land. By all accounts, Camelot was a beacon of light shining through the Dark Ages for a short while - a community that developed and enforced ideals far more advanced than the common thought of the age under the attractive banners of chivalry and honour before falling back into the darkness of mythology. Hundreds of years after the legends were recorded by various authors, Camelot remains a staple image in today’s popular culture, often as a representation of a briefly lasting utopian community. The values and imagery that Camelot exuded appear in modern movies, novels and even politics. Examining the specific context that allowed Camelot to become a fortress of reason and light, JFK’s American presidency as the most popular modern day adaptation of the Camelot myth, and the manner in which the ideals of Camelot’s community were established and maintained reveals Camelot’s three-pronged appeal as a tragic icon of goodness eventually overcome by evil, as a symbol of great social progress and as a bastion of values and themes that are largely unavailable in today’s world.

T. H. White’s influential Arthurian novel The Once and Future King, which is largely based upon the writings and vision of Thomas Malory, clearly depicts Camelot as a morally superior community to the common lifestyle that existed prior to the establishment of the Round Table. In his description of pre-Arthurian Britain , White speaks of torture, abuse of power, insecurity and fear, even stating that the people “had cried aloud that Christ and his saints were sleeping” (White 531). Indeed, much of Arthur’s greatness is attributed to the transformation of his realm from a region of instability to a country in which reason and goodness were enforced. White notes this change in saying “after twenty-one years of patient success, the land presented a different picture” (White 423), going on to describe the safety and increased happiness in which everyone, especially women and lower class individuals, lived under the rule of Arthur in Camelot. Many alternate texts support this notion of Camelot as the epicenter of a great society, particularly Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott which repeatedly mentions Camelot as an object of importance and interest, as well as describing the diverse level of humanity involved in the community in saying “Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, / An abbot on an ambling pad, / Sometimes a curly shepherd lad, / Or long-haired page in crimson clad” (Tennyson 1060). From these descriptions it is fair to assume that Camelot is at the centre of a land of goodness where its members are happy and prosperous, a symbolic equivalent of “light” just as pre-Arthurian England was filled with abuse, torture and unhappiness and can be labeled “dark” or “evil” by comparison. However, this pinnacle of light eventually met a tragic end when it collapsed from within, the heroes and King who maintained the community dying or disappearing and Britain consequentially falling back into the patterns of power struggle which created many of the insecurities and forms of abuse which Arthur’s Camelot had sought to abolish. At this point history becomes clouded, the lack of information concerning the era indicating that civilization had regressed once more and the struggle for survival had preempted the need to document life. Camelot had essentially wrenched itself from the darkness and stood briefly in the light as a shining example of humanity’s capacity for goodness before toppling back into the mist. People are attracted to tragedy, to the opportunity to view humanity’s ability to excel and astound before inevitably being dragged back down to normal life at the hands of evil.

This phenomenon is mirrored in the ‘second Camelot’ of the United States, which saw John F. Kennedy glamorously seated behind the reigns of an invigorated nation which had been beaten down by the Great Depression and World Wars, an icon of admirable leadership which many saw as a new opportunity for equality and justice. However, JFK’s Camelot collapsed much in the same way as its namesake, falling into darkness as a result of a mysterious assassination. Interestingly enough, one writer notes that “In large part, Kennedy’s murder has taken on retrospective significance because of the period of war, political scandal, and domestic turmoil that followed it” (Brown 2). Kennedy’s Camelot underwent the same cycle as the original, rising from turmoil to represent a brief example of peace and happiness before the country inevitably fell back into its previous condition – in the case of the United States , this was fulfilled by JFK’s unremarkable replacement Lyndon Johnson and the majority of the Vietnam War. Without the inspirational examples that both of these Camelots have to offer humanity, we would have no hope for a better life and a chance to pull ourselves closer to the proverbial ‘light.’ One writer notes that as humanity moves forward, “The need to fight for the Arthurian dream of a better world will remain as pressing as ever” (Thompson 103). Without the tragedy which accompanies the fall of both Camelots we would have none of the conflict which attracts people to the legends, nor the interest in the idea of a perfect society – if the original Camelot had not fallen, we would be living in such splendor even now and the stories would be history and not mythology. The cycle of a “rise, flowering and decay of an almost perfect civilization” (Moorman 50) which Camelot endures is an important aspect of why the image is so appealing to people and mass culture today.

In addition to its status as a tragic symbol of light, Camelot endures as an influential image because of its representation of social progress, a concept which accompanies Camelot’s status as a symbol of goodness and light. In White’s novel, Arthur completely revolutionizes the process of warfare to better serve the hapless commoners involved and give war a purpose. He administers concepts of justice and law in direct contrast to the previous assumption that Might equaled Right. Eventually these new ideals spread across the land: “So much did Camelot come to symbolize the new order Arthur created that its name conjures, still, a poignantly nostalgic image of otherworldly idealism, a dream of a perfect city, a perfect society” (Castleden 148). While these values were largely responsible for Camelot’s status as a beacon of light as mentioned previously, they also represented an innovation in human society. White notes the result of these advancements spawned by Camelot’s influence in saying “now any virgin could circumambulate the whole country, even with gold and ornaments upon her person, without the least fear of harm… now there were proper hospitals… the manners of the table, too, had reached a pitch of civilization far beyond our own” (White 423-425). The listing of these accomplishments in itself is an indication that they were significant advancements in human society of the time, and the fact that they all took place during the comparatively short span of Arthur’s life gives them even more significance.

