Jesus, Arthur and George

The legend of King Arthur, in a movie by the same name, is recalled this summer in a blockbuster adaptation that forces us to consider again the nature of political action, the essence of true leadership and the tension between wanting to be king and the need to be a servant.

The sword is being pulled from the stone once again ...

In the movie, King Arthur, scheduled for release this week, Arthur and his band of knights once again ride across the silver screen this summer with clashing swords and chivalrous deeds. The Arthurian legend has received a variety of cinematic treatments over the years, ranging from the fantasy of Excalibur to the romantic tragedy of First Night to the satirical clopping of coconuts in Monty Python’s Holy Grail (voted the all-time favorite movie by fans in the UK).

This year’s movie, though, adds a different twist and tries to get underneath the fantasy to discover the historical figure behind the Arthur stories.

Little is known about the “real” Arthur, and there is some considerable debate among historians as to whether he existed at all. What is clear is that many of the Tudor monarchs who ruled during the Renaissance vehemently defended the Arthur story as a means of tracing their genealogical lineage to him and justifying...