This course will examine a selection of Arthurian texts, beginning with the earliest Welsh legends and then following the tradition into the present day. Works to be read include selections from major interpreters of the legend over a period of 900 years, including Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sir Thomas Malory, Alfred Lord Tennyson and T. H. White. Apart from these better-known writers, many other authors and poets have employed Arthurian themes and narratives in their work, and students will be asked to research some of these versions, and to present on the results of their research. We will thus be able to piece together a history of the tradition that includes a variety of high cultural and popular interpretations of the narrative over time. Throughout the course, we will return to the following central questions: What cultural purposes do myths of King Arthur serve? Whose values do they reflect? To what extent do they engage with the early medieval past, and to what extent with the concerns of their later interpreters?
Assessment:
Presentation, including written summary: 30%
Essay: 45%
Class Participation: 25%
