Arthurian Legend The Romance vs The Epic reflects

Arthurian Legend: The Romance vs. The Epic reflects the values of the Heroic Age of kings, warriors, and mead halls. The Romance reflects the values of the Age of Chivalry represented in the legends of King Arthur. u

The Epic vs. The Romance Epic u Clear, realistic story u Rank and social distinctions not important/nonexistent u Love absent or a minor side detail u Fighting motivated and serious Romance u Mystery and fantasy u Rank and social distinctions strongly stressed u Love supreme focus of a Romance u Fighting spontaneous and very violent

The Epic vs. The Romance Epic u Hero sober, simple man u Group action (warriors) Emphasis on glory and transitions of life u Tragic and serious adventures u Romance u Hero playful, witty, and complicated u Hero is isolated individual quests u Emphasis on adventure and life to come u More light-hearted story line

Origin of the Romance… u Apparently, old French epics and songs form the end of the 11 th century.

The Romance gave expression to the most cherished… u. Religious ideals u. Political ideals u. Courtly ideals

English Romance: u. Striking situations and unusual plots-mysterious

French Romance: u. Delicate sentiments and precisely analyzed plots

Arthurian Romance u Arthur really lived during the 6 th century u Led the Welsh forces against the invading Anglo-Saxons u Became a legend throughout Europe for this feat and later became the subject of English Romances