The Crowning of Arthur Sir Launcelot du Lake

110 Pages·2011·14.25 MB·English

H E R O E S
HERO ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
WHAT MAKES SOMEONE A HERO?
HOW DO WE DEFINE HEROES IN OUR CULTURE?
HOW/ WHY DO CULTURES CREATE HEROES?
DO HEROES HAVE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES?
WHAT UNIVERSAL VALUES & CHARACTERISTICS
ARE FOUND ACROSS CULTURES AND TIME?
HOW DO VARIOUS CULTURES REWARD / RECOGNIZE
THEIR HEROES?
HOW HAVE VARIOUS SOCIETIES DEFINED “HERO” THROUGHOUT HISTORY?
* How do you define "Hero"
*How do mondern day heroes
compare to "traditional Heroes"
* What are some of the common
characteristics you think of
when you think of a hero?
** TThhiinnkk ooff ssoommee ooff tthhee HHeerrooeess wwee
have in American Culture. How do
they represent American Values?
* Who is your favorite (super)hero
Why??
medieval Romance
The M edieval Rom ance Genre
T
he heroes who populate the
pages of medieval romances are
knights in shinning armor. A Ro-
mance is an adventure tale that fea-
tures extravagant characters, exotic
places, heroic events, passionate
love, and supernatural forces. Ro
mances first appeared in Old French
literature of the 12th century and
wuickly spread throughout Europe.
The best-known English romances
concern the legendary King Arthur
and his knights of the Round Table.
Romance literature expresses the
ideals of chivalry, an elaborate code
of honor that is described in the
chart. As the stories entertain read-
ers, they also convey medival values
of loyalty and Christian Faith.
Literary Analysis Workshop
model: conventions of medieval romance
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a famous romance originally composed
in verse. Gawain is a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table. On New Year’s
Day, when all are gathered at the court, a giant green knight issues
an unusual challenge: any man may strike him with an axe, provided
the Green Knight can return the blow a year later. Notice how Gawain
responds to the challenge.
from Sir Gawain and the
(cid:2)
Green night
Romance retold by Constance Hieatt
The knight leaped down from his horse and handed the great axe to the Close Read
king. While Arthur swung it to test its weight, the tall knight waited calmly. 1. Reread Gawain’s speech in
He tossed off his cloak, with no sign of fear.
the boxed text. In what
But now Sir Gawain, who had remained quietly in his place at the table, ways does he show the
5 spoke courteously to Arthur: “I beg you, let this contest be mine, dear lord— traits of a romance hero?
allow me to take your place. It is not seemly that you, our king, should accept
such a challenge when all around you sit the bravest knights in the world. I am
the least of them, and my life is worth little. But I am the first to ask. Let me
be the one to take this knight’s dare.”
After Gawain accepts the challenge, the Green Knight prepares for Gawain’s blow.
10 The knight in green bent and pulled his long hair forward over his head,
so that his neck was bare. Gawain gripped the weapon with both hands and
raised it high over his head. He leaned forward on his left foot, and swung the 2. What elements of the
axe down with such force that it went straight through the neck and bit into supernatural are evident
the floor. The Green Knight’s head fell to the ground and tumbled toward the in this tale? Cite specific
15 high table, where knights and ladies drew back in horror as it rolled. details to support your
Yet the bleeding, headless body did not fall! The green man stood up, answer.
walked briskly over to his head, and picked it up by the long hair. Then he
turned to his horse, caught hold of the bridle, and swung into the saddle,
sitting there as easily as if nothing had happened. He held up the head,
20 turning it to face the high table. It opened its red eyes and spoke: “Gawain, 3. If Gawain does not meet
Gawain, remember the promise you made before your king and this company. the Green Knight next
I am the knight of the Green Chapel. Next New Year’s Day you will find me New Year’s Day, how will
there. If you will look for me, you will find me. Therefore come, or be called he violate the code of
chivalry?
coward by all men!”
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literary analysis workshop
Literary Analysis Workshop
This excerpt is from Le Morte d’Arthur, a 15th-century English collection of
Arthurian romances. Here, King Arthur discovers that King Pellinore has
injured a young knight. Angered, Arthur challenges King Pellinore to a
joust, a form of medieval combat in which two mounted knights armed
with long spears try to unseat each other from their horses. Merlin, a
prophet and magician, has accompanied Arthur to the challenge.
from Le Morte d’Arthur
Romance by Sir Thomas Malory, retold by Keith Baines
Merlin accompanied Arthur to the well, and when they arrived they found
Close Read
King Pellinore seated outside his pavilion. “Sir,” said Arthur, “it would seem
that no knight can pass this well without your challenging him.” 1. The code of chivalry
“That is so,” said King Pellinore. required that knights
5 “I have come to force you to change this custom of yours, so defend yourself!” act with bravery and
courtesy. How are these
They jousted three times, each time breaking their spears, until the third
qualities reflected in
time, when Arthur was flung from his horse. “Very well,” said Arthur, “you
Arthur’s and Pellinore’s
have won the advantage jousting; now let us see what you can do on foot.”
behavior and actions?
King Pellinore was reluctant to dismount and lose the advantage he had
Support your answer
10 won; however, when Arthur rushed at him boldly with drawn sword, he grew
with specific details.
ashamed and did dismount.
They fought until both collapsed from pain and exhaustion; their armor
was splintered and the blood flowed from their wounds. They fought again,
until Arthur’s sword broke in his hand. “Now,” said King Pellinore, “you shall
15 yield to me, or die.”
“Not so!” Arthur shouted as he sprang at him, and grabbing him around
the waist, threw him to the ground. Arthur was unlacing his helmet when,
with a sudden fearful effort, King Pellinore overturned Arthur and clambered 2. What common
on top of him. King Pellinore had loosened Arthur’s helmet and raised his characteristic of medieval
20 sword to strike off his head when Merlin spoke. romance is revealed in
“Hold your hand!” he said; “you will endanger the whole realm. You do not the boxed lines?
realize who it is you are about to kill.”
“Who is it, then?”
“King Arthur.” 3. How does the
25 Hearing this, King Pellinore feared that he would receive little mercy from supernatural play a role
Arthur if he spared him—so he raised his sword once more. Merlin adroitly in the story? Is it a force
put him to sleep with a magic spell. for good or evil?
“You have killed him with your magic,” said Arthur hotly. “I would rather 4. Which knight—Pellinore
that my whole realm were lost, and myself killed; he was a magnificent fighter.” or Arthur—displays more
30 “He is more whole than you are,” Merlin replied. “He will not only live, qualities of a romance
but serve you excellently: It is to him that you will give your sister in marriage, hero? Cite details from
and she will bear two sons—Sir Percivale and Sir Lamerok—who will be two the excerpt to support
of the most famous of the Knights of the Round Table.” your opinion.
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literary analysis workshop
Before Reading
Le Morte d’Arthur
from
The Crowning of Arthur
Sir Launcelot du Lake
Romance by Sir Thomas Malory
Retold by Keith Baines
k n igh t
?
Could you be a
KEY IDEA The time of knights—roughly 1100 to 1400—is often called
the age of chivalry. The term chivalry refers to the code of conduct
that medieval knights were expected to follow. Chivalry promoted
the idea of the knight as both a warrior and a gentleman. He was
to be courageous, honest, loyal, generous to enemies, and protective
of women and the weak. In the following selections, you will read
about the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table
and see how they lived up to the standards of medieval knighthood.
DISCUSS Could you be a knight? With a partner, discuss
the traits associated with knights. Then try to provide Chivalric My
Traits
examples from your own life that demonstrate each Examples
1. Courage
trait. Afterward, review your partner’s responses. Four or
five examples mean that he or she is worthy to join the 2. Honesty
company of the Round Table. 3. Loyalty
4. Generosity
5. Kindness
FPO
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literary analysis: medieval romance
In the 12th century, a new literary form—the romance—
A Knight Himself The man who wrote
developed in France and spread throughout Europe. The main
Le Morte d’Arthur called himself “Syr Thomas
purpose of a romance was to recount the heroic deeds of
Maleore, knight.” He also indicated that
knights and to celebrate their chivalric way of life. A famous he completed this work in the ninth year
romance is Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, which of Edward IV’s reign (1469 or 1470), and
features King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. As you he added a prayer that he be delivered
from prison. Although his precise identity
read the selections, notice the conventions of medieval romance:
remains uncertain, most historians believe
• idealized noble characters him to be Sir Thomas Malory (1405?– 1471),
an English knight who lived at the end of
• exaggerated or larger-than-life behavior
the Middle Ages.
• a hero’s quest, which is motivated by love, religious faith,
Behind Bars As a youth, Malory fought
or a desire for adventure
bravely for England during the Hundred
• supernatural or magical elements Years’ War with France. In the 1440s,
however, he embarked on a life of crime.
