A Trust Betrayed: The Role and Evolution of the Arthur-Mordred Relationship in Medieval Arthurian Texts
Loading...
Date
2012-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
The purpose of my thesis is to analyze the role and evolution of the villain Sir Mordred across the medieval canon of Arthurian literature. Mordred, the agent of King Arthur’s destruction, occupies a miniscule textual space while being immensely critical to the narrative at large. Because the primary texts offer so little information about Mordred’s life, character, and motivations for usurping his lord’s crown, Arthurian authors throughout the Middle Ages filled these gaps with their own thoughts and interpretations. The variations among these interpretations yield a great deal of information about the medieval mindset; through Mordred, medieval authors explored concepts of divinity, fate, political rights, kinship, and merit in a martial culture.
Description
Keywords
Mordred, King Arthur, Fortune, Medieval Literature, Divine Will, Camblaan, Battle of