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Module 2 in
Inventing King Arthur
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Cluster
Discussion-based
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Low intensity
This course tracks Lancelot's development from hero of a medieval romance (part tale of adventure, part comedy of manners) to center of a political and moral tragedy. We look in detail at three texts: Chrétien de Troyes's Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart (c. 1180), Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur (1470) and Tennyson's Idylls of the King (1859).
Sir Lancelot, as everyone knows, is Arthur’s best and bravest knight—and also, the lover of Arthur’s wife, Guinevere. Examining this pivotal irony of the Arthurian tradition, this course tracks the development of Lancelot as a both character and a literary concept across three major works:
In Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart, master of French Arthurian romance, Chrétien de Troyes, invents a hero who loves Queen Guinevere beyond all bounds of reason—so much that he will face deadly perils and (worse yet) social humiliation to prove his devotion.
Sir Thomas Malory’s late medieval “Tale of Lancelot and Elayne” (part of his sprawling epic, Le Morte Darthur) introduces a would-be rival for Lancelot’s affections in the form of Elayne, the Fair Maid of Astolat. While retaining a few comic touches from earlier versions, this retelling cannot escape the doomed nature of Lancelot’s affair with the Queen.
Finally, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “Lancelot and Elayne” (part of his Idylls of the King) depicts Lancelot and Guinevere’s betrayal of their king as the moral rot at the foundation of a perfect but unsustainable society—and in so doing, reveals a Victorian sense of worlds away from Chrétien’s light-hearted original.
This module contains a mixture of lecture and discussion, with one lecture for each of the three works, and the rest of the meetings focusing on discussion.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Sir Lancelot, as everyone knows, is Arthur’s best and bravest knight—and also, the lover of Arthur’s wife, Guinevere. Examining this pivotal irony of the Arthurian tradition, this course tracks the development of Lancelot as a both character and a literary concept across three major works:
In Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart, master of French Arthurian romance, Chrétien de Troyes, invents a hero who loves Queen Guinevere beyond all bounds of reason—so much that he will face deadly perils and (worse yet) social humiliation to prove his devotion.
Sir Thomas Malory’s late medieval “Tale of Lancelot and Elayne” (part of his sprawling epic, Le Morte Darthur) introduces a would-be rival for Lancelot’s affections in the form of Elayne, the Fair Maid of Astolat. While retaining a few comic touches from earlier versions, this retelling cannot escape the doomed nature of Lancelot’s affair with the Queen.
Finally, Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “Lancelot and Elayne” (part of his Idylls of the King) depicts Lancelot and Guinevere’s betrayal of their king as the moral rot at the foundation of a perfect but unsustainable society—and in so doing, reveals a Victorian sense of worlds away from Chrétien’s light-hearted original.
This module contains a mixture of lecture and discussion, with one lecture for each of the three works, and the rest of the meetings focusing on discussion.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: Chretien de Troyes and the Creation of Lancelot |
| Discussion 1: Lancelot, The Knight of the Cart (first half) | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Courtly Romance and Comedy of Manners |
| Discussion 2: Lancelot, The Knight of the Cart (second half) | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Sir Thomas Malory: Knight Prisoner |
| Discussion 3: Le Morte Darthur, “The Tale of Lancelot and Elayne” | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4:Tennyson’s Tragic Arthurian Vision |
| Discussion 4: Idylls of the King: “Lancelot and Elayne” |
Required Texts
Any translation of Chretien’s romances.
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This module is a standing candidate which means it will be ready to launch as soon as it gets enough interest. Token holders can set aside a Token to reserve their seat for this candidate and help it get confirmed.
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This will be a Hybrid class (4 lectures & 4 discussion sessions). Each week will consist of 1 hour of recorded lecture and 1 hour of live discussion (not recorded) for a total of 8 class hours over the course of the month.
DELIVERY PLAN
1. The Monday sessions each week will be a lecture session (recorded live), shared with all students afterward in case they wish to review the session or were unable to attend it live.
2. The Wednesday sessions each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).
DELIVERY PLAN
1. The Monday sessions each week will be a lecture session (recorded live), shared with all students afterward in case they wish to review the session or were unable to attend it live.
2. The Wednesday sessions each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).
Days and Times
Meeting Mondays & Wednesdays at 6:00 PM Eastern for eight 1-hour sessions on January 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, and 29