Arthurian Legends
(Focus questions)
What is the significance of the Arthurian legends?
In what ways do the Arthurian legends meet the expectations for
medieval romance?
What makes the characters of the Arthurian legends so interesting?
What makes the Arthurian legends somewhat controversial?
Arthurian Legends (Title)
I. What is the significance of the Arthurian legends (Focus
Question 1)
A. Interesting tales that offered hope (Main point)
1. a bleak period –pre-Arthur (specific fact/detail)
a. political/social instability (facts/details)
1. war lords reigned
a. lawlessness was typically –with the strong
imposing on
the weak (often ending in bloodshed)
b. crime was rampant –lack of justice and
security led to
insecurity about the present and future
b. pre-chivalry times (chivalry is a based on a
combination of Christian and military principles,
with knights striving to reach self betterment
by protecting the weak & innocent, protecting the
king & country, and embarking on quests)
1. no unifying code of conduct for knights
a. again—instability & survival of the strong/ to heck with
the peasants
2. these legends fulfilled the wishes of peasants
(those most disenfranchised)/ offered hope of a king that would
rise to power and
restore order in their lives
1. like the king (Arthur) in this collection of legends
B. Influenced readers of the Middle Ages/ continue to exert Influence (Main
point)
1. Provided escape from bleak, harsh lives
2. Set the standard for romances
a. others emulated
3. various literary & pop culture allusions (in other works to Arthurian
legends)
a. “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”
b. Monte Python and the Holy Grail
4. legends still in print today & enjoyed by modern audiences
C. Main point …..
1. specific fact/detail
2. facts/details
II. In what ways do the Arthurian legends meet the expectations for medieval
romance? (Focus Question two)
A. Main point (archetypal characters)
1. knights (go on quests & chivalrous)
2. sorcerers & shape shifters
3. ….
B. Main point (Christian references)
1. major events often occur on or as a result of Christian holidays
a. symbolic symbolism
2. allusions to specific stories & characters from the Bible
a. Joseph
b. Arthur –the implication of ruling again (Jesus-like reference)
3.
III. Focus Question three
A. Main point
1. specific fact/detail
2. facts/details
3. etc.
ETC……
Your works cited page likely will NOT fit on the same page as your outline. MLA rules for documenting
sources apply.
Works Cited
*double space
*alphabetize (according to author’s last name, or title if no author)
*indent the second line if the entry is two or more lines long
*include all available citation information –according to MLA format
*NO EXTRA line spacing between entries