White aims to highlight the harsh realities of war and humanity's darker sides through numerous violent scenes and beheadings. Additionally, he uses cruelty towards animals to showcase the wickedness of his villainous characters, which might disturb some readers. For example, Queen Morgause boils a cat to obtain a magical bone, and her sons brutally kill a unicorn and sever its head. These incidents, set in a narrative that praises nature's beauty, are intended to depict these characters as particularly cruel and depraved.

White also exhibits a notable cultural bias against those of Celtic origin, depicting them as lacking logical reasoning. The Scots are portrayed as the story's antagonists, a plot detail borrowed from Malory. However, White makes several derogatory comments about the Irish that are unrelated to the plot. These prejudices seem personal. Much of the novel was written by White while he lived in Ireland. Initially, he tried to adopt an Irish identity (his father was half-Irish), learned Gaelic, and sought acceptance in the community. Unfortunately, these attempts failed. Due to the historical tension between England and Ireland, wartime Ireland feared an English invasion and viewed Englishmen with suspicion. White felt deeply hurt by what he saw as unjust treatment.

This ambitious reinterpretation of the Arthurian legend centers on the conflict between Might and Right. White spent two decades contemplating the Matter of Britain, aiming to "address every aspect of it — the clash between Might and Right, humanity's role in nature, and the dilemma of war," along with King Arthur's personal tragedy. In the first book, The Sword in the Stone, which takes place during Wart's (young Arthur's) childhood, Merlyn instructs him to despise the unnaturalness of war. Wart learns from watching geese fly overhead that borders are imaginary lines not worth fighting over. As a king preparing for battle at the end of the final book, Candle in the Wind, he reaffirms his lifelong belief that war is "fought about nothing — literally nothing." While aggression and violence are found in nature, only humans fight over imaginary issues like boundaries. Arthur's goal is to uphold and protect Right instead of imposing control through force.

Intertwined with the theme of conflict is the concept of humanity's role in nature. White's deep interest in the natural world gave him a detached perspective on humanity, which he often found disappointing. Many of his views are expressed through Merlyn, whose guidance of Wart lays the groundwork for the future King Arthur's idealism. In the first book of the series, several episodes parody human nature by comparing it to other creatures. White points out, for instance, that only six species kill their own kind, five of which are ants; the sixth is humans. In the episode where Wart talks with an embryo, it's noted that while other species asked God during their creation for distinct traits, humans did not request any specific traits but instead thanked God for giving them many natural gifts. However, the badger argues that humans have misused these gifts to become the dominant species.

The theme of education is also significant in the opening work. White valued the importance and joy of learning but was highly critical of formal education systems. Several passages mock private schools, likely reflecting the author's own negative experiences. Merlyn's inspiring monologue on learning praises it as a lifelong source of pleasure and fulfillment. As shown with his student Wart, however, experience proves to be a more effective teacher than textbooks. Merlyn's harmony with nature allows him to provide the future king with direct encounters with its many wonders.

Nature is a...