Cross listed with MDV_REN 3005-01

Why is the story of King Arthur one that is frequently alluded to or retold today? What relation do a pseudo-historical king, his Round Table of knights, and aristocratic damsels have to modern society? This course traces the myth of King Arthur from its origin in the Middle Ages to its later retellings in Victorian and modern literature as well as in contemporary comic books, television, and film. We will study the representation of prominent Arthurian characters, such as Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, and Gawain; how this legend of chivalry and romantic love has been employed to debate politics and ethics in its own time; and how Arthurian stories have been used creatively to produce a “medievalism” in today's popular culture that responds to our own fantasies and fears. Along the way we will encounter the diversity of the Middle Ages, showing the complexity of the European past.

Readings will range from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain to Thomas Malory’s encyclopedic Le Morte Darthur, from Alfred Tennyson’s lyric poetry to the parodic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the epic fantasy film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Pre-req.: ENGL 1000.