English 189-1 - Fall, 2011

Seminar in Literary Studies

Topic: Arthurian Romance in Literature & Film

Class Information

Instructor: Dunn, Jason
CRN: 62464
Time: TR 1:40-3:00
Location: 123 Wellman

Description

From post-modern novelists to contemporary film makers, the legend of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table continues to inspire writers and artists of all kinds. In this course, we will explore the foundations of the tradition in medieval English and French texts and then move on to consider recent adaptations in literature and film. We will address a range of critical concerns, including the historicity of the legend, the reception of the tradition in the 19th and 20th centuries, and representations of gender.

Grading

Discussion/Participation
Short Essays (3)
Final Essay
Group Project
Presentation
Final

Texts

Idylls of the King, Lord Alfred Tennyson
Arthurian Romances, Chretien de Troyes
Le Morte Darthur, Sir Thomas Malory
The Non-Existent Knight, Italo Calvino
FILMS
Lancelot du lac, Robert Bresson (1974)
Excalibur (1981)
Ladyhawke (1985)
King Arthur (2004)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Tristan and Isolde (2006)
The Romance of Arthur, Wilhelm