Arthurian Literature
DESCRIPTION:
A survey of the origins and development of the Arthurian legend from the earliest chronicles in the sixth century and later medieval French, Welsh, Irish, and English Arthurian poems to modern adaptations of Arthurian material, including films.PURPOSE:
This course will investigate the major traditions associated with King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. We will witness the growth of the Arthurian legend and investigate some of the reasons for its continuing allure. The course has the additional purpose of helping us see the way legends are developed and understand the forces which seem to contribute to their growth and popularity.GRADES:
Quizzes, midterm and final examinations = 50% Two papers = 50%TEXTS: (ON RESERVE)
James Wilhelm, The Romance of Arthur: An Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation (Garland)The Mabinogion, trans. Jeffrey Gantz (Penguin)
Chrétien de Troyes, Arthurian Romances, trans. William Kibler (Penguin)
Silence: A Thirteenth Century Romance
Sir Thomas Malory, Works ed. Eugene Vinaver (Oxford U. Press
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (film)
T. H. White, The Once and Future King (Berkley)
Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon (Knopf)
Recommended: Norris J. Lacy and Geoffrey Ashe, The New Arthurian Handbook, 2nd ed. (Garland)
SYLLABUS:
First Week
Jan. 13 Mon. Topic: Introduction--A Historical Arthur? Readings: Wilhelm, "Arthur in the Latin Chronicles" Jan. 15 Wed. Topic: The Legendary Arthur Readings: Wilhelm, "Arthur in the Early Welsh Tradition" Giraldus Cambrensis, pp. 9-11 Jan. 17 Fri. Videotape on King Arthur (Meet in the Language Lab. Viewing Room) Second Week Jan. 20 Mon. Holiday (Martin Luther King) Jan. 22 Wed. Topic: The Mythical Context for the Emperor Arthur Readings: Wilhelm, "Arthur in Geoffrey of Monmouth" Jan. 24 Fri. Topic: Wace's Roman de Brut and Layamon's Brut Readings: Wilhelm, "Wace: Roman de Brut" and "Layamon: Brut" 4 p.m. Required Lecture: Professor Geraldine Heng, English Department, University of Texas, will lecture on "Cannibalism, the First Crusade, and the Genesis of Arthurian Romance" (Kyle Morrow Room, 3rd floor Fondren Library) Third Week Jan. 27 Mon. Topic: The Knights in the Romances of Chrétien de Troyes Readings: Chrétien, Erec et Enide Jan. 29 Wed. Topic: Chrétien's Lancelot, or The Knight of the Cart Reading: Chrétien, Lancelot Jan. 31 Fri. (cont.) Fourth Week Feb. 3 Mon Topic: The Mabinogion--Welsh Materials Reading: "How Culhwch won Olwen," in Gantz, pp. 34-76 Feb. 5 Wed. Reading: "The Dream of Rhonabwy," in Gantz, pp. 177-92 Essays in--Welsh Materials, II Reading: "Peredur Son of Efrawg" in Gantz, pp. 217-257 Fifth Week Feb. 10 Mon. Reading: "Gereint and Enid" in Gantz, pp.258-298 MID-TERM ID'S AND ESSAY QUESTIONS DUE FOR STUDY GUIDE Feb. 12 Wed. Topic: Gender and Chivalry: The Romance of Silence Reading: Silence, pp. 3-111 (facing-page translation Feb. 13 Thurs. Lecture, Terry Castle, English Department, Stanford University, "Lesbianism and the Aesthetic: The Case of Mademoiselle de Maupin" (Slide Lecture)(Kyle Morrow Room, 3rd floor Fondren Library) Feb. 14 Fri. Reading: Silence, pp. 111-20 Sixth Week Feb. 17 Mon. Reading: Silence, pp. 207-315 Feb. 19 Wed. Topic: "The Alliterative Morte Arthure": Arthur in the Matter of Britain Reading: Wilhelm, "The Alliterative Morte Arthure" Feb. 21 Fri. MID-TERM EXAMINATION Eighth Week Feb. 24 Mon. Topic: Malory and the Coming of Arthur Reading: "The Tale of King Arthur," pp. 1-59 Feb. 26 Wed. (cont.) Feb. 28 Fri. Topic: Malory and the Coming of Arthur Reading: "The Tale of King Arthur," pp. 59- 110 MID-TERM RECESS (Mar. 3-7) Ninth Week Mar. 10 Mon. Topic: Malory and the Coming of Arthur Reading: "The Tale of King Arthur," pp. 59-110 Mar. 12 Wed. Topic: The Grail Quest: (selected readings, TBA) Mar. 14 Fri. Mon Topic: Malory and the Fall of the Round Table Reading: "The Book of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere," pp. 609-670 Tenth Week Mar. 17 Mon (cont.) Mar. 19 Wed. Topic: Malory and the Fall of the Round Table Reading: "Morte Arthur" Mar. 21 Fri FIRST PAPER DUE Eleventh Week Mar. 24 Mon. Topic: "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" Meet in the Language Lab. Viewing Room Mar. 26 Wed. Topic: "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" Meet in the Language Lab. Viewing Room Mar. 28 Fri. SPRING RECESS Twelfth Week Mar. 31 Mon. (cont.) April 2 Wed. Topic: T. H. White, The Once and Future King, I Reading: The Sword in the Stone, 9-209 LONG PAPER TOPICS DUE April 4 Fri. Topic: T. H. White, The Once and Future King, II Reading: The Queen of Air and Darkness, 211-312 Thirteenth Week April 7 Mon. Topic: T. H. White, The Once and Future King, III Reading: The Ill-Made Knight, 315-514 April 9 Wed. Topic: T. H. White, The Once and Future King, IV Reading: The Once and Future King, 517-639 April 11 Fri. Fourteenth Week April 14 Mon. FINAL PAPER DUE April 16 Wed. Topic: A Feminist Morgan le Fay? Reading: The Mists of Avalon April 18 Fri. Reading: The Mists of Avalon STUDY GUIDE AND QUESTIONS DUE FOR THE FINAL Fifteenth Week April 21 Mon. Reading: The Mists of Avalon April 23 Wed. Reading: The Mists of Avalon April 25 Fri. Summary FINAL EXAMINATIONS Requirements: I. Short Paper (5-7 pp.) Due: Mar. 21 (Fri.) Write a short paper on some aspect of any of the medieval works we are reading or write a short research paper on one of the following selected topics (a research