• unusual or exotic settings
From 1451 on, Malory was imprisoned several
• incidents involving hidden or mistaken identity
times, accused of such crimes as highway
robbery and attempted murder. In 1462, he
reading skill: evaluate joined rebel forces opposing Edward IV in the
Wars of the Roses. Accused of treason, he
The chivalric code is of great importance in the world Malory
spent the remainder of his life in London’s
describes. As you read, evaluate, or make judgments about, Newgate Prison, where historians believe he
how well the main characters follow the code. Complete a wrote Le Morte d’Arthur.
chart like the one shown. For each character listed, place a
more about the author
check mark by the chivalric traits he demonstrates.
For more on Sir Thomas Malory, visit
the Literature Center at ClassZone.com.
Uther Arthur Launcelot Tarquine
Courage Background
Honesty Legendary King The legend of King Arthur
is one of the most popular and enduring
Loyalty
legends in Western culture. Some scholars
Generosity believe the tales of King Arthur were
inspired by the heroic deeds of an actual
Kindness
Celtic chieftain or warlord who defended
Britain against Anglo-Saxon (Germanic)
invaders during the 5th or 6th century.
vocabulary in context However, the historical Arthur was
undoubtedly very different from the king
The following words are used in the selections. Some of these
of legend, who ruled an idealized world of
words may seem unusual or antiquated. Review the list, noting
knights, damsels, and dragons.
any familiar roots, prefixes, and suffixes that might help you The earliest tales of Arthur come from
unlock the meanings of the words. Welsh literature. Malory drew upon these
ancient tales and several 13th-century
word French romances in writing Le Morte
abash ignominiously succession
list d’Arthur. Most English-speaking readers
adversary prowess vindicate
know of the Arthurian legend through this
fidelity recompense work or one of its modern retellings.
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le morte d’arthur
from Le Morte d’Arthur
Crowning Arthur
The of
Sir Thomas Malory
K ing Uther Pendragon,1 ruler of all Britain, had been at war for many ANALYZE VISUALS
years with the Duke of Tintagil in Cornwall when he was told of the The two scenes shown
beauty of Lady Igraine,2 the duke’s wife. Thereupon he called a truce are from a medieval
manuscript about King
and invited the duke and Igraine to his court, where he prepared a feast for
Arthur. What event
them, and where, as soon as they arrived, he was formally reconciled to the
does each scene seem
duke through the good offices of his courtiers.3 to depict?
In the course of the feast, King Uther grew passionately desirous of Igraine
and, when it was over, begged her to become his paramour.4 Igraine, however,
being as naturally loyal as she was beautiful, refused him.
10 “I suppose,” said Igraine to her husband, the duke, when this had happened,
“that the king arranged this truce only because he wanted to make me his
mistress. I suggest that we leave at once, without warning, and ride overnight
to our castle.” The duke agreed with her, and they left the court secretly.
The king was enraged by Igraine’s flight and summoned his privy council.5
They advised him to command the fugitives’ return under threat of renewing
the war; but when this was done, the duke and Igraine defied his summons.
He then warned them that they could expect to be dragged from their castle
within six weeks. a EVALUATE
The duke manned and provisioned6 his two strongest castles: Tintagil for Summarize the events
20 Igraine, and Terrabyl, which was useful for its many sally ports,7 for himself. that lead King Uther to
renew his battle with the
Soon King Uther arrived with a huge army and laid siege to Terrabyl; but
duke of Tintagil. Do you
despite the ferocity of the fighting, and the numerous casualties suffered by
think King Uther behaves
both sides, neither was able to gain a decisive victory. a honorably? Why or why
Still enraged, and now despairing, King Uther fell sick. His friend Sir Ulfius not?
came to him and asked what the trouble was. “Igraine has broken my heart,”
the king replied, “and unless I can win her, I shall never recover.”
1. Uther Pendragon (LPthEr pDn-drBgPEn): Uther took the name Pendragon after seeing a dragon-shaped
comet, which foretold his ascension to power. Pendragon refers to a supreme chief or leader.
2. Igraine (C-grAnP).
3. offices of his courtiers (kôrtPtC-Erz): services of his court attendants.
4. paramour (pBrPE-mMrQ): sweetheart or lover.
5. privy (prGvPC) council: a group of advisers who serve a ruler.
6. provisioned: supplied. Arthur Extracting the Sword (1280)
from Histoire de Merlin. MS
7. sally ports: gates or doors in the walls of fortifications, from which troops can make sudden attacks. Fr.95, f.159v 14tr. Bibliothèque
Nationale de France, Paris. Photo ©
Bibliotheque Nationale de
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unit 10: greek tragedy and medieval romance France, Paris.