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King Arthur: History and Legend

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King Arthur: History and Legend

By: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
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About this listen

The saga of King Arthur and his court is the most enduringly popular mythic tradition of Western civilization. For over 1,500 years, the Arthurian narrative has enthralled writers, artists, and a limitless audience spanning the Western world and beyond - and its appeal continues unabated in our time. No other heroic figure in literature compares with King Arthur in terms of global popularity and longevity; now, each year sees literally thousands of new versions of the story appear across diverse media, from fiction writing and visual arts to film and popular culture. Delve into the historical mystery behind the figure of Arthur, and discover the magnificent breadth of these epic tales.

These 24 spellbinding lectures reveal the full scope of the Arthurian tradition, from its beginnings in post-Roman Britain to its extraordinary trajectory across the centuries and its latest incarnations in modern times. Your pathfinder in this world of mythic adventure and romance, Professor Armstrong, is one of the world's leading Arthurian scholars and the current editor-in-chief of the academic journal Arthuriana. Demonstrating both encyclopedic knowledge and an infectious passion for the subject, she leads you in tracing how the myth developed across time, clarifying many misunderstood aspects of the narrative, such as the origins of the Round Table and the figure of Merlin, the illicit love between Lancelot and Guenevere, and the varied manifestations of the magical Holy Grail. You'll discover how the legend was appropriated and assimilated by differing cultures, and how each writer and artist in the tradition reflected and commented, through the Arthurian narrative, on the concerns of their own time and place. The result is an illuminating look at one of the most engaging, entertaining, and influential legendary traditions the world has ever known.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2015 The Great Courses (P)2015 The Teaching Company, LLC
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Interesting journey through the history of literature of the story of King Arthur. I loved how the lecturer went on tangents about her own teaching of the literature and it was fascinating to find out more about the different characters that appear in the legends.

Excellent history about the legend of King Arthur

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This was a brilliant lecture series. Dorsey Armstrong is clearly passionate about Arthurian legend. She has a wonderful speaking voice and keeps you engaged throughout the lectures. Would highly recommend this series to anyone wanting to further their knowledge.

Really enjoyable

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Excellent engaging, presenter.impressive comprehensive compilation of subject matter. Motivated to delve more into the area.

Excellent

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Full disclosure: I had virtually zero interest in the legend of King Arthur prior to listening to this course. I only started it because Dorsey Armstrong is my very favourite Professor from the Great Courses. By the end, she had me completely engaged. My next step will be to watch Monty Python's take on the subject.

This course gave me goosebumps by the end

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