bibliography follows). In the first instance, check your idea with me. In the second, you don't need to check with me unless you have questions, or you'd prefer a different topic. List of Possible Topics Merlin the Magician Wace's Contribution to the Story of Arthur: The Round Table The Legend of the Return of Arthur The Origin and Significance of the Isle of Avalon Chrétien and romance as a genre Andreas Capellanus: The Meaning of Courtly Love Chrétien's Concept of a Knight Chrétien's Yvain and the Welsh "Lady of the Fountain" Origins of Lancelot and Chre'tien's Presentation of him as Knight of the Cart Chrétien and Courtly Love The Origin and Development of Gawain: The English and French Views of his Character The Figure of Sir Kay: Welsh or French? The Medieval Wheel of Fortune The Alliterative Revival of the Fourteenth Century Who was Sir Thomas Malory? Theories of Grail Origin The Function of the Grail Quest in the Morte Malory and Amour Courtois The Victorian Interest in Medievalism Scholarship Bibliography (on reserve in our library) Alcock, Leslie. Arthur's Britain. Barber, Richard. King Arthur in Legend and History. Benson, Larry D. Malory's Morte D'Arthur Bradbook, Muriel C. Sir Thomas Malory Bruce, James Douglas. The Evolution of Arthurian Romance. (2 vols.) Chambers, E. K. Arthur of Britain. Dean, Christopher. Arthur in the Middle Ages Lambert, Mark. Malory: Style and Vision in Le Morte d'Arthur. Loomis, Roger Sherman, ed. Arthurian Literature of the Middle Ages. (ALMA) ______. he Development of Arthurian Romance. Matthews, William. he Ill-Framed Knight: A Skeptical Inquiry into the Identity of Sir Thomas Malory. Moorman, Charles. Knight There Was: The Evolution of the Knight in Literature. Moorman, Charles and Ruth. An Arthurian Dictionary. Newman, F. X., ed. The Meaning of Courtly Love. Paton, Lucy. Studies in the Fairy Mythology of Arthurian Romance. Steinbeck, John. The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights. Stewart, Mary. The Crystal Cave. The Hollow Hills. Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Sword at Sunset. Tatlock, J.S.P. The Legendary History of Britain. Vinaver, Eugene. The Rise of Romance. _______________. The Works of Sir Thomas Malory.(3 vols.; Winchester manuscript; 3rd vol. is notes) Weston, Jessie. From Ritual to Romance. II. Final Papers (approximately ten pages due at the end of the semester) The major written project in this course will be a paper on a modern treatment of the Arthurian legend which you will read in addition to the assigned reading material. In this paper you are asked to consider two points: the author's use of Arthurian sources and the work's artistic merit. In other words, you should consider how the writer makes use of the medieval materials related to Arthur and his knights and then determine whether or not the author has written an effective story or work of art. In writing this paper, also be sure to consider the following: 1. Does the writer reach a different conclusion or provide a different outlook on the character(s) than does his or her medieval source? 2. How does the writer's source differ from the medieval sources? What does the author gain by altering his or her medieval source or including Arthurian materials in the story? 3. Is the author's use of Arthurian materials appropriate to the point s/he or she wishes to make? Why? Choose one from the following list to write your paper on: Berger, Thomas. Arthur Rex. Bradshaw, Gillian. Hawk of May. Kingdom of Summer. In Winter's Shadow. Chapman, Vera. The King's Damosel. he Green Knight. King Arthur's Daughter Labenthal, Sanders Ann. Excalibur. Lewis, C.S. That Hideous Strength Malamud, Bernard. The Natural Monaco, Richard. Parzival or the Knight's Tale. Pyle, Howard. The Story of King Arthur and his Knights. Seton, Anya. Avalon. Steinbeck, John. The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights Stewart, Mary. The Crystal Cave. The Hollow Hills. The Last Enchantment. The Wicked Day. Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Sword and the Circle. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. _________________, Sword at Sunset. Twain, Mark. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. White, T. H. The Book of Merlin. Williams, Charles. Taliessen through Loges. Region of the Summer Stars. War in Heaven. The long paper must be typewritten, doublespaced, with adequate margins, and submitted on the date due. Assignments will be graded on both form and content: strive for originality of thesis and cogency of argument, clear, coherent organization, and sufficient specificity and development. For additional help with writing pro. Any student who wishes to do a creative project instead of the longer paper should see me well before the end of the course. In the past, exceptions have been allowed in my other courses for students who have done various kinds of original projects, including a videotape of the first five ca of the Inferno, a poem from Virgil's point of view upon having to leave Dante at the end of the Purgatorio, a boardgame of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a Second Cook's Tale (in Middle English), and a cardgame based on The Fellowship of the Ring. Most students attempt to work into their projects special avocational or professional interests. CONFERENCES: Office Hours 1-2 MF and by appointment Office 301 Rayzor Hall Office Phone X2625 Dept. Secty. 527-4840 Fax: 524-3304 e-mail: jchance@rice.eduArthurian links: