Epics are stories told on a grand scale, with armies, heroes, gods, and the brutal forces of nature depicted over long character arcs and sweeping landscapes. In this article, you will learn how to teach students the elements of the epic genre by using fun and easy-to-create storyboards.
A hero is defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Learn more about the different types of heroes with Storyboard That!
The Once and Future King is divided into four books. Each book deals with a distinctive period of King Arthur’s life and important lessons for readers. Engage students with premade activities and lessons from Storyboard That!
The Ill-Made Knight | Lancelot as an Epic Hero in the Once and Future King by TH White
Storyboard Text
NOBLE BIRTH
SUPERHUMAN CAPABILITIES
VAST TRAVELER
UNMATCHED WARRIOR
CULTURAL LEGEND
HUMILITY
BATTLES SUPERNATURAL FOES
Lancelot is the son of French King Ban of Benwick, a friend and ally of King Arthur.
On the way to England to join Arthur’s Round Table, Lancelot is challenged by a knight dressed in black armor. He challenges young Lancelot to a tilting joust, which Lancelot easily wins. His strength and dexterity are unmatched to any other knight Arthur has seen.
In order to get away from the temptation of Guenever, Lancelot agrees to go on many quests in which he encounters evil knights, a girl trapped in boiling water, and the Holy Grail.
Lancelot is so skilled in battle, that he is able to defeat men in armor with only a sword, and he manages to save Sir Bliant from attack by breaking free of his handcuffs from the cell where he was being kept.
Lancelot quickly becomes known as “The Best Knight in the World,” and it is this title that allows him to perform miracles.
Lancelot is constantly at war with himself. and believes that he is ill-made on the inside as well as on the outside and eventually goes by the name “Le Chevalier Mal Fet,” or “The Ill-Made Knight”. He never gloats, and feels constant guilt about his affair with Guenever behind Arthur’s back.
Lancelot defeats and thwarts many foes, many of whom have superhuman strength, but he also manages to thwart and escape from the fairie sorceress, Morgan le Fay, who tries to trap him and make him her lover.