The Middle Ages Part II

The Legend of Arthur

What do we already know, or not know?

Lineage

• Still important

• Maybe even more important

• Important concepts– Courtly love– Chivalry– Influx of Christianity– Dark Arts

Uther Pendragon King of England

Lady IgraineDuchess of Tintagle

Morgan le Faye her daughter

Arthur Pendragon King of England

How Uther Pendragon met the Lady Igraine

• Uther called for the Duke of Cornwall and his wife, Igraine.

• Uther liked Igraine.

• Igraine felt uncomfortable and asked her husband if they could leave.

• Uther was angry, and sent for them to return, or he would declare war on him.

• Duke of Cornwall left Igraine at Tintagle to be safe.

Uther fell sick (love sick) for wanting Igraine.

Sent for Merlin, the magician.

Asked Merlin to help him “have” Igraine.

Merlin cast a spell on Uther to make him look like the Duke of Cornwall and impregnate her.

** Merlin asked that the child be given to him.

Uther, disguised as Cornwall, went to Tintagle and had sex with Igraine.

He left that night.

• The next morning, the dead body of the Duke of Cornwall was brought to Tintagle.– Igraine realized that she had been tricked.

• To make her an honorable woman, Uther married Igraine, and lay with her, and begat Arthur.

Thus begins the legend…

http://www.ajkon.se/tankar/bilder/excalibur.jpg

• Igraine’s stomach grew, and Uther asked her whose baby was growing inside her.– She told him that she had sex with someone whom she thought was her

husband, but she later found out that he was not.

• Uther told her the truth.

• Merlin came to take the baby.– He told Uther and Igraine that Sir Ector would be raising the baby for

him.

• Uther Pendragon fell ill and called for Merlin.

• Merlin asked Uther, on his death bed, if Arthur should succeed him. Uther said yes.

• What dangers exist after Uther’s death?

• Why is the succession unclear?

• Many years passed…

• A sword appeared in a great stone:

“Whoso pulleth out this sword of the stone and anvil, is rightwise King born of all England.”

Arthur’s evolution

• • • • •

How many times did Arthur remove the sword from the stone? Significance?

Excalibur

How was the movie different from what we read?

The end of the tale

p. 176 -

The dream

• Symbolism?

• Message?

…any sword drawn…

• adder

• Mordred

Sir Bedivere

Sailing to Avalon

Here lies Arthur, who was once king, and will be king again.

Writing the Literary Analysis

Brought to you by the Purdue University Writing Lab

Author: Brian Yothers

What is Literary Analysis?

• It’s literary

• It’s an analysis

• It’s--

• An Argument!

• It may also involve research on and analysis of secondary sources

How is it “literary”?

• Usually, a literary analysis will involve a discussion of a text as writing, thus the term literary, which means “having to do with letters”

• This will involve the use of certain concepts that are very specifically associated with literature

Important literary concepts

• The Basics– Plot– Setting– Narration/point of view– Characterization– Symbol – Metaphor– Genre– Irony/ambiguity

• Other key concepts– Historical context– Social, political,

economic contexts– Ideology– Multiple voices– Various critical

orientations– Literary theory

How Can I Learn More?

• There are various handbooks of literary terms available in most libraries.

• There are numerous introductions to literary criticism and theory that are widely available.

• Example: A Handbook to Literature. Harmon/Holman

What is an Analysis?

• An analysis of a literary work may discuss– How the various components of an individual

work relate to each other– How two separate literary works deal with

similar concepts or forms– How concepts and forms in literary works

relate to larger aesthetic, political, social, economic, or religious contexts

How is a literary analysis an argument?

• When writing a literary analysis, you will focus on specific attribute(s) of the text(s).

• When discussing these attributes, you will want to make sure that you are making a specific, arguable point (thesis) about these attributes.

• You will defend this point with reasons and evidence drawn from the text. (Much like a lawyer!)

Which is the best thesis statement?

• Moby-Dick is about the problem of evil.

• Moby-Dick is boring and pointless.

• Moby-Dick is about a big, white whale.

• The use of “whiteness” in Moby-Dick illustrates the uncertainty about the meaning of life that Ishmael expresses throughout the novel.

How do I support a thesis statement?

• Examples from the text:– Direct quotations– Summaries of scenes– Paraphrase

• Other critics’ opinions

• Historical and social context

• Always remember to read carefully and highlight useful passages and quotes!

What is a secondary source?

• A book or article that discusses the text you are discussing

• A book or article that discusses a theory related to the argument you are making

• A book or article that discusses the social and historical context of the text you are discussing

How do I find secondary sources?

• MLA International Bibliography

• Dictionary of Literary Biography

• Discipline-specific sources– Example: America: History and Life for

American literature

• Other search engines

• A bibliography that is part of your text

• Ask someone who knows

Integrating secondary sources

• When you use secondary sources, be sure to show how they relate to your thesis

• Don’t overuse any one secondary source, or for that matter, secondary sources in general

• Remember that this is your paper, your argument—the secondary sources are just helping you out

• Never, never, never plagiarize! See the OWL handout on plagiarism for more information.

Overview of Literary Analysis

• When writing a literary analysis:– Be familiar with literary terms– Analyze specific items– Make an a argument– Make appropriate use of secondary sources– Consult instructors and tutors for help when

needed

Where can I go for more help?

• The Purdue University Writing Lab

• 226 Heavilon Hall

• 494-3723

• And visit http://owl.english.purdue.edu

• Or email owl@owl.english.purdue.edu

Formalist approach

AP terms

Literary devices

Feminist approach

Female p.o.v.

Historical

Connections to society (Ideology)

Connections to time period

Mythological

archetypes

hero cycle

Arthur tale

• Summarize

• Discuss– Symbols– Imagery– Archetypes

** Try each approach

List one thing for each

Tristan and Iseult

from “Excalibur”

• In what season does the section of the film take place?

• From the clues provided of the Druid religion by Merlin and Morgana in this segment, what conclusions can be made about the nature of the Druid (Old Way) religion?

• Morgana infers that Guinivere may be unfaithful to Arthur. Is there enough evidence to indicate that she is correct?

• What might Merlin be alluding to when he says that evil is “Always where you least expect it – always.”

• What three different types of science were being studied in the castle? Which of the sciences shown in the clip seem to parallel the Druid beliefs?

from “Excalibur”

Interdisciplinary activities

• Language Arts

• Math

• Science

• Social Studies

Language Arts

• “Excalibur” is based on Le Morte de Arthur. What other versions (stories, movies, poems, television shows) did this inspire?

• King Arthur and Lancelot represent the classic tragic hero. How do these two characters fit this stock?

• What are the elements of Medieval Romance that you have seen so far?

Math

• If the Round Table could seat 150 men, and if the average shoulder-breadth of each man in full armor was three feet, how large would the total area of the Round Table need to be to accommodate the knights?

Math

• Young Percival told Lancelot that he would run to Camelot. Lancelot tells him that they are more than 20 days away. What is the average number of miles a man can run in a day and then figure out how many miles away from Camelot Lancelot and Percival could have been?

Science

• What superstitions are related to the plant Mandrake mentioned in the segment? What other common plants or animals are used as aphrodisiacs?

• What were the alchemists? What were the four elements and how were they combined in transmutation?

• What is the ecology of England?

Social Studies

• The marriage segment shows a move from Druidism to Christianity. What was the true evolution of religion in England?

• Percival begs Lancelot to accept him as a squire. How did one become a squire?

http://www.moval.edu/faculty/adderleym/Arthur/malory/lancelot.htm

Questions to keep in mind as you read…

• To whom is the knight loyal, and which loyalty supersedes the others?

• How does a young person train to become a knight? • How is the knight to act toward a lady of noble birth? • How does the knight prove his courage and display

prowess with arms ? • What should a knight's response be to things of a

material nature? • What is the purpose of the chivalric code? • What is the purpose of the concept of courtly love? • What special character traits--if any--are considered

necessary for a knight of the Round Table? • What type of characters and plot complications might the

reader expect in a medieval romance?

Written response for next class

• Is Sir Launcelot a hero according the chivalric code? Why or why not?

• How does Launcelot repay the noblewoman who releases him from the four queens?

• Why does Launcelot fight Tarquine?

• What elements of advocacy, altruism, enlightened self-interest, egoism do you see?

The death of Arthur

• Read from page 176

Character analysisHow is he/she described?

What are his/her actions?

What are the motivations for those actions?

How do other respond to those actions?

What conflicts does he/she face (internal and external)?

List three important quotes/scenes and the significance of each.

Approaches to literary analysis

• Formalist

• Feminist

• Mythological

• Historical