Greek Tragedy and Medieval Romance: Exploring Themes and Analysis

1. INTO THE WORLD OF BOOKS - LITERATURE MS30214 Euijung Lee MS30215 Jungwon Lee MS30231 Hyunsoo Kim MS30232 JunghyunSung

2. A literature presentation • Delving into the theme of… GREEK TRAGEDY and MEDIEVAL ROMANCE

4. BASIC BACKGROUND GREEK TRAGEDY • Ancient Greek • Temples, gods, marble, theatres… • Greek plays – tragedies and comedies • Arose from Athens in religious rituals and ceremonies, honouring the gods and their might over the mortal world • Human weaknesses, virtues… • FATE

5. BASIC BACKGROUND MEDIEVAL ROMANCE • Medieval Europe (post-Roman, Byzantine) • Castles, wars, knights • During the medieval era, mythical elements such as magic and dragons influenced the literature of the time, turning to supernatural themes • CHIVALRY

6. ANALYSIS WORKSHOP GREEK TRAGEDY • TRAGIC DRAMA of the downfall of a PROTAGONIST • TRAGEDY – The downfall of a dignified, superior main character • Explored subjects such as suffering and duty, in order to identify human relationships to the gods and their power • Subjects of myth and legends • Central belief – FATE The Greeks believed in a predetermined path from the gods in everyone, under whatever circumstances

8. The Chorus – a group of usually 15 people that sing and comment on the events of the plot or the actions of the characters, providing insights and reflections on the play. The chorus wore masks as the actors did. They sing and dance to the music, communicating beliefs and virtues of the common Athenian. The leader is called the choragus, who occasionally participates in the dialogue as well. The Actors – men, wear costumes and masks to identify character, changed attire for different characters.

9. The Greek theatre

10. ANALYSIS WORKSHOP MEDIEVAL ROMANCE • ROMANCE of “Knights in shining armour” • ROMANCE – love, exotic places, fantastic characters… • First appeared through Medieval French literature • Honour, Medieval beliefs, Christian ideas • Central belief – CHIVALRY People of the Medieval Era believed in chivalry, a concept of honour and dignity among esteemed people such as knights

12. Antigone MS30214 Euijung Lee MS30215 Jungwon Lee

13. Author Analysis: Sophocles • Born few years before the marathon • One of three Greek Tragedians • Wrote`123 plays but survives only 7 • The starting point of addition of a third actor • deeper development of characters than earlier period • First prize in Dionysia theatre competition beating Aeschylus • DIED at the age of 90 or 91 in the winter of 406/5 BC

14. Antigone Analysis Theme: No one can change one’s fate Tragic Hero: Antigone Tragic Flaw: Creon’s decision to neglect the corpse of Polyneices Catastrophe: Antigone kill herself and because of that Haemon and Ismene suicides. In the end, the wife of Creon, Eurydice, also kills herself because of the shock from her son’s death

15. Setting Place : Palace of Creon, king of Thebes Time: Dawn of the day after the edict of king Creon Summary Antigoneburies her slain brother, contravening the decree of her uncle, king creon. When he learns of her action, his rage leads him to bury her alive, despite the pleas of his son, antigone'sfiance. After a warning from the seer teiresias, the king repents, but he's too late to prevent the suicides of antigone, his son, and his wife.

16. Characters Antigone -  Tragic heroine of the play. In the first moments of the play, Antigone is opposed to her radiant sister Ismene. Unlike her beautiful and docile sister, Antigone is sallow and recalcitrant.

17. Characters Ismene-Blonde, radiantly beautiful, laughing, and talkative Ismene is the good girl of the family. She is reasonable and understands her place. She bows to Creon's edict and attempt to dissuade Antigone from her act of rebellion.

18. Characters Creon -  Antigone's uncle. Creon is powerfully built, but a weary and wrinkled man suffering the burdens of rule. He firmly distances himself from the tragic aspirations of Oedipus and his line. As he tells Antigone, his only interest is in political and social order.

19. Characters Haemon -  Antigone's young fianceand son to Creon. Haemon appears twice in the play. In the first, he is rejected by Antigone; secondly, he begs his father for Antigone's life. He refuses the happiness that Creon offers him and follows Antigone to a tragic demise.

20. Characters Eurydice  -  Creon's kind, knitting wife whose only function, as the Chorus declares, is to knit in her room until it is her time to die. Her suicide is Creon's last punishment. This left him entirely alone.

21. Characters Chorus -  The Chorus appears as narrator and commentator. The Chorus frames the play with introducing about the actions and characters under the sign of fatality. The Chorus also attempts to intercede throughout the whole play, whether on the behalf of the Theban people or the horrified spectators.

22. Play • Prologue • Antigone tries to persuade Ismene

23. Plot Diagram Climax Creon is slow to act on Teiresias' warning Falling action 1. Creon reconsiders his decree 2. Creon buries Polyneices 3. Creon goes to free Antigone Rising action 1. Creon decrees that Polyneices shall not be buried 2. Antigone declares decision to bury Polyneices 3. Antigone caught, appears before Creon 4. Haemon Pleads for Antigone 5. Antigone put in valut 6. Teiresias warns Creon Resolution Messenger reports death of Antigone and Haemon

24. Vocabularies • Auspicious : adj. promising success; favorable • Anarchist : n. a person favoring the overthrow of government • Contempt : n. an attitude of regarding sbd or sth as worthless or inferior • Defile : v. to make dirty, unclean, or impure • Impassively : adv. in a way that shows no emotion or feeling • Insolence : n. rudeness and disrespect • Lamentation : n. an expression of grief • Perverse : adj. willfully determined to go against what is expected or desired • Reverence : n. awe and respect • Sate: v. to satisfy fully • Sententiously : adv. in a pompous, moralizing manner • Transgress : v. to violate or break a law, command, or moral code

