The Lyre of Orpheus by Robertson Davies concerns the completion of the unfinished opera Arthur of Britain by E.T.A. Hoffmann, an opera version of the legend of King Arthur. Naturally, Davies draws parallels between his characters and characters in the legend of King Arthur. Specifically, characters such as Arthur Cornish, Simon Darcourt, and Geraint Powell resemble King Arthur, Merlin, and Sir Lancelot respectively. This parallelism undoubtedly affects the setting, the theme of quests, and the character revelation in The Lyre of Orpheus.

King Arthur was the legendary king of Britain, who travelled with his knights to quest for the Holy Grail, and while he was away, his best friend and knight Sir Lancelot had a love affair with his wife Queen Guenevere. Similarly, Arthur Cornish is the head of the Cornish Foundation, "a foundation for the promotion of the arts and human scholarships" (The Lyre of...