Program Overview

Legends of King Arthur: Medieval to Modern

Course Description

This course investigates the enduring popularity of the legend of Arthur, with an emphasis on its adaptability to the changing values and viewpoints of different cultural moments (Celtic, Medieval, Victorian, Modern). Themes to be investigated may include chivalry, courtly love, the grail quest, national identity, politics and gender relationships.

Course Details

• Code/Units: ENGL 281/3.0
• Prerequisites: (Level 2 or above) or (6.0 units of ENGL)
• Equivalents: ENGL 202; ENGL 281
• Language: English
• Discipline: English Language and Literature
• Faculty: Arts and Science
• Program Year: 2

Overview

This course introduces students to the literary tradition surrounding King Arthur, from the early medieval period to the twentieth century, focusing on the tradition within Great Britain. The course will follow the Arthurian myth, its stories and its characters, as they evolve through time in different contexts, and through different genres, from early romances to twentieth-century musical drama. Special attention will be paid to notions of kingship, nation, and gender as represented within Arthurian literature.

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this course should be able to:

• Identify and describe major Arthurian texts, giving examples of writers and works.
• Compare themes and styles of Arthurian texts from different periods of literature.
• Analyze passages from Arthurian literature, noting important elements in form and content.
• Formulate, develop and construct persuasive arguments based on evidence from the texts.
• Convey arguments in clear, coherent and grammatical prose. Individual students' grades will be based on how well they accomplish the learning outcomes.

Terms

• Fall 2025
  • Course Dates: September 2 – December 2, 2025
  • Exam Dates (if applicable): December 5 – 20, 2025
  • Delivery Mode: Online

Evaluation

• Online Discussions: 18%
• Close Reading Assignments: 15%
• Essay (1800 - 2000 words): 35%
• Proctored Final Exam: 32%
  • Evaluation Subject to Change

Textbook and Materials

Required texts and readings:

• Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the Kings of Britain , ed. Michael Faletra (Broadview)
• Sir Thomas Malory, _Morte Darthur, _ed. Helen Cooper (Oxford)
• Alfred Lord Tennyson,_ Idylls of the King _(Penguin)
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Broadview)
• T. H. White, The Once and Future King (Harper Collins)
• Marian Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon
• Lerner and Loewe On-line readings:
• Marie de France
• The Cambridge Companion to Arthurian Legends , "Introduction," "The Early Arthur, History and Myth"
• The Mabinogion "Culhwch and Olwen"
• Tennyson, "The Lady of Shalott"
• Selected poems by Edwin Muir, Thom Gunn and Geoffrey Hill Recommended guides and companions to Arthurian literature:
• _The Cambridge Companion to Arthurian Legends, _ed. Elizabeth Archibold and Ad Putter
• _A Companion to Arthurian Literature, _ed. Helen Fulton
• The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend by Alan Lupack

Time Commitment

To complete the readings, assignments, and course activities, students can expect to spend on average, about 9-10 hours per week (120 hours per term) on the course.