Tennyson and Arthurian
Legend
|
|
|
Idylls of the King: |
|
“The Passing of Arthur” |
Arthurian Legend
|
|
|
Body of myths about legendary King
Arthur—supposedly ruled England in 5th century AD |
|
Camelot, capitol of Arthur’s
nation—symbolized ideal of national harmony |
|
Knights of the Round Table, Arthur’s
order of knighthood—knights were dedicated to fighting for moral purposes |
Arthurian Legend
|
|
|
Lancelot, Arthur’s greatest knight and
best friend—had love affair with Arthur’s wife Guinivere |
|
Loss of Round Table’s moral values—led
to civil war and destruction of Camelot |
Victorian Revival of
Arthurian Legend
|
|
|
What did the legend of Arthur mean to
Victorians? |
"Heroic inspiration
for progress"
|
|
|
Heroic inspiration for progress |
|
Nostalgic connection to past greatness |
|
Warning about loss of traditional
values |
|
Sense of order and national identity in
a time of threatening change |
Idylls of the King
|
|
|
Idyll—narrative poem treating a
romantic theme |
|
Tennyson wrote 12 separate Idylls based
on Arthurian legend |
|
Published as a collection in 1888 |
|
Intended as a modern epic |
|
Expresses need for moral order to
survive in the face of change |
“The Passing of Arthur”
"Recounts final
battle of civil..."
|
|
|
Recounts final battle of civil war that
destroyed Arthur’s kingdom |
|
Narrated by Sir Bedivere, Arthur’s
First and Last Knight |
|
Modred, Arthur’s corrupt nephew,
revealed Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair, usurped Arthur’s throne, and
instigated civil war |
"Arthur laments that
his kingdom..."
|
|
|
Arthur laments that his kingdom has
returned to chaos but continues to fight evil despite defeat (Christ figure) |
|
Sir Gawaine’s ghost warns Arthur of his
passing (loss of spiritual values) |
|
Arthur kills Modred but receives a
mortal wound |
"Sir Bedivere tries
3 times..."
|
|
|
Sir Bedivere tries 3 times to return
Excalibur to Lady of the Lake |
|
Arthur passes away to Avilion,
promising to return again |
|
Claims that the loss of his order will
lead to a new and better order |
|
|
Tennyson’s Message
|
|
|
In times of change and loss, keep the
faith in moral order |
|
While cultures and traditions change, a
greater, divine order remains |
|
Remaining true to the greater order can
cause growth and progress to come from destructive change |
Monty Python and the Holy
Grail
1974
|
|
|
|
Reflects a 20th-century,
postmodern attitude to notion of an orderly universe |
|
Satirizes forms of order—political,
religious, military, etc. |
|
Influence of Theater of the Absurd |
|
Life is absurd, without fixed
meaning/absolute truth |
|
Responds to life’s absurdity with
bizarre satiric humor |
|
|