ENGL 310: The Arthurian Tradition
Dr. Koster
Spring 2010

Critical Paper

Since this is a course in the Arthurian tradition, the big written project in this course asks you to examine some manifestation of that tradition in “modern” literature, politics, art, music, or film. (For the purposes of this paper, we’ll define ‘modern’ as ‘post-1800.’) This paper is due on April 14. It should be at least 8-10 pages long (exclusive of your Works Cited page).

Choose an interpretation of the Arthurian tradition that has engaged your interest. It can be a book, a set of paintings, an opera, a film, a political campaign, or other interpretation--please consult with me if you have any questions about the appropriateness of your choice. In this paper you are asked to consider the author's specific use of Arthurian sources and the modern work's artistic merit. In other words, you should consider how the writer makes use of the medieval materials related to Arthur and his court and then determine whether or not the author has written an effective story or work of art. Appropriate secondary research in scholarly sources is expected; this means using the MLA database, JSTOR, and other appropriate search tools as well as library books. We'll discuss these in class. Remember the Arthurian Resources link on our class home page!

You may not write on the same interpretation for this paper as you do for your book club paper. No double-dipping.

The paper should not just be an information dump ("Here are some interesting things I learned about Pre-Raphaelite Arthurian paintings"), but should express an opinion about the interpretation you've chosen to examine ("In their paintings, Morris and Rosetti reworked Arthurian stories to criticize the treatment of artists in Victorian England"). So in writing this paper, I would like you to construct an argument that encompasses the following:

1. How does the writer's story differ from the medieval sources? What does the author gain by altering his or her medieval source or including Arthurian materials in the story? (Remember that we have not read all the medieval Arthurian materials, so you may need to do some research to see what other sources, or parts of sources, these authors have adapted. For instance, Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave uses other parts of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia as well as his Vita Merlin, and the Pre-Raphaelites were using Tennyson's interpretations of the legend as well as Malory's). You may have to look around for a translation or edition of those materials, or for a complete text of Malory.)

2. How specifically does the writer use her/his source material? Don’t talk in generalizations (“When White uses Malory”) but instead look at specific passages (“When White adapts Malory’s story of Sir Urry, he eliminates….”). I want to see you compare specific passages of the texts against each other.

3. Does the artist reach a different conclusion or provide a different outlook on the character(s) than does his or her medieval source(s)? Is the author's use of Arthurian materials appropriate to the point s/he or she wishes to make? Why? Is the adaptation a satisfying “take” on the Arthurian tradition? Why or why not?

Paper Plan: In two weeks I will ask you to submit a paper plan for this essay. It should include a thesis statement, a rough outline or a long paragraph of explanation as to how you see the paper proceeding, and an annotated bibliography of at least 5 scholarly sources that you may use in the writing of your paper. This bibliography must be correctly documented in 2009 MLA style.

Specifications: All papers must be documented following the 2009 MLA parenthetical documentation style. This is explained in the Prentice Hall Reference Guide and in many other handbooks. You are responsible for following it. Any material taken from a source (your textbooks, something from the library, something from the Internet, etc.) must be documented. Since MLA forms for documenting electronic sources keep evolving, you may wish to check http://www.mla.org  or the English Department's Handbook for English Majors (http://www2.winthrop.edu/english/handbook/index.htm; see under "Tools for Writing About Literature") or the Writing Center home page ( http://www.winthrop.edu/wcenter).

Format your papers using the guidelines in the Prentice Hall Reference Guide; no need for a separate cover page. Use 12-point standard (not italic) fonts and MLA margins. Evidence that you care about your writing, such as appointment slips from the Writing Center, influences me favorably. (Yes, this is a hint.) Failure to plan or manage time wisely on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part. Plan accordingly.

Schedule:

Turnitin.com: All papers must be submitted to www.turnitin.com or they will not be graded. I will give you the ID# and password in class.
Grading Rubric: Click here to see the grading rubric.