King Arthur in Mists of Avalon

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley is a unique retelling of the rise and fall of King Arthur, told from the perspective of the women in Arthur’s life. This story “juxtaposes the conflicted lives of Arthur's women relatives with the conflict between the indigenous Goddess-centered druidism and the encroaching patriarchal Christianity, first introduced by the Romans.” (Heather Ostman) Out of all the Arthurian bases tales, I believe this one delves the deepest into social and religious issues with its feminist tone and the significance of the conflict between pagan and Christian religious ideologies. Also in stark contrast to Morte d’Arthur and other retellings, in Mists of Avalon the quests and battles associated with King Arthur almost take a back seat to the toils of Guinevere, Morgaine, and the other women. This gave me a different perspective on Arthur, and on the legend itself. More than any other story, this one gave me the sense that King Arthur is a rather weak man and his fierce desire to make everyone happy and comfortable is perhaps his downfall. Due to his love for his wife and best friend and not wanting to hurt either of them, he handles the situation questionably which in turn eventually leads to the fall of his kingdom of Camelot.