Once again, Kennedy’s Camelot mimicked its namesake in becoming an icon of social and civil progress. During his relatively short presidency, JFK supported civil rights movements and took dramatic steps to help the unemployed. Kennedy was “a positive symbol for insurgent groups in the United States striving to find political expression… to newly asserted racial and ethnic groups, he was a symbol of yet unfulfilled opportunities… he epitomized the hope that intellect and vision could transform American politics…” (Brown 43). Under his direction, the Camelot that represented American leadership started to become a symbol of positive progress for many isolated Americans, much in the same way that medieval Camelot pioneered an improved life for women and the lower class. Kennedy’s death was a grievous blow to a wide diversity of Americans, not only because of his personality as a leader but also because it represented an end to an accelerated advancement of civil and social progress. It stands to reason that the mythological Camelot is such an influential symbol today for the same reasons – it laid a base for the future improvement of society and serves as an image of the desire for this progress. Camelot is popular today in part because its legend serves as an example of a situation where humanity’s strive for equality and the betterment of a wide diversity of people took significant strides in a short period of time, an emblem of hope when compared to the relative stagnation of such advances during long periods of unexceptional government and leadership. This aspect of Camelot shows that great changes can take place in a single person’s lifetime, a suggestion which many people who hope for a better life can relish and idealize through Arthurian mythology.

In addition to these overarching themes which can be applied to human society across a wide spectrum of time, Camelot and the type of community it supported is appealing to people today for a variety of other reasons.

The first of these is the use of violence as an acceptable tool of justice and part of everyday life. While Camelot’s values advocated the restraint of violence except for the benefit of others, the tales that define our perceptions of the community are nonetheless peppered with violent acts and stories of debauchery. This phenomenon is even dominant in children’s stories of Arthurian exploits, where violence “is not only an important factor in the appeal the tales have for children, but has always been acceptable” (Curry 157). In conjunction with Arthurian-based novels and movies such as Black Knight and First Knight which also exhibit a strong inclination towards depicting the use of violence in an acceptable manner, this trend reveals a noticeable attraction to the violent aspects of Camelot within the media which defines Camelot for modern evaluation and consumption. With this theme taking such a prevailing role in the adaptation of Arthurian stories, it is obvious that a large part of Camelot’s appeal is its justification and frequent usage of violence as a means of enforcing the positive values which the mythological community represents.

Camelot’s role as a stronghold of Christianity is also an important part of its appeal for many people today. Although White’s rendition of King Arthur’s story somewhat downplays religious elements in favour of more generic values of purity, many sources emphasize the importance of Christianity as a form of strength to the Round Table. One author notes that “Arthur was remembered in the high middle ages as a great Christian king, a pioneering, crusading king in a world still filled with paganism, magic and wizardry” (Castleden 141). Possibly the most important story in the Arthurian collection is that of the quest for the Holy Grail, an artifact which requires an individual of complete purity as defined by Christianity to be acquired. The fact that the knights which comprise and enforce the dominant community of Camelot are largely governed by Christian values and seek to attain Christian goals is greatly appealing to those who are looking for strong representations of their faith. While many depictions of Arthurian mythology contain pagan characters such as Merlyn, who evidently fit into Christian structure within the stories, Camelot’s heavy ties to Christianity makes it an especially appealing and influential community to a significant portion of Western society.

A final reason for Camelot’s appeal to modern popular culture is the presence of Arthur as a strong, visible monarch who was accompanied by an influential wife and large number of recognizable heroes. White noted the importance of these individuals in saying that Arthur was “the accepted conqueror… Lancelot was the hero of a hundred victories, and Guenever the romantic mistress of a nation” (White 420). Camelot was characterized through its representation by these individuals and many more, becoming an appealing image largely because of the famous figures it housed. Similarly, JFK and his wife Jacqueline took a similar role within their Camelot, which was “glittering with glamour, full of benevolence, and presided over by a handsome king with his beautiful queen” (Brown 42). Allusions to Kennedy’s nobility abounded, as “the JFK style was praised for affirming ‘aristocratic’ standards of excellence and individuality…” (Brown 13). Indeed, much of Kennedy’s lasting fame came from his ability to project himself as a charismatic, strong leader with a personable wife. They were a pair who were openly liked by their citizens and positively representative of the country which they governed. The similar popularity of JFK and King Arthur, along with their respective wives, is an indication that lasting, memorable communities are built upon strong, visible leadership. Camelot’s influence and modern popularity is built upon the success and fame of King Arthur’s personal legend, along with Guenever and the more recognizable knights. People love strong rulers.

Camelot is undeniably a widespread image in today’s popular culture, spawning countless films, novels and other representations which maintain the mythology of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The legendary community’s influence is expansive, even manifesting itself symbolically within contemporary politics. Camelot’s appeal can be traced to many sources including its role as a tragic representation of goodness which rises and falls into darkness, its exemplary status as an indication of the human capacity for advancement of society, and a variety of other facets including the justified use of violence and Christian connections. With such a wide variety of attractive links, the shining image of Camelot’s utopian community is unlikely to fade from popular attention anytime soon.

Works Cited

----, “Tennyson & The Lady of Shalott” from The Norton Anthology of English Literature , 7 th ed, Vol 1. Pp. 1052-1063. Norton, 2000.

Brown, Thomas. JFK: History of an Image. Indianapolis : Indiana UP, 1988.

Castleden, Rodney. King Arthur: The Truth Behind the Legend. London : Routledge, 2000.

Curry, Jane. “Children’s Reading and the Arthurian Tales” in King Arthur Through the Ages , Vol 2. Pp. 149-164. New York : Garland Publishing, 1990.

Moorman, Charles. The Book of Kyng Arthur: The Unity of Malory’s Morte DArthur. Kentucky UP, 1965.

Thompson, Raymond. “Darkness over Camelot: Enemies of the Arthurian Dream” in New Directions in Arthurian Studies . Pp. 97-104. Cambridge : D.S. Brewer, 2002.

White, T.H. The Once and Future King. New York : Ace Publishing, 1965.