Juxtaposition between the will of God and nature with that of the will of man is highly prevalent within the first book of Le Morte D’Arthur, because Medieval imagery is focused on the message of duality, which has the ability to express itself in many different ways. Uther Pendragon, father of Arthur, lusts after Igraine, the wife of another man. In order to have her, he lays siege to the other kingdom, thus shrouding them in a cloud of death and despair (Mallory 2). Conversely, Igraine becomes pregnant with Arthur as a result of her and Uther’s affair, which shrouds their situation in a light of rebirth and renewal (Mallory 3). Comparing these two kingdoms, one darkened by death and the other overcome with life, further drives home the point of duality that Mallory is attempting to highlight throughout the work. 

Now, as Arthur Pendragon has been brought into the world surrounded by a state of opposing affairs, so will the events of his life follow suit. The last name Pendragon can be translated to mean ‘head dragon.’ As such, Arthur holds inside of him a sort of devilish nature—the will of the dragon. This dragonish side influences many of Arthur’s decisions, including those that ultimately lead to his downfall. Merlin warns him, “ But ye have done a thing late that God is displeased with you, for ye have lain by your sister, and on ye have gotten a child that shall destroy you and all the knights of your realm” (Mallory 32).  This dragon’s will is often directly opposed to that of God’s will, hence presenting a major source of duality within the legend. Speaking on the multiple natures capable of residing within a single person, St. Symeon expresses the belief that men are capable of housing the will of God within themselves, which would have been an almost blasphemous idea in that era. By experiencing the will of God directly, it creates an explicit internal spiritual struggle between the desire for holiness as opposed to the desire for earthly pleasures. He states, “Indeed, the Lord Himself says: ‘Let your light shine before men’ (Matt. 5:16), though here it is understood that we do good for the glory of God and not for our own glory or because we desire men’s praise. If this is not the case, then we are lacking in faith…” (St. Symeon 287). Similar to St. Symeon’s concept of faith and glory, Arthur embodies this struggle internally; he is consistently at a crossroads between following the will of God or the will of man.