Arthurian Traditions (01/31)

[godinakilt.livejournal.com]

"Good day, my minions students," Camulus begins. "I'm glad to see that you all seem to have survived the weekend nicely. Before we begin class, just a few things I'd like to take care of. First of all, for missing three classes without an excuse, Miss Kisaragi has detention this Saturday. And secondly, one more assigned reading for you - 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', which will discuss next class and will be posted when the mun gets back from her classes because a poetry translation online seems to have eluded her completely, after completing my third announcement. You will be having a short quiz next class, simply to make sure that you are keeping up on the reading. A handful of multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank and four or five passages that you simply have to identify by title and author.

"Then, to have a look at Sir Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur', or the small excerpt that I have had you read. First, some biographical information on the author, as much as it is possible to pin his identity down. There were several Thomas Malorys who could have penned the epic, but there is one who is generally believed to be the author." Camulus continues to lecture, writing up important names, dates, and places on the board behind him. His lecture may in some ways resemble this wikipedia article.

"Our Sir Thomas Malory's rather shady past may have contributed to one of the scenes in this excerpt which doesn't quite flow with the overall chivalric nature of the text. As Arthur is dying, he sent out a knight to view the condition of the battlefield, where we see looting of the dead.

"'Le Morte d'Arthur' is a combination of the English and French romantic Arthurian traditions, which probably both stemmed from the original Welsh and Breton stories. Many familiar aspects of the legend are present - the Lady of the Lake, Excalibur, Mordred, and the snake in the grass - this last a motif that Miss Alexander commented on when I assigned the reading.

"However, one of the most interesting things about this, one of the primary sources of Arthurian legend in its present incarnation, is that almost, if not more than half the narrative centres around Launcelot rather than Arthur, especially so in the Death of Arthur. He dies fairly early in the excerpt, with the rest being an account of the end of Launcelot's life, which is given in much greater detail."

He looks around at the class. "Anything you would like to add? Oddities in the story? Characters or situations you wondered at?"

Comments

[psi16.livejournal.com]

"There's a theory that, in order to recognize good, you also have to recognize -- or even experience -- evil. If that's the case, and Mallory was guilty of the crimes he was accused of, was he able to recognize the virtues he had sinned against?"

Lyta pauses, frowning. "Or was he completely innocent?" She shook her head. "For all we know, he could have been charged for political reasons, and this was a way of getting back at the Crown -- showing what 'chivalry' should be."

[godinakilt.livejournal.com]

Camulus nodded slowly, considering what was said as the mun makes notes for her final paper. "Many prisoners - especially those imprisoned for political or injust reasons - have penned diatribes or manifestos that have spawned rebellions and uprisings. In this case, however, you are saying that Malory was instigating or hoping to instigate an uprising of another sort, a reincarnation of the ideals of the Arthurian court. A spiritual rather than political rebellion."

[psi16.livejournal.com]

Lyta smirked -- a rueful, sad expression. "Sometimes you have to have the spiritual before the political -- a realization that something in the world around you isn't right and you're willing to die for what is right."

[godinakilt.livejournal.com]

"An excellent point."

Ah, so maybe this was why the Jaffa rebellion had succeeded. The Tau'ri seemed to be too . . . aware of injustice, unable to tolerate slavery of any kind, even to an ideal. It had to have been their influence that perpetuated that . . . insanity.

[allie-cameron.livejournal.com]

"I think that makes a lot of sense," Allie says because her mun is braindead and hasn't done any reading, oops.

[sea-incarnadine.livejournal.com]

Macbeth nods in agreement because his own mun is in quite the same state.

[godinakilt.livejournal.com]

Camulus gives them both a checkmark in the 'class participation' box because the mun totally understand.

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"What she said," Kawalsky added, nodding at Lyta. "You've gotta experience darkness to recognize the light. After that, what you do with that knowledge, makes you the person you are. If you ignore evil or let it do what it's here to do, that makes you just as bad as the guys who do the bad stuff."

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"There's a lot of political intrigue, and enough cheating to make a Springer show in a lot of these stories. Juicy tidbits to sell the story, or accurate representation of the times?"