Images of Arthur
Arthur. Guinevere. Lancelot. Merlin. Certain names need no introduction, so ubiquitous are the legends of Britain’s Once and Future King. But what of Margause, Isolde, and Elaine? Or Sir Pellinore, Sir Bors, and Sir Meliagrance? For that matter, what was so good about Sir Galahad, and so bad about Sir Mordred? What of the Quest for the Grail? Or the Beast of the Quest? Where did these stories come from anyway? And, more to the point, why do we keep telling them over and over again?
Through the writing of shorter reflections and longer expositions, we will explore the history of literary and filmic representation of Arthur, his knights, and their ladies. Emphasizing the “re-visioning” aspect of revision, we will address such writer’s challenges as imagining an audience, finding a voice, structuring an argument, and refining presentation. Assignments will ask you to assess texts analytically and persuade cogently, as you wrestle with abstract terms, slippery concepts, and indeterminate characterizations. In addition to sampling the seemingly infinite filmed renditions of the Arthur story, we will trace the legend’s development through works of such writers as Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chrétien de Troyes, Thomas Malory, William Morris, T. H. White, Mark Twain, and Marion Zimmer Bradley. Along the way we will ponder questions of sexuality, gender, agency and identity, while we consider certain key theories about the functions of myth and fantasy.
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