Reading Responce Logs

If you are interested in the legends of King Arthur, here are some books that you will enjoy starting with a short description of why I chose these books.

Rationale

The Death of Arthur or is it?

The legend of King Arthur has been around for centuries and plays a large role in literature of the past, present, and the future.  As children we grow up hearing it, as students we study it, and as adults we see its effects on everyday life.  The many stories of King Arthur have intrigued me, like many others, since a very young age while watching Disney’s the Sword and the Stone.

The legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have advanced way past some bard’s tail.  There are current T.V. shows (Merlin), Musicals (Camelot), many different movie versions, and a multitude of books.  There are books that range from a multitude of stories, even inspiring Marion Zimmer Bradley to write an entire series on Avalon and the priestesses with a woman’s point of view of King Arthur.  The stories of King Arthur have even prompted new genres in literature such as an Arthurian Romance.

The five books that I have collected encompass many different aspects of the tails of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.  There are the more traditional stories of King Arthur and his court that have been told and are mostly unchanged for centuries.  There is a story about one of his Knights, Sir Gawain, and his bravery and gallantry.  Many historians suspect that King Arthur and some of his court might have been based off of real historical figures. 

As an English and a theatre teacher I will be teaching a section on King Arthur and Arthurian Legends.  The selections that I remember being asked to read in school were always Le Morte d’ Arthur and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.  As a teacher I would like to not only have my students study these two works, but also see how Arthurian Legends have changed the way stories are told.