Literature and Culture: Medievalism and King Arthur

Catalog description

The modern world is fascinated with the Middle Ages: Medieval Times tournaments and fairs, video games, fantasy novels, film and television shows. In this interdisciplinary course, we will examine the medieval literary and historical origins of King Arthur, who was one of the most popular figures in medieval European literature and whose popularity continues down to our own day. One of the central questions in our study of the Arthurian Legends will be how this material has evolved over the centuries; how the obscure hero of the battle of Mount Badon emerged as one of the most enduring figures of medieval literature. How and why does his legend change over time? Why does his story reemerge at particular moments? How do writers represent this figure in the 12th, the 14th, the 16th and the 19th centuries? Why, in the 21st century, is he still so popular?