What makes an Arthurian Legend?

What allows a piece of literature to withstand nearly 600 years of analysis and skepticism to solidify itself as a masterpiece and cornerstone of tradition and culture? The answer is that the stories of King Arthur and his followers offer a "larger than life" situation that captivates the reader into taking the literary all the way to the end. Only a truly special story could create the kind of buzz and fascination that King Arthur did. Since the publishing of Le Morte d'Arthur, in 1485, there have been numerous variations of film and literature adaptations that give their own spin to the tale and provide a new aspect for readers to feast upon. The stories are so rich in detail and thought that there are uncountable areas for someone to focus; whether it be a tyrannical king's ploy to bed a lady and create a future king, or a young squire's rise to the crown and fame, or the forbidden love of a knight and a queen, or the indescribable magic laden throughout the stories.

Take, for prime example, Le Morte d'Arthur that serves as the basis for any and every Arthurian adaptation there has been. The simple yet thought-provoking wording allows for the reader to escape into the world of old England and trail the knights of Camelot on their journey to glory.
" 'Because Gwynevere is destined to love Sir Launcelot, and he her, and many disasters will result from their love.' "(Malory 57)
From this quote stems one of the great stories within the tale that is King Arthur's life, the secret love of Lancelot and Gwynevere. That love has caused various subsequent stories and films that have probably been a strong piece in the backbone that is the survival of this legend. Malory uses foreshadowing and illustrious story-telling skills to lay the foundations of Arthur's downfall while playing the reader into the love triangle that is involved. The epic romance and betrayal has caught the attention of many since its inception in 1485.

Probably the second most well known Arthurian piece is T.H. White's adaptation The Once and Future King. In his adaptation, White, uses beautifully romantic language to paint the picture of what each character encounters and their ordeals. This version of the stories is actually alluded to a lot more than Malory's work but is actually derived from Malory's work so not much is lost. Somethings are changed, such as Lancelot's lack of amazingnessosity and Merlin's odd aging, but that is what allowed for lovers of the tales to enjoy a fresh new twist.
"Arthur proved that he was not quite done, by lifting his head. There was something invincible in his heart, a tincture of grandness in simplicity."(White 634)
The detail and structure of White's legend gives insight into the characters inner thoughts and mind plots. Through this more readers can relate to the story and its inhabitants which explains its use in other modern day works. Other adaptions are films, such as First Knight with the legendary Sean Connery, which combine bits and pieces from both works as well as taking other liberties to create a condensed Hollywood version for die-hards to rejoice over.

It doesn't matter in what form, film or literary, there is no escaping the everlasting love for the Arthurian Legends. It is the simplistic yet detailed, modern yet old, beautiful yet dark, fantasmic yet gloomorous ways that the stories are presented that keep it fresh yet classic. As long as creativity and ingenious survive so will these amazing tales.

Beowulf: Glory Hog or Nice Guy?

In the time of the Danes there was one thing that made a man a legend, and that was fame. If a warrior did nothing famous he was no one special. That's why Beowulf boasts very often to many people, it is his pride showing not his greed. To boast about your great deeds was normal for all Danish warriors, especially those who accomplished nearly miraculous feats. It was those men who would become heroes, legends, and kings. Their names would be the ones remembered in the historical texts of their people and echoed throughout the halls of time. Beowulf is not a glory hog but only a man with great pride who wants to bring greatness to his people.

Book Cover

My immediate reaction to looking at the four possible book covers is that the second one should be the true cover. It illustrates a picture that can construct endless possibilities in the onlookers mind. At first glance, a maniacally devilish face stares right back. After further investigation, a little boy is shown trapped in a prison of some sorts, perhaps his own mind? The play on the images, of the cover, give the reader a chance to ponder many of the big questions of the story; such as what is truly going on with Ben, how terrible it must be in his situation, his relationship with his family, etc. The other covers are intriguing and can bring attention to the novel but I believe none can compare to the second cover and the justice it pays to Doris Lessing and her message.

2nd Frankenstein Post

With it being over 183 years since Mary Shelley created her spectacular novel, there is still debate as to what her message was to all who read it. Many believe that her intent was to criticize man's strive to achieve a god-like status through science. The other argument is that Shelley wanted to create a character who had emotional questions and inner struggle just as any reader would too and be able to relate to the creature. Christopher Schildt put it very eloquently;
"'Mary Shelley was not writing about the evils of science and progress,...But suffering and loss and pain, the feeling of being ostracized...'"
I strongly agree with Mr. Schildt because it was not in the nature of a romantic writer to criticize exploration and experimentation but to encourage it. A romantic writer, like Mary Shelley, uses illustrious words to portray feelings to the reader and to convey their theme, in this case inner pain and loss. Everyone has felt, at one time or another, like they were an outcast and no one understood their feelings; Shelley played on this feeling to make her creature have a sympathetic facet so as to drag the reader closer.
"But soon...I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct." (Shelley 213)
There is not a good soul on this earth that could not feel even a shred of sympathy for that statement...even from a "Monster".

The "Original Horror Story", Frankenstein, created by Mary Shelley is a captivating tale of inner struggle from various points of view. Shelley uses her romantic style to illustrate the novel in a way that the reader is pulled in and is forced to go through the controversy along with the characters. I know that I formed my own opinion's on Victor's actions as he went along with his experiments, and also debated whether or not the creation of a bride would be appropriate. That is all due to Mary Shelley roping me into caring about the character's fate, especially the creature's.

"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instance, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed upon me?" (Shelley 125)

It is quotes like this that make me want to be sympathetic towards the creature and his "feelings". Who are we to judge what has feeling? Compassion? Loneliness? Self-Esteem? Just because something does not live in the same manner we, as "human-beings", do doesn't mean that it, too, isn't living. Something that lives on this Earth, breathing the same air and drinking the same water as us, fully deserves the same rights any of us "human-beings" are given just by birth.

FIRST POST!1!@!zomg!!!11!!!!12

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!