Medieval Romance and Le Morte D’Arthur

Arthurian Legends

Reflect: Create a chart like the one below to reflect Reflect: Create a chart like the one below to reflect the strengths/weaknesses of Gawain & Beowulfthe strengths/weaknesses of Gawain & Beowulf

How do we try to keep heroes alive?

Through stories

Through Paintings

Through monuments

Through coins

Movies and TV shows

Arthur the Archetype

Archetype: the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies

A typical romantic hero Born under mysterious circumstances Grows up in obscurity Undergoes a childhood initiation involving a magic

weapon Aided by magic weapons and wise mentors Mysterious events surround his departure from the

world suggesting a return

Superman’s origins Superman is born Kal-El on the alien

planet Krypton. His parents, Jor-El and Lara become

aware of Krypton's impending destruction and send their baby to earth.

Parents die; spacecraft carrying baby escapes.

The explosion transforms planetary debris into kryptonite, a radioactive substance that is lethal to superpowered (as by Earth's yellow sun) Kryptonians.

The spacecraft lands in the rural US where a couple named, Kents, adopt the baby and name him Clark.

Discovers his powers and is taught to use them for good

Le Morte D’Arthur

Morte: DeathPage 171 Purple book; page

Reading Check:

What does Arthur dream on Trinity Sunday? How is the truce between Arthur and Mordred

disturbed? What is Sir Lucan’s advice to Arthur? What does Arhtur do? What happens between Arthur and Mordred? Where does Bedivere take the wounded king? What happens to Bedivere?

Romance Motifs in Le’ Morte…

Motif: word, character, object, image, metaphor, idea that recurs in a work or in works of literature

Comparing works

1. (a) Explain which of these elements of romance is least emphasized in Sir Gawain: chivalry a far-off setting the supernatural Adventure love

(b) Which is least emphasized in Morte d’Arthur?

Comparing works

2. Compare the characterization of Gawain in lines 459–477 of Sir Gawain with Malory’s description of Bedivere as he reacts to Arthur’s imminent death. Use a graphic organizer like the one below.