Medieval Times 1066 to 1485

Hardships/Changes occurring during Medieval Times Plagues Lack of sanitation and spread of disease Political battles Civil unrest Crusades Spread of Christianity to all Pagans

Legend vs Myth A legend can be distinguished from a myth based on 6 main characteristics

A Legend…. 1.is a tale based on history passed down through the oral tradition or written manuscript 2.has more historical truth 3.has fewer supernatural elements 4.celebrates the heroic qualities of a national or cultural leader 5.expresses the spirit, values, and character of a nation 6.is considered inherently true; whereas, a myth is considered inherently false

What do you know about King Arthur? KWL

The Code of Chivalry Gentlemanly and heroic behavior Combination of Christian and military ideals Valor and Bravery Modesty and Honor Loyalty and Love of God Courtesy and Justice

Knights of the Round Table Brotherhood of soldiers Of noble birth, but no longer wealthy Survived by working for the nobles Attempted to live up to the Code of Chivalry

The Legend of King Arthur One of the most popular and enduring legends of Western culture But, a real person named Arthur did not exist

Who is King Arthur? King Arthur is known as: The King who combined all British tribes into one kingdom The King who defended the British from invading Anglo-Saxon armies An amazing politician who used the Round Table as a way to prevent jealousy amongst his knights The “Arthur” character most likely based on one or more influential and successful Celtic military leaders

Characteristics of an Epic Romance A hero A quest A perilous journey An enchantment A disguise The triumph of good over evil

The Hero Must be of noble birth or high social position Must reflect values important to his society Must often battle supernatural forces His actions consist of courageous, even superhuman deeds

The Quest An expedition to achieve a specified goal For the Knights of the Round table, their ultimate quest was to locate the Holy Grail

The Perilous Journey Consists of dangerous obstacles and adventures that occur while on a quest, but not related to the ultimate goal Epic romances usually follow characters through most of their lives as they quest for the goal

An Enchantment Usually a magical spell of some sort Acts as evidence of the supernatural involved in the legend

The Disguise Sometimes a literal reference to someone hiding his/her identity through either normal means or magical means Can refer to the hidden agenda/purpose of a character in a tale

Good vs Evil Ageless theme permeating the Arthurian Legend and much literature from around the world The audience expects the final outcome to be the triumph of Good over Evil