King Arthur: A Story for the Ages

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how the legend of King Arthur has existed in various forms, passed down from generation to generation to be a dominate part of western literature and society almost fifteen hundred years after Arthur supposedly lived. The story of Arthur and his knights has been told in plays, artworks and even video games; the latest reincarnation being "Tomb Raider: Legend". In order to discover why this story is continually retold, the paper goes back to its inception and looks at its various versions throughout history.

From the Paper:

"While Geoffrey of Monmouth's history had been written with the Anglo-Norman kings in mind, the French romances that came next were perhaps aimed at the female audience, queens in particular. With the classical stories of Ovid and Horace as their guidebooks, the French writers added on to Geoffrey's writings and brought the Arthurian legend into a new transition, with a purpose of retelling for the sake on entertainment through courtly love and lust (Miller 146). More characters were added and stories of the Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot love triangle, by their nature were written and retold to include women, most prominently, Eleanor of Aquitaine and her daughter Marie de Champagne. Miller compares this to a modern soap opera: "when damsels in distress suffer succour, a glamorous champion comes ... Formula fiction multiplies easily" (Miller 146). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Malory, Thomas. Le Morte D'Arthur. Ed. Janet Cowen. 2 Vols. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1986.
• Mead, Jenna. "Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte D'Arthur [Caxton's edition] i - vi; Malory's book v, Caxton's edition and the Winchester Ms" The Legend of King Arthur lecture. U of Tasmania, 11 August 2008.
• Freeman, Elizabeth. "Europe in 1000 AD" Europe in the High Middle Ages lecture. U of Tasmania, 15 July 2008.
• Barber, Richard. The Figure of Arthur. London: Longman, 1972.
• Cotterell, Maurice. The Lost Tomb of Viracocha. London: Headline Book Publishing, 2001.

More papers on King Arthur: A Story for the Ages:

• Argumentative Essay # 4869 : "Kids and King Arthur"
• Analytical Essay # 28730 : "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"
• Analytical Essay # 8066 : "King Arthur and the Round Table"

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