The Arthurian Legends

1. The Arthurian Legends A look at legends and epic heros

2. Morte d’Arthur by Alfred Lord Tennyson • Morte d’Arthur is a written interpretation of a small portion of the Arthurian Legend: the demise of the nights of the round table and King Arthur’s Death. The Arthur story is told at a Christmas party that at first does not have a very Christmas-like spirit behind it. • But, the story of Arthur and his heroic spirit give the men at the party a glimpse of hope. For the men, the Arthur Legend becomes an active and important story instead of a dull and overdone retelling. The idea is that a true legend will never die.

3. Summary • In Tennyson’s poem, King Arthur is near death and guarded by his knight, Sir Bedivere. He commands Bedivere to throw his sword into the lake. When Bedivere does this a mysterious hand plucks the sword from the air. The poem implies that Arthur’s death is not permanent. • In “Arthur Becomes King of Britain” (the next story in our text book), the king has died without an heir. He has left a sword embedded in stone. Whoever removes the sword will become king. Sir Ector brings his son, Kay, and his ward, Wart, to make an attempt. Kay forgets his sword and sends Wart to find it. Wart sees the sword in the stone and pulls it out, not realizing his act will make him king.

4. Alfred Lord Tennyson • A famous poet from England in the late 19th century. Tennyson was the representative poet for the Victorian Age. He is famous for "The Lady of Shalott", "The Lotus-eaters" "Morte d'Arthur" and "Ulysses.” • After marrying Emily Sellwood, whom he had already met in 1836, the couple settled in Farringford, a house in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight in 1853. From there the family moved in 1869 to Aldworth, Surrey. During these later years he produced some of his best poems.

5. Modern Day Interpretations • Sword in the Stone- an interpretation of the how Arthur became a heroic king. The story of his youth and his escapades with the magician Merlin. • The Mists of Avalon Based on the bestseller by Marion Zimmer Bradley It tells the story of the women behind King Arthur; including his mother, Igraine; his half-sister, Morgaine; his aunt Viviane, the Lady of the Lake; and his wife, Gwenwyfar

6. Themes to be familiar with • An Epic Hero’s/Knight’s Attributes • Moral Goodness • Courage • Compassion • Honesty • Strength • Nobility • Great Character • Heroic • Loyalty

7. Characteristics of a Legend • Story is passed down through generations • Some basis in historical fact • Usually consists of exciting heroes and villains • Generates feelings of national pride • Often presents a moral • Is timeless • Has mysterious or magical qualities

8. Thinking Ahead • How are the themes or characters in Don Quixote and The Arthur Legends similar? How are they different? • Is Don Quixote as timeless and heroic of a character as King Arthur? • Can the idealistic morals in these epics be applied to real life? Or are they too idealistic for modern day society?

9. Epic Hero’s as Super Hero’s • Super hero’s and epic hero’s must play by some of the same rules. They all : • Have superpowers • Face a conflict • Overcome a conflict • Go on a journey • Have a side kick • Have a fatal flaw

10. Create a Superhero of Your Own! • Create a super hero comic strip that follows the 6 superhero rules on the prior page. Create a comic strip in 8 frames with pictures in every box and text boxes or speech bubbles in every box.