King Arthur Medieval English Literature - Introduction

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3,4

3v Term 1: King Arthur 

Middle English

Historical Context

Why did William feel he was the rightful heir to the English throne?

1. He was promised the throne by the late king.
2. God was on his side.
3. King Harold had promised him the throne.
4. He was related to the late king while the usurper wasn't.

Why did William, Duke of Normandy, win the battle?

1. He had more archers than his opponent.
2. His axe-wielding warriors gave him an edge.
3. His opponent was injured in battle.
4. King Harold was killed.

Language

Je ne parle pas français

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In what ways did the Old English language change now that there was a French King?

What French loan-words do you know in the English language?

Literature

English vs. French storytelling.

Germanic Literature

Themes: War, Death, Glory

Alliteration

Monsters and Heroes

French Literature

Themes: Courtly Love & Chivalry

End Rhyme

Knight's and Kings

What is courtly love?

1. A love between a king and a queen.
2. A love at court.
3. A platonic kind of love.
4. Love from a distance.

What is meant by a "medieval romance"?

1. A romantic relationship in the middle ages.
2. A romance between a knight and a lady of higher social standing.
3. A story about a knight.
4. A story about courtly love.

What is your top 3 of the code of chivalry?

What are the main points of the previous video?

King Arthur's character is based on a true historic figure. Who was this?
What do we know about him?

The medieval romance: 

a) Is about the adventures of knights and the institution of chivalry. Romances are concerned with the exploits of kings, queens, and knights – not with common, ordinary people.

b) Does not take place in realistic settings, but in idealized worlds – in imaginary castles, gardens and forests.

c) Contains mysterious, magical and supernatural elements.

d) The hero/heroine is braver, nobler and more honourable than an ordinary human being. Often the hero or heroine has the use of magic or other extraordinary powers.

e) Hero/Heroine will put on a lowly disguise to conceal his/her true identity.

f) Hero/Heroine is often motivated by romantic love.

g) Pits the forces of good against the forces of evil.

King Arthur

The best-known romances are those about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. These stories are of course also full of chivalry and courtly love but also contain a lot of magic, and many of these romances are about a ”quest”, a long and difficult search for something or somebody. The best known quest is the quest for the “Holy Grail”, the sacred cup believed to have been used at Christ’s Last Supper. 

Origins

Arthur was the first born son of King Uther Pendragon and heir to the throne. However those years were very troubled times and Merlin, a wise magician, advised that the baby Arthur should be raised in a secret place and that no one should know his true identity. 

Merlin feared that when King Uther died there would be great conflict over who should be the next king. Merlin used his magic to set a sword, Excalibur, in a stone. Written on the sword, in letters of gold, were these words: "Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is the rightwise born king of all England." Of course every nobleman who had a right for the throne took their turn at trying to draw the sword, but none could succeed. Arthur, being brought to the stone by Merlin, was able to do what no man had been able to: he withdrew Excalibur and he proved himself to be the one and only true King of England. 

Inspiration

The legend of King Arthur inspired many other writers and poets at the time, with lots of them using parts of the legend or adding their own stories to them. 

Among which was Geoffrey Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales.