2020-21 Academic Catalog

King Arthur is a figure from Western tradition whose name conjures a clear series of associations: the Sword in the Stone, the Round Table, the Holy Grail. This course traces the development of this tradition, from its origins in an obscure corner of the British Isles to its dominance within both European literature and the popular imagination. Similarly, Arthur himself takes on multiple, sometimes contradictory guises—an enemy of the English and yet a symbol of England, the archetype of the perfect king but a champion of democracy, the epitome of Christian devotion yet suffused with pagan imagery. Our texts range from medieval Welsh legend to modern film; everything is in modern English translation.