Office hours: MW 9:30-10:15, 12:15-1:15; Tues. 3:45-5:00
Office: 405 Placid Hall, x2150
Room: x6780
email: wclough@email.stvincent.edu
Probably no legend has influenced our culture more than that of King Arthur. The ideals represented by him and his Knights of the Round Table continue to inspire us after thousands of years. Nor are we the only ones to be so inspired. Through the centuries people have turned to the legend of Arthur for inspiration, and reinterpreted the story to fit their own times and circumstances.
In this course we will examine the history and development of this compelling myth, from the first vague reference in an obscure chronicle, through the medieval French romances and Malory's Morte d'Artur, to such modern interpretations of the legend as those by Mark Twain and T. H. White. Along the way we will see how each time has recast the story to address its own specific needs.
In particular we will be looking at two concepts which evolved along with the legend: chivalry and courtly love. We will see how they both developed, and the way they have affected such things as our sense of duty, our relationships with others (particularly with the opposite sex), and our sense of self. One aspect of the legend will receive particular attention, the story of the Quest of the Holy Grail. This is a particularly intriguing aspect of the Arthur legend which still fascinates us today (think of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, for example).
The course may be divided into three parts. The first will concentrate on the earliest references to Arthur and with the Welsh sources. In the second we will see how French sources and sensibilities affected the legend. Our main focus here will be on certain French romances and on the writings of Sir Thomas Malory. Finally, we will see how writers of the past century and a half have modernized the legend (or parodied it, in the case of Twain). The course will conclude with a discussion of how the legend of King Arthur continues to affect us, how we see it, and how we interpret it today (think, for example, of how the Kennedy years are still referred to as the years of "Camelot").
Your mark in this class will be based on the following :
Two in-class tests and an in-class final: On February 19 we will have an hourly exam on all material covered in the first part of the course; on April 4 we will have a second, non-comprehensive, hourly exam on material covered from Feb. 21 until April 2. Our final, which will be comprehensive, will be on Tuesday, May 6, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Please do not miss any of these tests unless you have a very good excuse. If you know ahead of time that you will not be able to make one, please let me know so that we can make other arrangements. If you miss them and offer no excuse, I reserve the right to penalize any make-up test as I see fit, or even to deny one altogether. (Please note that having to leave early for summer vacation is NOT a sufficient excuse for rescheduling the final.)
A term paper, due on Wednesday, April 30. Although I will give you a list of suggested topics in a few weeks, I encourage you to develop a topic of your own. Use this term paper as an opportunity to examine in depth an issue we merely touch upon in our class discussion, to examine an Arthurian work we do not discuss in class, or to explore an area of the Arthurian legend which especially interests you. More details about the term paper--length, format, etc.--will be given later.
Please be sure to have this paper in on the due date. My usual policy is to penalize late papers one letter grade for each class day they are late. Should you have trouble getting the paper done on time, please see me ahead of time so that we can make special arrangements for you.
Homework, exercises, quizzes, etc.: I will occasionally assign short papers or spot assignments for homework, or give individual or group in-class exercises. I may also give periodic quizzes, which cannot be made up if you miss them. All of these will count toward determining your final grade.
Class participation: Your imput is vital to the success of this class, and so it forms an important portion of your final grade. Nothing can be more deadly than listening to someone lecture for fifty minutes at a stretch, and I am interested in hearing your own ideas and opinions. This as much your class as it is mine.
The relative weight of the above in determining the final grade will be as follows:
Attendance: I expect you to attend every class, since every class is important: we will always be discussing new material, or presenting opinions and interpretations. Of course, I understand that conflicts do arise; and if you should have a problem attending a particular class, please let me know--ahead of time, if possible. Should you become sick, please have the health service send me a notice, or check with me when you return. But please let me know; if you are absent and offer no excuse, then I will assume that your absence is unexcused. My policy is to allow three unexcused absences, after which you grade is affected, usually one-third of a letter grade for each additional absence. For example, four unexcused absences would take you from a B to a B- or from a B- to a C+, five from a B to a C+.
Late arrivals/early departures: Please be on time for each class and please stay until dismissed. Should you have trouble getting to class on time, or if you have to leave early, please let me know. Any combination of three late arrivals or early departures without a sufficient excuse equals one unexcused absence.
FINAL NOTE: Should you be having trouble of any kind, please come to see me. I am here to help you; but I can only do that if I know that a problem exists. Please do not stay away out of shyness or fear.
Jan. 13: Introduction to the course.
15: The early chronicles: Gildas, Nennius, etc.
17
20 Geoffrey of Monmouth.
22
24
27 The Mabinogion and other early Welsh sources.
29
31: "The Lay of the Horn."
Feb. 3 Wace, Roman de Brut; Layamon, Brut.
5
7: The Alliterative Morte d'Artur
10
12
14: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
17
19: Test on the first part of the course.
21: The French influence. Begin Malory.
24-28: Spring break. No classes.
Mar. 3: Malory, "Merlin," "Balin, or the Knight with the Two Swords."
5
7
10 Malory, "Pelleas and Ettard," "The Knight of the Cart," "Lancelot and Elaine."
12
14
17 The Quest of the Holy Grail
19 Malory, "The Holy Grail."
21
24: Malory, "The Death of King Arthur."
26-31: Easter break. No classes.
Apr. 2: Review of Malory and the French material
4: Test on Malory and the French material.
7
9: Tennyson, The Idylls of the King
11
14
16: Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
18
21
23 White, The Once and Future King.
25
28 Modern versions of the Arthur legend.
30 Term paper due 4/30.
May 2: Review of the course.
6: 1:30-3:30 p.m.--final exam.
FINAL NOTE: No semester is totally predictable. Therefore, I reserve the right to make changes in this syllabus should circumstances warrant it. Of course, I will announce any such changes in advance. But unless I make such an announcement, this syllabus stands.