Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

The Development of the Arthurian Legend in British Literature: Historical

Victor

Arthurian Legend Summary

  • It is about the legendary English king Arthur.
  • Arthur becomes a king when he is able to pull the sword called Excalibur from the stone.
  • After Arthur becomes a king, he decides to marry Guenevere, daughter of King Leodegrance.
  • However, Guenevere has an affair with Lancelot later.
  • Then, Arthur begins the quest for the mythical Holy Grail, the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper.
  • In this quest, Arthur is mortally wounded himself and returns Excalibur to the lake.
  • Arthur goes to Avalon after the final battle.
  • The legend grows up that he will return one day.

The Development of the Arthurian Legend in British Literature

  • The Arthurian legend developed over many centuries, with the result that plot lines, characters and their motives, and incidents can all vary quite considerably from one telling to the next.
  • The first reliable reference to Arthur is in the "Historia Brittonum" written by the Welsh monk Nennius around the year 830AD.
  • Surprisingly, he refers to Arthur as a warrior, not a king.
  • It was the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth, another Welsh cleric, which actually set down the foundations of the Arthurian legends.
  • Other subsequent writers have expanded his themes and added new strands to the story.
  • In 1155 the French poet Maistre Wace added The Round Table.
  • Chretien de Troyes developed the theme of chivalry and dwelt on the subtleties of courtly romance.
  • Another French man, Robert de Boron from Burgundy, developed the idea of the Quest for the Holy Grail.

Significance of the Arthurian Legend

  • It formed an important part of Britain's national mythology.
  • The Arthurian legends greatly influenced British literature and other forms of artistic expression.
  • It resulted in abstract thinking, as well as the arts including music, painting, poetry, and writing.
  • It shaped a national identity and the field of archaeology in Britain.
  • It became a world-wide symbol of courtly chivalry, justice, and rightful kingship.

Works Cited

“Arthurian Legend.” Mississippi State University Libraries, guides.library.msstate.edu/c.php?

g=826710. Accessed 26 Nov. 2022.

Ashe, Geoffrey. “The Origins of the Arthurian Legend.” Arthuriana, vol. 5, no. 3, 1995, pp. 1–24.

JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27869122. Accessed 26 Nov. 2022.

Britannica. “Arthurian Legend.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/

topic/Arthurian-legend.

Britannica. “King Arthur.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/topic/

King-Arthur.

“Exploring Arthurian Legend.” NEH-Edsitement, edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/

exploring-arthurian-legend.

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi