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God Speed!, Edmund Blair Leighton (1900)
The Middle English period was a time of transition in the language: English as a language morphed from a mainly Germanic tongue to including Latinate and other influences, which created an entirely new system of speech for the inhabitants of the island. After 1066, the kings of England were also Norman French, and the heavy influence of mainland European and Latin culture left marks still visible today. The signing and subsequent affirmations of the Magna Carta in 1215 A.D. and beyond laid the groundwork for English common law, even as soon as the 13th century; the Great Charter also formed some of the basis for the American legal system, as well as inspiring the Constitution itself.
This was also a time for the romanticization of the popular tropes of the age: the knight in shining armor slaying the dragon motif, among others, was cemented by the legendarium of King Arthur and Camelot, quite possibly the most popular literature and art of the time. The primary benefit of Arthuriana is the connection between mythology and history, between fantasy and reality, and the fertile ground for discussion that each dichotomy presents. The anchor text for this unit is Sir Thomas Malory's novel Le Morte d'Arthur (1485), which remains the premier source of authority for Arthurian legend in literary canon. Use the excerpts for the anchor and secondary texts that are posted in the Online Texts section, along with the lecture notes for each section posted below.
The Early Renaissance Themes (NEW).pdf
The Lecture Notes on the Early Renaissance and Middle English Period
The Canterbury Tales (1400) by Geoffrey Chaucer.pdfLecture Notes on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1400)
Magna Carta (Annotated and Abridged).pdfMagna Carta (1215 AD) Handout - Abridged and Annotated
Contemporary Elements in The Magna Carta / Great Charter (1215).pdfLecture Notes on Contemporary Elements of the Magna Carta
Arthurs_Court.pdfLecture Notes on the themes of Le Morte d'Arthur and Arthurian Legend
Prophecies and Riddles in the Dark (NEW).pdfLecture Notes on Merlin and the beginnings of Arthurian Legend
Merlin RiddlesInTheDark handout.pdfHandout for lecture on Merlin and the beginnings of Arthurian legend notes
Merlin's Prophecy to Vortigern.pdfMerlin's Prophecy to King Vortigern, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth
The Legend of Alderly Edge (NEW).pdfThe Legend of Alderley Edge Text-Dependent Questions worksheet
The Saga Continues (NEW).pdfLecture Notes on Arthur's Birth and the Sword in the Stone
Pendragon TheSagaContinues handout.pdfHandout for lecture on Arthur's Birth and the Sword in the Stone notes
Excerpt from History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth.pdfExcerpt from Geoffrey of Monmouth's "History of the Kings of Britain" handout: King Uther Seduces Lady Igerna
Arthurian Royal Palace Discovered at Tintagel article and Text-Dependent Questions.pdfPalace at Cornwall Article and Text-Dependent Questions
The Sword that was broken.pdfLecture Notes on Arthur's Gaining of Excalibur
Excalibur TheSwordThatWasBroken handout.pdfHandout for Arthur's Gaining of Excalibur notes
Coat-of-Arms and Heraldry Assignment.pdfHeraldry and Coats-of-Arms Assignment
The Shining City and the tarnished Queen.pdfLecture Notes on Arthur's Marriage and Founding of Camelot
Camelot ShiningCityTarnishedQueen handout.pdfHandout for lecture on Arthur's Marriage and Founding of Camelot notes
The Evil Half-Sister.pdfLecture Notes on Morgan le Fay
Morgan TheEvilHalfSister handout.pdfHandout for lecture on Morgan le Fay notes
Le Belle Dame sans Merci by John Keats.pdfJohn Keats' "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" poem and handout
Quest for the Holy Grail article by Mantyk.pdfThe Holy Grail: Behind the Most Famous King Arthur Quest by Evan Mantyk article and handout
Le Morte Center Questions (NEW).pdfArthurian Center Questions (each excerpted reading posted below corresponds to the appropriately labeled and numbered Center Question)
Knight’s Tale Annotations Handout.pdfHandout for Annotating the Knights' Tales
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (c. 1400) by the Pearl Poet.pdfLecture Notes on the epic poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (c. 1400)
An Overview and Translation of the epic poem by Jessie Weston (1898) is posted below.
The Plot of Mordred handout.pdfHandout on the Plot of Sir Mordred
The Final Battle.pdfHandout on the Final Battle at Camlann Fields
Arthur's and Guinevere's Tomb at Glastonbury handout.pdfTomb of Arthur and Guinevere at Glastonbury handout
Arthur Study Guide.pdfStudy Guide for the Early Renaissance and Arthurian legend
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