I've always been enchanted by the Legend of King Arthur and a few months back I revisited Disney's The Sword in the Stone because I had not seen it as an adult.
After watching, I really got to thinking, "Why was Arthur able to pull the sword from the stone when everyone before him had failed?" :
*Was it a coincidence?
*Was it some sort of divine plan that had nothing to do with him, he was just the lucky chosen one?
*Did Arthur possess something within himself that unlocked the hold of the stone over the sword?
The first two questions seemed rather dull and devoid of meaning so it did not take me long to abandon those options. My only choice then was to find something within the character of Arthur himself that would have allowed him to pull the sword from the stone.
Looking back on what I knew about Arthur from this particular adaptation of the story, two things came to mind. He was content and ultimately, he was humble. Because of these two things, he would not be the type to be consumed with the power of the sword (becoming King) and what he could gain by that power.
I do not know who put that sword in the stone, but it is pretty obvious that they did not want just anyone to be able to pull it out and become King. And knowing the heart of Man, a big majority would want to become King for all of the wrong reasons. It would have to be someone who did not really want it but felt a duty to it. I think that perfectly aligns with how Arthur's character is portrayed in this story. It was made known (to the frustrations of Merlin) that he was absolutely content with being just a squire, and the only reason he approached the sword in the first place was because he forgot Kay's sword and he was trying desperately to right a wrong.
Now aren't those the kind of noble things that make a good King?
Many would like the position of King, but very few have what it actually takes to become one.