The selections you are reading come from Malory's Morte Darthur, which is Mallory's compilation of Arthurian tales, often with his own twists and interpretations. Although Arthurian romances did not originate with Malory, his is the best-known work of Arthurian literature and the source for later Arthurian tales (including White's The Once and Future King, which Jillian mentions in her post). Of course you will not be able to understand the entire arc of the narrative(s) from the three sections in our anthology, but they will give you a sense of Malory's major themes and his writing style, and they will give you insight into Malory's vision of Britain in the 1400s.
1. As the section on Malory indicates, Malory understood the lofty ideals and chivalric codes in Arthurian stories, but he was also aware of how easily these ideals break down in the real world. Point to some examples where Malory shows these tensions.
2. Whom does Malory portray most favorably in "The Poison Apple," Lancelot, Guinevere, or Arthur? Who comes across in the most negative light? Explain using examples.
3. Compare and contrast Beowulf and "The Day of Destiny"? What similarities do you see? What are the most distinct differences?
4. How have these excerpts influenced the more contemporary versions of Arthurian tales that you have read/seen? What are some of the distinct differences? (Keep in mind that you have not read most of the text, so if you choose to respond to this prompt, please focus on what you have read; in other words, don't write that Merlin isn't around; he is, but not in these sections, which represent part of the grail-quest, part of the story of Lancelot and Guinevere, and the death of Arthur).
Thank you. See you on Thursday.
From a literary perspective, the story that was most interesting to me was "The Miracle of Galahad." For entertainment purposes I thought this was one of the most boring stories I had ever read, but then I realized that if it has survived this long and was in the text, it must have had great significance to the people of the time. It was interesting to me that the description of how holy a person is would attract literary followers. I attended a Catholic high school and although I am not Catholic, it was interesting to hear the stories behind many of their Saints. I'm sure that these stories influenced Sir Thomas Malory. It is also interesting that in todays modern society, many people are more familiar with the stories of Arthur and his knights than with Catholic Saints. It makes me wonder if any of the Saints were inspired by the stories of King Arthur.
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