ENGL 320H: The Arthurian Tradition

Dr. Koster

The second written project in this course will be a paper on a modern treatment of the Arthurian legend. This paper is due on  Tuesday, December 9 (the last day of class). It should be at least five pages long (exclusive of your Works Cited page).

Choose one of the five modern interpretations of the Arthurian tradition we have discussed in the second half of the semester (Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Sword in the Stone, Sword at Sunset, Mists of Avalon, Excalibur). 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. (If you wish to work with another modern adaptation, you must clear that work with me before Thanksgiving break.)

In writing this paper, I would like you to reflect upon 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 Merlini. 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 writer reach a different conclusion or provide a different outlook on the character(s) than does his or her medieval source? 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?

Specifications: All papers must be documented following the MLA parenthetical documentation style. This is explained in the Prentice Hall Reference Guide ch. 52  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. There is a new edition of the MLA Handbook (5th edition) that covers Internet documentation; you can access these special forms at http://www.mla.org or through the English Department home page (http://www.winthrop.edu/english or the Writing Center home page (http://www.winthrop.edu/wcenter).  Format your  papers using the guidelines on pages 275 ff. of the Prentice Hall Reference Guide; no need for a separate cover page. "Typed" (that  is, computer‑produced rather than handwritten) papers are expected. 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. Excuses offered in advance are likely to earn more leniency than those offered after the fact. Failure to plan or manage time wisely on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

Turnitin.com: We will once again use Turnitin.com for submitting the paper. The course ID # 1098338 and password excalibur remain the same. Submit this paper to the folder "Assignment 2."