Post #6: Endurance of the Arthurian Legend

For a thousand years, the Arthurian Legend has been passed down from generation to generation. How has this tale lasted all this time? Simply because it is the greatest medieval romance ever to be told. It is full of love and romance, drama, magic, chivalry, and last but not least, adventure. All these elements would keep anyone interested, from a thousand years ago, to now.

From the beginning of the story, to the end, there is plenty of drama. Arthur's father, King Uther Pendragon, ruler of all Britain, has been at war with the Duke of Tintagil for many years. Uther heard word of the duke's wife, Lady Igraine's, beauty, so he arranged a truce with him. During the feast, Uther became very fond of Igraine, and asked her to be his wife. Being the loyal woman she is, she refused. Enraged, the King sought Merlin the Prophet for help. Merlin made Uther appear as if he were the duke, so that Igraine would give herself to him. "The plan succeeded: Igraine was completely deceived by the King's impersonation of the duke, and gave herself to him, and conceived Arthur."(Le Morte D'Arthur 22). Now if that kind of drama doesn't get someone hooked, I don't know what will.

Another element of the Arthurian Legend that is very interesting is the magic and fantastic. The story of how Arthur pulled the sword out of the stone to become king, and how the Lady of the Lake gave Arthur Excalibur, from the movie Excalibur, and the story of Sir Gawain, in the piece Sir Gawain and The Lady Ragnell, are both perfect examples of the magic. The sword in the stone was immovable. Every person who tried to pull it out failed, until young Arthur easily lifted it out. Arthur ends up breaking the sword in the stone, so the Lady of the Lake appears from the water and gives him the magical sword Excalibur. In the piece Sir Gawain and The Lady Ragnell, Sir Gawain marries a hideous, ogre of a woman for the sake of Arthur. Even though she is disgusting, Sir Gawain still treats her with the respect any woman diserves. By doing so the hideous woman transforms into "a slender young woman with beautiful blue eyes and a serene, smiling face. "(Sir Gawain and The Lady Ragnell 24). Both of these examples show the fantastic in the Arthurian Legend.

There are many other medieval romance elements in the Arthurian Legend that make it such an interesting story, drama and magic are only a few. This legend has lived for over a thousand years and will, without a doubt, live on for a thousand more.

#5 Medieval Romance

Thus far, i think medieval romance has been alright. I have always been interested in the tales of chivalry, magic, and knights. The adventures that these knights, such as Sir Gawain, go on are pretty entertaining. Also, by reading these tales, anyone could learn a few things from these knights, such as loyalty and honesty. But, if i was told to marry an ogre for my king like Sir Gawain was, i dont think i would willingly do so.

Having to decide on which cover best represents the novel was very difficult. I was torn by the second and fourth cover. Cover four would be a good choice because the little boy in the window looks lonely and secluded from the rest of the world; much like Ben. Since Ben is autistic he is looked down upon and hidden. On the other hand, the second cover would be another good choice. Throughout the novel, Ben is refered to as a monster - "He's like a troll, or a goblin or something."(Lessing 49). Ben is refered to as a troll and a goblin because of how he always crouches. He always scares his his family as if he was a monster. When I first saw the fourth cover, it's easy to make out the face of a monster, but it's really Ben crouching. Also, in the background, someone is holding their arms open, as if going to catch Ben. In the story, Bens mother, Harriet, does try to accept and love him. Therefore, I feel the second cover would best represent The Fifth Child.

I found Stephen Witty's article, "Monster still alive 183 years later," very interesting. Curator David Schwarts, whose American Museum of the Moving Image hold a two-day Frankenstein festival said, "There's a bit of the creature in all of us." This really stood out to me because everyone knows what it's like to be excluded from something.
What also got my attention was how Witty compared fright films to there eras. Horror films, such as "Night of the Living Dead" and "Last House on the Left," that were made during the late '60s early '70s, are about a society that has fallen into anarchy. Films that were made during the late '70s early '80s involed many erotic vampire setting, which represented the "dark side" of the sexual revolution. Finally, films that were made today involve the fear of our technology being used against us. What Witty is saying is that these films are represented to match our fears, and how they have changed over time.

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, i one of the most interesting novels i have ever picked up. I am not much of a reader, but Shelley has definitely kept me wanting to read more. I am also a fan of science fiction and horror pieces.
When the "creature" asks Victor Frankenstein to make him a bride for him to live in peace with, i thought that it seemed like a good idea at the time. The creature says that he will leave Victor and everyone alone, but if Victor refuses he will murder everyone thats close to him. Knowing this, Victor pulls the plug right when he's about to bring the bride to life. Now i really want to find out what happens next.