ROMANCE & ARTHURIAN LEGEND

Romance Narrative set in a world of wish fulfillment Ordinary laws of nature are suspended Heroes who fight and almost always conquer the forces of evil Knightly conduct: courage, loyalty & courtesy Tales of adventure & love w/moral teaching

Elements of Romance A near-perfect hero An evil enemy A quest A test of the hero Supernatural elements Good vs. evil Females: usually maidens, mothers or crones

THE QUEST typically involves 3 phases:  A dangerous journey  A central test  The return

Sir Thomas Malory – 15thC Writing in the late 15 th C ( ), he was a knight familiar with chivalric romances Malory’s tales were a “swan song” to the feudal order of the Middle Ages – cities were growing; money & competition were replacing feudal ways

Malory’s Arthur was a mythic character: He pulls the sword from the stone & his return as “the once and future king” is promised