25. Thank you, and the next is king Arthur, HYUNSOO KIM!!! with EuiJeong Lee

26. MEDIEVAL ROMANCEthe King Arthur stories“The Crowning of Arthur”“Sir Lancelot du Lake”“The Acts of King Arthur and his noble knights”

27. King Arthur??? • Legendary King and Knight of England • The Celts ruled England during the time • Son of King UtherPendragon • Claimed heir as taking out a magic sword from a stone • Reigned as king in Camelot • Married to Lady Guinevere • The Round Table • The Holy Grail • Excalibur

29. From Sir Thomas Malory’s “Le Morted’Arthur” (the Death of Arthur in French) “The Crowning of Arthur”

30. Author Analysis Sir Thomas Malory • English knight (1405? ~ 1471) • Fought in the Hundred Years’ War • After the end of the war, accused of highway robbery and murder, imprisoned many times • Rebelled against Edward IV in War of the Roses, failed • Imprisoned for life in London Newgate Prison, wrote “Le Morted’Arthur” there. • Said to have added a prayer for his release after the completion of “Le Morted’Arthur” in 1469 or 1470

31. Characters King UtherPendragon – King of Britain and father of Arthur. Falls in love with Lady Igraine and conflicts with the Duke of Tintagil over her. He took Merlin in as his advisor, and put his son under the care of Sir Ector after his death.

32. Lady Igraine – wife of the Duke of Tintagil and Arthur’s mother. She is a beautiful, faithful woman to her husband the Duke, but after bearing King Uther’s child and the Duke’s death, she turns her marital allegiance to the King.

33. Merlinthe Prophet – the magician that advises King Uther. He arranges almost all of the King’s plans and actions, and using his magical abilities, make them completely flawless. He disguises as a beggar when he needs to avoid attention.

34. Arthur – son of UtherPendragon and Igraine, and the rightful heir to the throne of Britain. He was brought up by Sir Ector, oblivious to the fact he was of royal blood. After taking the sword out of the stone he realized this, and he proved himself and honourable, dignified young man fit as the new king.

35. Sir Ector – brought up Arthur under the request of the King. He and his wife brought him up as his own son. Sir Kay – Sir Ector’s real son. He left his sword for the tournament over the throne, so he sends Arthur to fetch it for him. During this, Arthur discovers the fateful sword in the stone.

36. Duke of Tintagil– original husband of Lady Igraine. He battles against King Uther over his wife, and continuously remains loyal to his wife. He is later killed during a surprise attack on the King. Sir Ulfius– friend and co-operator of King Uther. He finds Merlin for King Utherand aids in the King’s causes. Archbishop of Canterbury – proclaims the sword in the stone and the true heir to the throne. Later crowns Arthur king.

37. PLOT • King Uther falls in love with Lady Igraine, so he battles the Duke of Tintagil • Igraine denies Uther’s request • Ulfius finds and brings Merlin to Uther, to whom he asks to help him claim Igraine. Merlin agrees at the exchange of the arrangement on how the child of Uther and Igraine’s will be brought up • Merlin uses his magic to change Uther’s form into the Duke, and arranges him to enter Igraine’s castle and earn her. The Duke himself died three hours before this. • Igraine, widowed, becomes married officially to Uther. When Igraine was ashamed of bearing another’s child, Uther reveals that he is the father of that child.

38. Arthur is born, and Merlin takes him to the care of Sir Ector, there to be brought up until the time has come. Uther faces a series of invasions, and under Merlin’s guidance, he crushes them all. • Uther falls sick, and facing death, he announces his son Arthur as the rightful heir to the throne after him. • The Archbishop reveals on Christmas Day a sword stuck in an anvil upon a stone, and the legend arousing it. • “Whoso pullethoute this swerd of this stone and anvyld is rightwyskynge borne of all Brytaygne” • Many have tried but failed, so the knights and nobles arrange a tournament to win the succession. Sir Ector and his son Sir Kay join in the tournament.

39. Kay has left his sword in their lodging, so he asks Arthur to retrieve it for him. Arthur finds the lodging locked for the tournament, when he notices the sword, unguarded at the time, in the stone. • Unknowing of the legend, he pulls out the sword with ease and gives it to Kay. Ector notices this and Kay at first tells that he is the rightful heir. He soon admits that Arthur has pulled it out. • Arthur makes a second demonstration in front of the suspicious and disbelieving nobles, who refuse an ordinary, young boy take their prize. • After a series of failed tournaments, the nobles finally give in and beg Arthur for forgiveness. Arthur, a dignified and chivalric young man, forgives them and is crowned King, with Kay as his Royal Senschalfrom the request of his foster father Ector.

41. Sir Lancelot du Lake Summary • A match between Sir Tarquineand Launcelot • Morgan le Fay & 3 other queens • Sir Belleus • Tournament (line 170~212) Launcelot Goes on a Adventure

42. Sir Launcelot du Lake Literary Analysis (Medieval Romance) Romance Hero: Sir Launcelot A Quest: Sets out for adventure (Line 7~10) Exotic Setting: Castle of Sir Tarquine(Line 36~42) Supernatural Elements: Spells [Instead, I will cast a spell over him(Line 74~75)] Hidden Identities: Launcelot accidentally wounds Sir Belleus (Line 138~140) Episodic Structure: Escape from Morgan le Fay => Conflict between Sir Tarquine

43. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights

44. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights conflict