The word "actuate" means "to put into action" or "to move into action." Every action that occurs has motivation behind it. Today that is what I want to do, motivate you to do something. That something, ladies and gentlemen, is to Volunteer.

Volunteer, now let's look at the word for a second. The word "volunteer" as a verb means "to give or offer of one's own accord." To give what you may ask. To give something only you can provide to someone or something that needs you and your help. That something could be time, money, labor, support, expertise, or anything else that you can give.

Volunteers are paid more than any other profession in the world. However they don't receive that payment in a monetary sense, they receive it in the reward of knowing that they did something unselfishly for someone else. They get paid in the reward of knowing they helped their community and fellow human beings. Volunteerism has several fringe benefits. Volunteers get to help people, support their communities, enrich their lives, boost their careers, make new friends, and learn new things.

When the subject of volunteering comes up, most people would say, "I just can't afford the time to do it." I ask you this, "can you afford not to do it." Can you afford to watch fellow human beings suffer, can you afford to watch your community suffer, and lastly, can you afford to watch your world suffer? Volunteers are crucial to the betterment of the world we live in today. Without them...we all suffer.

Another excuse people use for not volunteering is that they don't know where to go to volunteer. This is not a valid excuse. Just think of something you believe in, find an organization involved in that activity or idea, and go volunteer to help them. You could volunteer in a hospital, animal shelter, or senior citizens home. You can even build houses for the needy when you volunteer with the organization "Habitat for Humanity."

If you want help in finding somewhere to volunteer, there is an organization on the Internet called "Impact Online." Their whole purpose is to connect you with someone or some group that needs your help. Just go to the Yahoo search engine and type volunteer" to find them.

There are about 1.4 Million non-profit organizations. So finding somewhere to volunteer is not really that hard. Now is it?

Recently I was in the hospital visiting someone, and there came a knock on the door. A small frail elderly lady came in and asked if we would like some lemonade. She brought a smile to every face in the room; patient and visitors alike. Just one elderly lady volunteering to bring refreshments to patients makes a difference. She made a difference. She cared. Do you?

Robert Frost's poem "The Death of the Hired Man" shows the cleverness of the author and his stealthy ability to get the reader to think. Thinking is the last thing most people like to do. These days most people would rather have something handed to them already defined and clear in its purpose than to have to actually think for themselves. Through characterization and comparison, Robert Frost cleverly manipulates readers to not only think about the ideal in the story, but to reflect on their own lives and ideals.

In "The Death of the Hired Man," the author offers the ideal of the free spirit to the reader to contemplate, munch, and ponder the taste. He does this through the title character Silas. Even though the reader never encounters or hears from Silas himself, Frost uses the other main characters in the work to shape and form a very detailed picture of Silas in the reader's mind. Silas is the embodiment of the consummate free spirit, one who lives his life carefree and free of societal constraints, Frost says this well through one of the main characters when they say:

Poor Silas,

So concerned for other folk,

And nothing to look backward to with pride,

And nothing to look forward to with hope,

So now and never any different.

The characters in this poem are not only used to describe Silas to the reader, but to compare and contrast themselves with Silas. Each character has a unique purpose to fulfill in this direction. Mary is the "musing," thoughtful, and understanding wife. She offers a positive look at Silas and his behavior. Warren is the impatient, narrow-minded, and questioning husband. He offers a negative look at Silas and his behavior. Together these two characters are the pro and con to the contemplation of the character Silas. Frost melds these characters to the reader's mind. The reader's thoughts of right and wrong about the ideal of the free spirit, namely Silas, are focused through Mary and Warren respectively. When Mary hears her husband cone home, "She pushed him outward with her through the door and shut it after her. 'Be kind,' she said." This displays her thoughtfulness, caring, and tolerance toward Silas. Warren reacts just as Frost intends him to when he says, "What good is he? Who else will harbor him at his age for the little he can do?" This shows his questioning and narrow-minded attitude toward Silas. Frost leads the reader to accept Silas through Mary, and then to question that acceptance through Warren. He also introduces the other main characters as comparisons to Silas through these characters.

The comparison of the character Silas to other characters in the poem plays a pivotal role in the contemplation of Silas and the ideal of the free spirit. They are offered as supporting statements to the views of Mary and Warren. As such, they are introduced through these characters and are never encountered firsthand by the reader. The first to be introduced is Harold Wilson. Harold is offered as the young book-educated foil to the old and life-educated Silas. Frost tells of what Silas thinks of Harold and the usefulness of books versus the hard work of moving hay when Mary says, "He thinks if he could teach him that, he'd be some good perhaps to someone in the world. He hates to see a boy the fool of books." This statement makes the reader think and ask questions. Is education through life better than education though books? Frost does not stop the comparison here.

Having explored the positive and negatives aspects of Silas with Mary and Warren along with the comparison of Silas to Harold, Frost now offers Silas' brother as a character and envoy of further comparison. Silas' brother, Frost never mentions his name, is mentioned by Mary and Warren to be a rich director of a bank. This implies his high position in society and the constraints placed on his person by that society because of his position. Mary mentions that Silas never told them this himself. Warren reminds her that they know it to be true anyway. Silas' attitude toward his brother and the life he leads is evident when Mary says:

I think his brother ought to help, of course. I'11 see to that if there is need. He ought of right to take him in, and might be willing to-he may be better than appearances. But have some pity on Silas. Do you think if he had any pride in claiming kin or anything he looked for from his brother, he'd keep so still about him all this time?

This statement not only serves the purpose of showing Silas' attitude toward his brother and that way of life, but it also serves to remind the reader of Mary's view of Silas. She asks the question, "Do you think if he had any pride in claiming kin or anything he looked for from his brother, he'd keep so still about him all this time?" This question is not directed at Warren, spoken by Mary, or about Silas. It does seem so. However, it is Frost asking the question to the reader in order to further the thought and contemplation of the ideal of the free spirit. Frost's entire purpose of this poem is to make the reader think about the ideal of the free spirit. He offers it in the embodiment of Silas. He offers arguments of whether it is a good or bad thing through Mary and Warren. He supports those arguments with comparisons offered through Silas' brother and Harold. The reader is left with no recourse but to think about the ideal of the free spirit, and through the characters, explore it and themselves. Frost's final, clever, and thought provoking statement comes at the end of the poem when Mary tells Warren to check on Silas:

'I'11 sit here and see if that small sailing cloud will hit or miss the moon.' It hit the moon. Then there were three there, making a dim row, the moon, the little silver cloud, and she. Warren returned-too soon, it seemed to her, slipped to her side, caught up her hand and waited. 'Warren?' she questioned. 'Dead,' was all he answered.

Will Rogers; a man born of a certain time with comments for a time...all-time. To his own description he was born near Claremore, Oklahoma on November 4th, 1879. He was a man who had an opinion or comment for everything, including his own birth. When he reflected on the reason for his birth, he said, "It was the law of averages that put me here...I arrived when childbirth was not a grounds for divorce. If a family didn't have at least 8 children in those days the father was either in jail or deceased." He described the rational for his being the youngest and last of 7 children with this reasoning. "My folks looked me over and instead of the usual drowning procedure, they said, "This thing has gone far enough, if they are going to look like this, we will stop."

With a comment for just about everything, but especially in a vein dealing with politics, it is estimated that he wrote over 2 million words. His words ring as true today as they did when he first said them more than fifty years ago. Here are just a few of those great words that deal with congress, presidents, government, and elections.

Congress:

Congress is so strange...a man gets up to speak and says nothing...nobody listens...and then everybody disagrees.

Congress meets tomorrow morning. Let us all pray: Oh Lord, give us strength to bear that which is about to be inflicted upon us. Be merciful with them, oh Lord, for they know not what they're doing. Amen.

The "Ways and Means Committee" is a committee that's supposed to find the Ways to divide up the Means.

About all I can say about the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer, and closes with an investigation.

The senate filibustered. We pay for wisdom and get wind.

Presidents:

I was up at the White House today. "Do you want me to tell you the latest political jokes, Mr. President?" I asked him. "You don't have to, Will," he said; "I know 'em already. I appointed most of them."

A president-elect's popularity is the shortest lived of any public man's. It only lasts till he picks his cabinet.

Men in America live, hope and die trying to become president. If they can't make it, they accept the booby prize and go in the senate.

This president business is a pretty thankless job. Washington, or Lincoln either, didn't get a statue until everybody was sure they was dead.

