Arthurian Legend and Romance
Three popular subjects for Medieval literary works |
| stories of Troy, Thebes, Alexander and the Romans |
| stories of Charlemagne and his knights |
| stories of Arthur and the knights of the round table |
| single cultural unit in France and England |
| England ruled by French-speakers |
| royalty and aristocracy patrons of literature written in French |
| Wales and Brittainy: source of Arthurian tales |
| late 5th c. British war-leader (?) |
| reoccupied after withdrawal of Roman army |
| tales told by Welsh, Cornish & Breton tale-tellers |
| belief in Arthur's return: 'the once & future king' |
| Breton conteurs (professional story-tellers) |
| transmission of Arthurian material to France |
Two distinct strains of Arthurian literature |
| 1) Heroic focus on Arthur the mighty conqueror (England) |
| Geoffrey of Monmouth Historia Regum Britanniae (in Latin) |
| Wace Roman de Brut, (1155, in French) |
| introduces the round table |
| in rivalry with Charlemagne and his twelve peers? |
| dedicated to Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of England |
| Layamon Brut, (c. 1200, in English) |
| The Alliterative Morte Arthur, (14th c, in English) |
| 2) Romance focus on the adventures of Arthur's knights (France) |
| Chretien de Troyes (12th c, French) |
| Prose Romances of the 13th c |
| fullest development of the story |
| trans. of Vulgate Cycle into English |
| joins both traditions, but romance predominates |
| the perfect earthly society |
| inhabited by the flower of knighthood |
| round table: all equal except Arthur |
| embodied the ideal of unity, of empire & central control |
| peace, an end to fragmentation & fighting |
| contains seeds of its own downfall |
Characteristics of romance |
| anachronistic view of history |
| frequently to the "other world" thinly disguised |
| trial by aventure becomes meaning of a knight's existence |
| 2) the psychological exploration of love |
| a self-portrayal of the mores and ideals of feudal knighthood |
| conceals the real function of the aristocracy |
| feudal ethos has no political function in romance |
| serves purpose of self-realization |
| code of behavior a literary creation |
| character of hero an idealization |
| did not develop from social reality |
| romance was an educative force |
| presented a new model of behavior: courtoisie, 'courtesy' |
| first imaginative literature to attempt such a project |
| result of the transition from orality to literacy |
Epic vs. Romance
| Epic |
Romance |
| male only (women subordinate) |
women essential to story (e.g. Guinevere) |
| "realistic" |
fantastic |
| focus on combat to gain honor |
focus on adventure and quests |
| loyalties among men |
romantic love between men and women |
| everything is external |
internal thoughts of characters presented |
| a heightened reflection of society |
creates a new code and values |
| Marie de Champagne was his patron |
| very different from Chretien's other works |
| Marie's influence, who provided subject matter & meaning |
| finished by another man; uncongenial to Chretien? |
| Is it a satire of courtly love? |
| based on Celtic traditions of abduction and captivity in the other world |
| explains shadowy geography and occasional incoherence |
| Image of Lancelot crossing the sword bridge is essential to comprehension of tale |
| what does the sword bridge mean? |
| how does this image affect the way we view the rest of the work? |
| what does it say about the nature of love? |
| written at same time as Knight of the Cart |
| more congenial to Chretien |
| Central dilemma: how to reconcile a life of chivalry and tournaments with marriage |
| what is the purpose of Yvain's adventures? |
| what is the function and meaning of the lion? |
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