What role did the great King Arthur play in the way English literature is perceived? Did King Arthur really exist? “It is doubtful whether King Arthur existed or not. However, if King Arthur had existed, he would have lived between 400 and 600 AD, a time of unrest in Britain following the withdrawal of the Romans. And at a time when written literature did not exist, the events of this period are only known through folklore passed down several generations before being written down, or through modern archeology providing insight from site excavations. If there was ever a real King Arthur in history, he would probably be a Roman-British warlord, probably named Artorius, which is a Roman name for Arthur. Although the Roman legions were able to leave Britain by 410 AD, the general population, consisting of Romans and Celts, would have had generations of Roman law, education, culture and way of life" (http ://legendofkingarthur.co.uk/). There are different types of information on whether King Arthur was actually real. It is said that there are legends speaking of his mythical being and people have also attempted to prove that there was indeed a King Arthur. The Arthurian legends reveal King Arthur, not as a historical figure, but as a mythical chivalrous king achieving enormous amounts of achievements. From his search for the Holy Grail to his perfect society in Camelot with the development of the Round Table, the legend of King Arthur shows his heroic character. Through the countless legends of the glorious King Arthur, English society underwent radical changes in its outlook on life. King Arthur's influences were accompanied by radical changes in philosophy and way of life. Various situations led the English to modify their v...... middle of paper ......ic.galegroup.com:80/ic/whic/ReferenceDetailsPage>Ford, David. Web “Arthur, the myth”. January 25, 2011 Hutton, Ronald. “Signposts: King Arthur.” History Today 60.4 (2010): 54+. Gale's global history in context. Internet. January 23, 2011. MacColl, Alan. “KING ARTHUR AND THE CREATION OF AN ENGLISH GREAT BRITAIN.” History Today 49.3 (1999): 7. Gale's world history in context. Internet. January 20, 2011. Melani, Lilia “Romanticism”. Brooklyn College. New York: Department of English, Brooklyn College. Internet. February 20, 2011 “So, who was King Arthur? » legendofkingarthur.co.uk Web. Jan 2011