From The Story of King Arthur and His Knights,
Chapter Sixth: The Winning of a Queen
Response and Analysis Questions
1. During what part of the year does the story take place?
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The author, Howard Pyle, uses a great deal of imagery and sensory detail to describe this time of
year. In the space below, list at least two examples of the author’s imagery.
a. _______________________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________________
2. What is the great occasion for which the town of Camelot has been preparing?
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3. Using context clues, explain the probable meaning of the word “bedight.”
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4. The author, Howard Pyle, describes the arrival of Princess Guinevere and the subsequent
celebration at length. List two details of Guinevere’s arrival as described by the author.
a. ________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________
Why do you think Pyle included so many details of the pageantry of these events?
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5. On the same day, what event “famous in the history of chivalry” took place?
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6. How many people could sit at the new table? ________________________________________
7. What was special about the seats?
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8. What is the “Siege (Seat) Perilous”?
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9. Why does Merlin scold Arthur for being in too much of a hurry to fill up the seats of the table?
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10. Who, aside from Arthur himself, is the first knight to be assigned a seat at the table? According
to Merlin, why is the knight most worthy at that time to sit at the table?
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11. List six additional “Ancient and Honorable Companions of the Round Table.”
a. _____________________________
d. _______________________________
b. _____________________________
e. _______________________________
c. _____________________________
f.
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12. Who will be the final knight to join the Round Table?
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13. Challenge Question: When Arthur questions Merlin as to why the seat to the right of his own
was left empty, Merlin explains that that seat is reserved for the knight who is to be the greatest
knight in the world until that knight comes who will occupy the Seat Perilous. Who do you think
is that “greatest knight”? (Use prior knowledge to answer this question.)
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And what knight do you think will occupy the Seat Perilous? (Use prior knowledge and context
clues to answer this question.)
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14. The “Covenant of the Knighthood of the Round Table” is in fact the knight’s code of chivalry.
What were the ten precepts of this code, according to Howard Pyle?
The knight would:
a. ________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________________
d. ________________________________________________________________________
e. ________________________________________________________________________
f.
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g. ________________________________________________________________________
h. ________________________________________________________________________
i.
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j.
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