Arthurian Essay

The Effect of Victorian Culture on the Arthurian Legends The Arthurian legends stand as a mutable model of the perfect court and ruler which has been transformed by authors over the centuries to fit new cultural ideals and Tennyson’s Idylls of the King is no exception to this pattern of transformation. With his retellings of the tales of King Arthur based on earlier models of the stories, most notably the works of Sir Thomas Malory, Tennyson represents some of the most common Victorian cultural views

Poetic Chivalry in Arthurian Legends In a land with magical elements- elves, wizards, and potions- medieval heroes are brought to light. When a boy, born out of wedlock, draws a sword out of a stone, he unknowingly fulfills a prophecy and is proclaimed the rightful king of Camelot. This king, Arthur, and his Knights of the Round Table inspired stories that are reiterated even today. The formation of these tales can date back to as early as the twelfth century, when the foundational myth, Brut, was

foreshadow the beauty between two people, however, more specifically, it can foreshadow the most tragic events. One could make the argument that the theme for the Arthurian legend is love. However, in many of these examples one can find, love is mainly one-sided. More specifically, only one

Merlin and Taliesin In Arthurian legend, there are many tales of magic and adventure. One of the best aspects of the stories are the whimsical and complex characters. Often, characters’ and their identities change from version to version, creating confusion about their origin and roles in stories. Merlin, the wondrous and wise magician, and Taliesin, the inspirational historian and all-knowing bard, are some of the most versatile individuals in the stories. The mysteries of Merlin, Taliesin

The Sword in the Stone of the Arthurian Legend King Arthur and the knights of the round table belong to a long line of books and stories of the Arthurian legend. Merlin, Lancelot, The lady of the lake, King Arthur, and Excaliber are all very important in the Arthurian legend. In this essay we will talk about King Arthur, the knights of the round table, and Merlin in the famous story, The sword in the stone.      The Sword in the stone is a book about an adopted child named wart. He is of

Moving on, though Geoffrey’s description of Merlin’s resident forest is picturesque, it must be noted that the forest in Arthurian tradition held “demonic elements, the ancestral spirits, and the forces of nature...” The Medieval society existed in a microcosm – anything outside the boundaries of said society existed the dark and unknown – this was the land of monsters. In the Vita, this is where Merlin chooses to reside, and in Robert’s Merlin, Merlin becomes one of these spirits himself: “[Gawain]

a detailed location nor a fixed description in the literary world of Arthurian tales. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s, who lived in 1136 AD, wrote Historia Regum Britanniae. This work is the oldest existing work that includes a reference to Avalon. The reason behind King Arthur traveling to Avalon is because he received a lethal wound, and by traveling to Avalon he hoped that he would be healed on the isle. Avalon's role in Arthurian tales is to preserve King Arthurs life. If King Arthur leaves this place

Tristan and Isoud The Arthurian legend of Tristan and Isoud is a timeless tale of two people in surreptitious love. Tristan being the nephew of King Mark and his obligation to the chivalric code are the couple’s greatest hurdles inhibiting their relationship from prospering. Isoud and Tristan’s legend changes from merely being means of entertainment about two forbidden lovers in Le Morte D’Arthur, by Thomas Malory, to having a deeper purpose in Cornwall’s Wonderland, by Mabel Quiller Couch. Couch’s

testing the Arthurian code. At first no one accepts, until the weakest knight, Gawain, accepts the feat. This game was a game of blow for blow, one knight may hit the other anywhere with an axe, and a year later the other knight may return the hit one year later. When purposed, not one of the finest knights to play, except for Gawain, the weakest of them all. The terms of the game send Gawain into the wilderness of Britain, testing both his physical and mental skills but also the Arthurian code. The

many villains in the Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, and Mordred, may be the most well known and most influential as they have transformed the texts of the Arthurian legend over the years. As the legend is altered, their roles are changed by the many writers who impacted the Arthurian legend. Due to the fact that the legend has been retold many times, the role of each character cannot be consistent. Morgan le Fay is the most well known female character in the Arthurian legend. Similar to