Transcript LegendsOverview

Legends and Heroes’
Impact on Culture:
Literary Criticism
Ms. Ward
English II
Essential Questions
 How have the heroes of literature affected culture?
 How can we use the research process, evaluate the
information gathered, and organize this
information to communicate effectively?
 NOTE: Through the study of legends, you will be
able to demonstrate critical thinking about the
historical and cultural implications on the author’s
style evident in the composition of two major
portfolio pieces:
- Character analysis
- Formal Research Paper
Key Literary Terms (1/4)
 Literary Criticism – written evaluation of a work of
literature through the study of the author’s style,
vocabulary, and historical and cultural implications
of the text
 Legend
- An unverified story handed down from earlier times,
especially on popularly believed to be historical
- A body or collection of such stories
- A romanticized or popularized myth of modern times
- One that inspires or achieve legendary fame
Answers.com
Key Literary Terms (2/4)
 Middle Ages/Medieval Period
- Begins with the conquest of 1066 and ends in the fifteenth
century
- Some of the highlights include feudalism, chivalry,
knighthood, and the Black Death
 King Arthur
- A Celtic King or chieftain who lived in southwestern
England during the 6th century and who led his warriors
against invading armies of Saxons
- His exploits were famous and over time, his story was
retold over and over again and morphed into “legend” as
storytellers wowed audiences with tales of Arthur
Key Literary Terms (3/4)
 Romance
- A literary genre that was popular during the Medieval
period known as romance or chivalric romance
- A style of heroic prose that focuses on fantastic stories and
adventures of chivalrous, heroic knight errants with superhuman abilities and who go off on quests
 Quest
- A journey towards a goal
- Serves as a plot device and (frequently) as a symbol
- In the tales of King Arthur, knights search for The Holy
Graal or Grail (a pearl rimmed cauldron linked with
Christianity)- WikiPedia
Key Literary Terms (4/4)
 Setting
- Includes the time, location, and everything in which a story
takes place
- Initiates the main backdrop and mood for a story
 Character - an imaginary person represented in a
work of fiction that we analyze by his/her speech,
thoughts, others’ thoughts of him/her, and his or
her actions
Terms
 Figurative Language - language that uses figures of
speech such as metaphors, similes, hyperbole, and
idioms occur to create imagery and meaning in a text
 Imagery - language that creates pictures through an
appeal to the five senses
 Universal Theme - a message about life that can be
understood in most cultures (Quizlet.com)
 Author’s Style - the elements of style and language and
how they work to impact meaning of a text. Focus on
literary elements, figurative language, and theme
through a historical perspective (literary criticism)
Elements of Legends
 Characters - will focus on a few characters
 Characteristics – will involve superhuman abilities,
mythic like qualities, heroes
 Setting - one of cultural relevance like England
The time is considered past realistic time.
Elements of Legends
 Plot
- Most likely includes plenty or action, suspense, and basic conflict
- May offer explanations about the beginnings of the world or
natural phenomenon
- May also focus on difficult tasks or obstacles to be overcome
- Deals with relationships between humans: the way people accept
or fulfill their destiny, and human’s struggle with god and evil
forces both within themselves and outside themselves
 Theme - explains natural phenomena, origins of life,
human behavior, social phenomena, religious customs,
human strengths, weaknesses or lessons for life
 Tone mood style - reflects culture's customs, values,
and beliefs
Meet the Middle Ages (1/4)
 An un-unified Europe
 Heavy influence of the Church (temptation and sin)
 Called Dark Ages
Meet the Middle Ages(2/4)
 Chivalry
- Knightly class of feudal Europe, and especially the gallantry
and honor expected of medieval knights
- The ideal of courteous knightly conduct developed in the
12th – 13th century
- It arose out of feudal obligation and stressed loyalty and
obeisance by a knight to his God, his lord, and his lady,
thus melding Christian and military virtues
- Chivalry was greatly strengthened by the Crusades, a
military endeavor on behalf of Christianity, which led to
the founding of the earliest orders of chivalry
Meet the Middle Ages(3/4)
 Chivalry (Cont.)
- The chivalric virtues included loyalty and honor, valor,
piety, courtesy, and chastity. Questions of love and honor
were combined in the ethos of courtly love
- The knight's lady was meant to be unobtainable, ensuring
chastity; the feminine ideal thus became melded with the
Virgin Mary
- In the 14th – 15th century, chivalry came to be associated
increasingly with aristocratic display and public ceremony,
particularly in jousting tournaments, rather than with
service in the field
Answers.com
Meet the Middle Ages (4/4)

Religion
- The most unifying aspect of medieval literature
- Nearly all works contain religion in some aspect
- The mystery play, which was born in during the
medieval period, deals completely with religion,
often to the exclusion of the other elements
Legend of King Arthur
 Arthur: King of Camelot
At the event of his birth, young
Arthur was taken by Merlin, as
payment for Merlin's sorcery
- He was to be raised by another
knight, Sir Ector
-
 Excalibur: Arthur’s Sword
- a mystical power in its own
right
- a vital part in King Arthur's
reign
- aided Arthur until his death
Knights of the Round Table
 Seekers of virtue
 Defenders of the weak
 Striving for excellence
 Acting with strength
 Courtesy and respect
Merlin
 Magician, Prophet,
Advisor
 Crucial to the reign of
Arthur
 Instrumental in Arthur’s
birth
 Prophesized Guinevere’s
betrayal
 Prophesized Arthur’s
death by Sir Mordred
Lancelot du Lac
 Greatest and most trusted of Arthur’s knights
 First Knight of the Round Table
 Fostered by the Lady of the Lake
 Father of Sir Galahad
 Had an affair with Lady Guinevere (Arthur’s wife)
 Prophecized Guinevere’s betrayal
 Prophecized Arthur’s death by Sir Mordred
 Greatest and most
Important Knights
 Sir Galahad
 Sir Lancelot du Lac
 Sir Gawain
 Sir Percivale
 Sir Bedivere
 Sir Bors de Ganis
 Sir Kay
 Sir Ector de Maris
 Sir Mordred
Camelot
 Arthur’s kingdom
 Place of peace and
prosperity
 Held the Knights of
the Round Table
 Point of downfall for
Arthur as well