An Introduction to British Arthurian Narrative (New Perspectives on Medieval Literature) (New Perspectives on Medieval Literature: Authors and Traditions) - Hardcover

Aronstein, Susan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813041899 ISBN 13: 9780813041896

Publisher: University Press of Florida, 2012

Synopsis

The legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table permeate our culture: we find them in novels, movie parodies, and even the American government. Yet beneath and before it all lies a deep literary tradition that has influenced history, art, and culture over the centuries.

Examining the legend at its very source, An Introduction to British Arthurian Narrative covers over 400 years and discusses a broad range of romances, histories, and parodies written about King Arthur in Britain during the medieval period.

The modern Anglo-American version of the Arthurian tale stems from Sir Thomas Malory's fifteenth-century compendium Le Morte D'Arthur, which was written at the end of the tale's first period of widespread popularity, which began in the early twelfth century. Susan Aronstein demonstrates that, as Arthur's transformation from a "leader of battles" in early histories, to a powerful chieftain in Welsh tales, and, finally, into England’s "once and future king", at every point, these tales reflected the ongoing contest for sovereignty over the island of Britain--and the very definition of "British".

About this title

About the Author

Susan Aronstein, professor of English at the University of Wyoming, is the author of Hollywood Knights: Arthurian Cinema and the Politics of Nostalgia.

Edition details

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813041899
• ISBN 13: 9780813041896
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208