Say, did you read what this writer just dug up in George Washington's diary? I was so ashamed I sat up all night reading it.

Government:

Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing--and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even.

The Treasury department has saved some money, but it showed that it cost fifty million more to save it than it did the same department last year, showing that even the cost of saving money has gone up.

America is the only consecutively losing big business in the world that keeps on losing, and still keeps going.

Elections:

The Democrats not only have a good candidate, but they got money, which it's better to have than a good candidate.

One of the evils of democracy is you have to put up with the man you elected, whether you want him, or not.

It must be getting near election time. They have commenced to taking up all the babies, kissing them. Mothers, when you see a baby picked up by someone nowadays, it is either one of two men: a politician or a kidnapper.

A "Lame Duck" is a congressman who had his official position shot from under him by the excellent judgment of the voters back home.

A lot of people are confused as to just what is meant by a "Lame-Duck" congress. It's like where some fellow worked for you, and their work wasn't satisfactory, and you let 'em out. But after you fired 'em, you let 'em stay long enough so they could burn your house down.

The individual's right to free speech. It is so easy to say, and yet so easy to forget. Free speech is one of the most important rights Americans have ever had the privilege to exercise.

The right to free speech is guaranteed to each and every citizen of the United States by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. It is part of the original twelve amendments first proposed to the Constitution. Out of those twelve amendments proposed, ten were ratified. They are commonly known as the Bill of Rights. Ratified in 1791, these were included to protect the individual and his or her rights from being trampled upon by the government. The fact that it is the first amendment speaks of its great importance and necessity. It states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

This established right to free speech is one of the most prevalent reasons this democracy flourishes. However, with such a grand right comes a great responsibility. The Blue Ribbon Campaign, which is an Internet organization dedicated to the rights of on-line free speech, said well what free speech is not. "The voice of reason knows that free speech doesn't equate to sexual harassment, abuse of children, or the breeding of hatred or intolerance." The individual has the responsibility to be vigilant in the expression of free speech, but also to be vigilant in monitoring the way in which it is practiced. The right should be practiced so long as other individual's rights are not suppressed or violated. That is the reason for laws that prohibit individuals from yelling "fire" in a crowded theater.

Free speech is threatened every day by self-appointed guardians of us all. The most obvious and relevant threat present today is the telecommunications law passed last February, it limits the individual's right to free speech on the internet, one of the newest and most fascinating forms of mass communication between individuals ever devised. The outrage of citizens of the United States at this blatant violation of a constitutional amendment can be felt by just logging onto the internet and visiting individual's homepages. People do feel their right is being threatened and are speaking out. The resonsibility of whether this law is constitutional or not belongs to the Supreme Court. Between June 1990 and June 1996, the court handed down twenty-three decisions for cases brought before them dealing with free speech.

Motivation is the key. It is the key that unlocks the door of purpose to Abraham Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address." It like so many other political speeches given by officials in public office is meant to move and motivate the listener in a direction that the speaker deems correct and fruitful. It does not matter what century the speech comes from. It does not matter what adversity the country faces during the time of the speech. It does not matter who is giving the speech. The rationales for the speeches are analogous. The purpose of Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address" is the same as presidential inaugural addresses that preceded it and those that followed it: to motivate.

The significance of Lincoln's address is seen immediately, based upon its association with the time in which it was written. The chains of that association brought it to the prevalent recollected forefront of documents in American literature. Given in a time of strife and turmoil in this country, it was designed to be a body of consolation, reassurance, and information for the nation and the citizens within it. At the beginning of the address, Lincoln immediately references the work to the grave situation the country found itself in at the time: the Civil War. Although he does not say this directly, it is clear from what he says that he placed little importance of the act of giving the address. "At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first." The implication he makes through that statement of the real reason for the address drips of the ironic situation he and the nation found themselves in. Having been reelected to the presidency of the United States for a second term, instead of finding himself at the helm of a great and budding nation, he found himself the captain of a ship in the midst of a mutiny. "Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came."

The dire situation the nation found itself in dictated more than ever that this address be one of motivation. Lincoln knew that his position as leader of the nation mandated that he would have to move and motivate the citizens in a positive direction despite the negative direction they were going. The whole country was at war with itself and its neighbors. "Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other." Faced with that overwhelming task, he weaves throughout his work reassurances and motivations. Within the first paragraph he uses the buildup of arms as a crutch to the nation's limp of insecurity. "The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all." Although he seems to be asking this more than he is stating it, he does make a successful allusion to telling the nation, you are safe, do not worry. Lincoln's biblical allusions in his speaking are well known and he uses them to motivate the audience quite well. "It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in the wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged." This well-woven metaphor is excellent in its message of motivation. He is basically saying that we should not call upon the name of God to help us wage war one upon the other, but to use it to bring fruition to other more noble endeavors. The conclusion of the address is Lincoln's coup d'etat of his motivational manipulation. "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." This one paragraph wraps his entire motivational purpose of the address in a nice neat bundle. He assures all that the nation is a threat to no one, says that God is on their side, tells the citizens to heal each another, and motivates toward peace in all things. Lincoln was not the first president faced with such a need to motivate the country in a positive direction, and he was not the last.

John F. Kennedy also found himself with an overwhelming need to motivate the country in a direction positive to the overall growth and prosperity of its citizens in his first inaugural address. As with Lincoln, he was elected in a time of strife and turmoil in this country. Although the Civil War was a bloody and obvious reminder of the need for motivation in the country in 1865, the nation in 1960 needed to be motivated as well, and Kennedy did exactly that. The uncertain times and the nation's relationships with other nations dictated the need for this motivation. "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge--and more." With this statement, he is not only motivating the nation to the idea and pursuit of freedom, but he is motivating other nations to believe that the United States will fight and die for what it holds dear. Standing alongside of this is the statement he makes toward the arms race. Although he never says it aloud, the motivation toward a nationwide buildup of arms is obvious. "We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed." His final act of motivation is a very famous and well-known part of not only American literature, but American culture as well. "And so, my fellow, Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." With just a few well-said sentences, he not only motivates the nation and its citizens to move in a positive direction, but other nations as well.

A vacuum tube is a electron tube evacuated to such a degree that it's electrical characteristics are essentially unaffected by residual gas or vapor. They serve a variety of functions: receiving tubes, transmitting tubes, phototubes, cathode ray tubes, microwave tubes, and storage tubes. There are hundreds of types of vacuum tubes and they only differ in minor respects.

They consist of an electrode capable of electron emission and one or more electrodes for collecting the emitted electrons and for establishing variable electric fields in order to control the movement of the electrons between the emitting electrode and the collecting electrode or electrodes. Their number of electrodes decide if they are a diode, triode, tetrode, pentode, etc. They operate by controlling the emission of the electrons.

The vacuum in the tube is created by evacuating it with a mechanical pump, capable of reducing the gas pressure to one- millionth of atmospheric pressure. Later the vacuum is further increased by flashing a "getter" material inside the tube that establishes the vacuum to one-billionth of atmospheric pressure. The getter material is primarily made of barium, but magnesium, calcium, sodium, and phosphorus have been used.

The vacuum tube owes it's existence to a number of scientists. Among them, Thomas Edison, who in 1883 used the Edison effect to establish the presence of freely moving negative-charge carriers. These carriers came to be known as electrons. In 1887 J.A. Fleming made the prototype of the vacuum tube diode. In 1906 Lee De Forest introduced a third electrode, the grid, the resulting tube was called the Audion. From 1898 to 1903 J.J. Thomson studied electrical discharges in cathode ray tubes.

Vacuum tubes were a intricate part in the development of the radio. They have been replaced by solid-state devices in televisions, but without the picture tube, which is a large vacuum tube, the television would not exist. In fact they have been replaced by solid-state devices in almost everything, but some stereos and amplifiers are made specifically to use vacuum tubes. This is rationalized by audiophiles that say tube devices sound better than solid state ones. Tube amplifiers are very expensive, some costing upwards of twelve thousand dollars.

Vacuum tubes are increasingly hard to find. Since their wide-spread use has diminished, so has their availability. When found, the average tube used in a guitar amplifier can cost about thirty dollars.

Movies are a important part of American culture. Ever since Charlie Chaplin did his first sight gag in silent movies, Americans have been mesmerized by movies. They influence the way we think and feel. Our view of the world is either enhanced or blurred by movies. Most of our heros are from the movies: John Wayne, Gene Autry, Humphrey Bogart.

There are several types of movies. The dramatic movie is made to move and inspire the viewer. A comedy is made to entertain and to make the viewer laugh. Horror movies give the viewer a scare and a chill. Fantasy movies take the viewer to places full of magic and wonder. Science fiction movies take the viewer's imagination and turn it into reality. Action movies give the viewer non-stop action and adventure. Other types of movies include mystery, romance, war, and westerns. For every human emotion there is a movie.

The most successful and controversial kind of movie is the action movie. It gives us characters and situations that could not exist in reality. The gunfire, explosions, and bar fights would kill the ordinary person, but the action hero always walks away the victor. The action hero is one of the key points of the movie. He has to adapt and overcome everything that is thrown at him. The writer gives the hero the tools he needs to win. Chuck Norris knows better karate than the bad guys. Sylvester Stallone's gun never runs out of bullets. Arnold Schwarzenegger is bigger than anybody he goes up against. Clint Eastwood has a stare that scares everybody. Charles Bronson is tough and clever. Steven Seagal breaks arms as if they were toothpicks. Most of the heros are men, but women are getting their chance, too.

The bad guys don't know that they are doomed to failure from the start of the movie. The bad guy's job is to give the hero someone to hit, shoot, and blowup. Everyone knows that the bad guys will lose in the end, but some of them are so bad that how or when they lose is a surprise. One of the best bad guys of 1993 is Wesley Snipes. His character in Demolition Man was so bad that you wondered if he might win. One of the reasons they lose is that, when they have the good guy hurt, they always tell him why they are going to kill him. This gives the hero time to recover, and he regains the advantage.

The action movie makes the pulse quicken and the adrenalin flow. This type of excitement is attained by giving the audience explosions, fights, and special effects that boggle the mind. The impact on children is especially important; they must be told the difference between the movie and reality. The behavior, language, and actions of the hero in the movie may not be acceptable in real life. Children must be aware that getting shot fifteen times and living is not how life works. The movie is entertainment and not a documentary of life in the fast lane. Even though adults have mechanisms of telling the difference, they sometimes forget them.

The motion picture association of America has a rating system that tells the viewer what the kind of action to expect. The ratings include R, PG-13, PG, and G. The R means restricted to people under 17, unless accompanied by an adult. A movie with this kind of rating has violence, strong language, and sexual situations. PG-13 stands for parental guidance suggested for children under 13. This kind of rating means the movie will still contain violence and strong language, but no sexual situations. Parental guidance is also suggested for PG movies, but there is no age limit. This means the violence and strong language are milder. G is for general audiences; this includes everybody. This rating means the movie will not have violence or strong language. Almost all action movies are rated R, and none of them are rated G. To prove this, here are some of the 90's popular action movies with their ratings and stars: Backdraft, R, Kurt Russell; Darkman, R, Liam Neeson; Days of Thunder, PG-13, Tom Cruise; Harley Davidson and the Malboro Man, R, Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson; The Hitman, R, Chuck Norris; The Hunt for Red October, PG, Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin; If Looks Could Kill, PG-13, Richard Grieco; The Last Boy Scout, R, Bruce Willis; Lionheart, R, Jean Claude Van Damme; Marked for Death, R, Steven Seagal; New Jack City, R, Wesley Snipes; Out for Justice, R, Steven Seagal; Patriot Games, R, Harrison Ford; Stone Cold, R, Brian Bosworth; Terminator 2-Judgement Day, R, Arnold Schwarzenegger; Total Recall, R, Arnold Schwarzenegger; and White Sands, R, William Dafoe.

The violence in a action movie is essential to the plot. It wouldn't be much of a movie if there was no conflict of some kind. The strong language follows the cultural norm of our society. It is widely believed that if you don't cuss you won't get your point across. Even though this is not true, the practice of coupling violence with strong language continues. Sexual situations can be explained with one word, gratuitous. The only purpose they serve is to give the hero a love interest. In the age we live in, it is not uncommon that an action movie will have extreme violence, strong language, and explicit sexual situations every time.

"The dark ages. The land was divided and without a king. Out of those lost centuries rose a legend... of the sorcerer, Merlin, of the coming of a king, of the sword of power, Excalibur."

