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The Round Table

Arthurian Legend
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The legendary circular table of King Arthur, designed to eliminate hierarchy and affirm equality among his knights.

Detailed Definition
The Table eliminates hierarchy at council. In poetry, it embodies the ideal of fellowship—its circular shape reflecting unity and shared purpose, though its eventual fracture mirrors the tragic limits of human harmony.
Example
Example in poetry:
The Round Table appears in Wace and Layamon as Arthur’s symbol of equality; A verse: “The Round Table had no head—so every knight might speak as king”; Poets use it to symbolize unity, justice, and ideal fellowship; Its breaking signifies civil war and moral collapse; Tennyson describes its fall as “the world’s worst wound”; The Table’s shape echoes the Grail’s perfection.
Additional Notes
The Round Table’s Knights embody chivalric virtues but also human flaws; their collective identity contrasts with individual quests—poets may juxtapose communal ideals with personal failings to critique or reaffirm social cohesion.
Also Known As
Table Round Arthur’s Table
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