Excalibur's Rivalry

As Arthur lay dying from a head wound, he commands Sir Bedivere to throw his sword, Arthur's magical and trademark object, into the lake knowing something would happen. The Lady of the Lake ends up catching it and shaking it three times before pulling it down into the water. According to the University of Michigan's Dictionary of Symbolism, swords are often associated with things that are representative of Arthur such as: power, protection, authority, strength, and courage (Portas). Of course swords are also associated with knighthood and chivalry. With that in mind, it is entirely possible that Excalibur was representing Arthur himself and throwing it into the lake was his way of telling her that he needed help. However, Excalibur is arguably
To some extent, the rivalry between the two of them could be seen as a traditional sibling rivalry as it is somewhat motivated by Morgan's jealousy of Arthur, however, she does attempt to kill him. Arguably the conflict between the two of them was inevitable mainly because they are polar opposites. Where he is a king and possible Christ figure, Morgan practices magic, and sometimes is called a witch or a fairy. The word fay in her name is another word for fairy which are deities derived in Pagan mythology. Morgan is often said to be a fairy, which is likely why she is called Morgan le Fay. When comparing the two siblings, if Arthur is a Christian figure then Morgan is a Pagan one, which makes them natural adversaries. In other words, their rivalry has religious undertones. Carolyne Larrington argues that Morgan's rivalry fails because “both her gender and because her plan, which was dependent on magic, was foiled by a more powerful enchantress and a vigorous king” (Larrington 38). However, I would argue that her rivalry fails simply because she was a representative of the Pagan life, which at the time was slowly being christianized, making Arthur the victor every
Morgan was sincerely upset to see Arthur dying when they met at the lake despite the fact that he obtained the wound to his head while killing the son they shared together; even so, she takes him to Avalon hoping to save him. It seems that Arthur had planned to go to her at some point because he says to Bedivere, “I dread me I have tarried over long” and later when she sees him wounded Morgan cries, “Ah, my dear brother! Why have you tarried so long from me?” (Baswell 306). It also seems that the two understand one another without any prior exchange because Arthur knew that Morgan would attempt to heal him although Morgan never says what she intends to do. Arthur tells Bedivere, “I must into the vale of Avalon to heal me of my grievous wound. (306). Not only did Arthur have a clear connection with his sister to speak without words but he also trusted Morgan with his life, even though Morgan herself had attempted to kill him in the past. Arthur's final moments demonstrates the truth of their relationship: they were siblings whose differences separated them in life but it is their love and trust in one another that led Arthur to go to Morgan in his