The opening of Excalibur is one of the reasons I consider it one of my favorite films. Excalibur was directed and produced in 1981 by John Boorman, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The movie is adapted from Malory's "Le Morte Darthur" by Rospo Pallenberg.

It is a story that deals with man's dependence on faith, honor, and courage. The movie is composed of six parts that start, shape, and end King Arthur's life. The first part sets the stage for his conception when the armies of the two most powerful knights going into battle to decide who will be king. The battle takes place at night, and the knights throw their torches in the middle of the battlefield as they enter the fray. One of the leaders reveals that he has Excalibur, and he is declared king. An alliance is formed between the new king, King Uther, and the other leader, Duke Cornwall. At the celebration feast King Uther lusts after Duke Cornwall's wife, Igrayne. The alliance is broken and King Uther and Duke Cornwall go back to fighting. King Uther sneaks into the Duke's castle and beds his wife; the child born from this lust is Arthur. King Uther is later killed, but before his death he embeds the sword in a rock, from which no one is able to remove it. Man fights, kills, and maims his fellow man over land and power. He makes peace because he is superstitious. He casts off that superstition because of lust, and returns to butchering his fellow man.

The second part shows Arthur as a young adult acting as squire for Kay, his adoptive brother. Kay is taking part in a joust to obtain the right to try and draw the sword from stone. After Kay's sword is stolen, Arthur chases after the thief and stumbles upon Excalibur buried in the stone. Thinking to replace Kay's stolen sword with it, he draws the sword from the stone. This is the beginning of Arthur's reign as king.

The third part takes place some years later. King Arthur has fought many battles as king and has become a man. A young and mysterious knight challenges him to single combat. The knight is pure and is destined to win, but Arthur uses Excalibur to defeat him and breaks the sword in the process. The young knight is Sir Lancelot and in defeat swears allegiance to King Arthur. Power defeats good but is injured irreparably.

The fourth part begins as the armies of King Arthur have defeated foreign invaders and driven them back into the sea. Upon the site of victory, King Arthur declares that a round table shall be built where the knights can come and tell stories of past victories. A castle of silver and gold will surround the table. King Arthur also announces his intention to marry Guenevere, the daughter of one of his knights, Leondegance. Lancelot escorts the future queen to the castle and falls in love with her. Battles unite, castles bond, but pure love destroys.

The fifth part finds Lancelot and another knight, Sir Gawain, fighting over Gawain's accusation that the queen has been unfaithful. Gawain is defeated and the queen is declared innocent. The accusation is later proved true when Arthur finds Lancelot and Guenevere asleep together in the woods. Despondent over their acts he drives his sword into the ground, cursing the ground and them. Friendship and marriage have been betrayed, yet the strength to kill does not come.

The sixth part tells of the decay of the kingdom due to King Arthur's abandonment of Excalibur. He is week and dying, and is unable to change the situation he finds himself in. His half sister, Morgana, and her son, Mordred, battle him for control of the land. Arthur sends his knights on a quest to find the Holy Grail. He believes that it is the only thing that can restore his health and bring rejuvenation to the land. Sir Perceval finds the Grail and returns to the castle. Once rejuvenated, King Arthur rides into battle with his depleted number of knights to defeat Mordred and his armies. He is victorious and kills Mordred, but is fatally wounded in the battle. Before dying he instructs Perceval to return the sword to the Lady of The Lake, from whom it came. Upon returning, Perceval finds that King Arthur has died, and that he is on his way to the place of kings courtesy of a death barge sent by God. Pride and sin rot the land and soul, but faith restores all.

Excalibur was filmed entirely in The Republic of Ireland. Every outdoor scene shows the beauty of the landscape. When the battles occur, the land is muddy and the skies are gray, but the beauty is still there.

The characters are diverse, and the actors playing the parts are talented. Nigel Terry's portrayal of King Arthur is unforgettable; he was later cast as a duke in a short-lived ABC television show about raising a family in The Middle Ages. Even though Patrick Stewart's name appears well below Nigel Terrys in the credits, his performance as Leondegrance is exceptional. He went on to be cast as Captain Picard in the syndicated television show "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Sir Gawain was played by Liam Neeson, a relatively unknown actor who went on to star in Darkman. The rest of the cast was unknown when the movie was made and remain so, but their performances bear note.