Not Arthur, Henry (Was Arthurian legend)

[four4furies]

No: HPFGUIDX 59889

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Renee Daniels" <Calimora at y...> 
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "constance_chi_town" 
> <cssdarrow at h...> wrote:
> > I re-read the first 4 books of Harry Potter and revisited 
> > White's "Once and Future King".  I am looking at doing my Thesis 
on 
> a 
> > comparison of the Harry Potter series to the Arthurian Legend. I 
> > believe that Harry is similar to Arthur and Dumbledore is his 
> > Merlin.  I am curious to see if the future books in the series 
will 
> > parallel the Camelot legend plot lines.  I find the similarity in 
> the 
> > stories very intriguing. 
> > 
> > Any thoughts?


The closer resemblance IMHO is between Harry Potter, Prince of the 
Wizarding World, and Shakespeare's Harry Monmouth, Prince of Wales. 

Each is born to a family of renown, each belies that high birth in 
their early lives.  Harry Monmouth was undistinguished in his 
studies, showed no martial ability nor kingly aptitude.  Harry Potter 
also showed no early promise, infact, his promise was hidden even 
from himself. 

Prince Harry hung out with questionable company like Falstaff, Poins, 
Bardolph etc.  Harry hangs out with Hagrid and Lupin, poor Ron and 
mudblood Hermione in the same way.

Shakespeare's Harry secretly longs to win his father's praise and awe 
the world with his turnaround from ne'er do well to brilliant 
monarch.  Harry Potter also longs to overcome the opinions of the 
snobbish wizards and prove himself within the wizarding community, 
and to be worthy of his father's legacy.

Henry had a rival in Hotspur, Harry in Draco.  Henry is akward and 
unschooled in matters of romance, we have yet to see a display of 
Harry's amourous talents.

Most importantly, both stand for the proposition that it is what we 
do that makes us who we are.  Both Harrys have to overcome their 
current reputations in order to ascend to the level of their 
birthrights, while Hotspur and Malfoy must fall from the weight of 
their prejudices, jealousies and poor judgments.

As for Dumbledore, he is not long for the story, and serves a role 
similar to Merlin, but also like that of a cypher for all aged 
advisors, grandfatherly counselors and keepers of grand legacy.  JKR 
has pulled him out of Arthurian legend and inserted him into british 
royal history, specifically the brightest star of the english 
monarchy.

JKR, by this measure, assumes the port of the Bard, appropos of the 
third most widely read author in human history, after the Bible 
writers and Mao Tse Tung.  She is telling a particularly British tale 
that echos British legends, but draws most fully on English history.

MAF