To them, the legends of Arthur and his knights appeared thoroughly antiquated and gauche. The people of the early 17th century had new and different horizons to look to, their imaginations and ardor were in general inflamed by different topics and issues such as exploration, mercantilism, nationalism, and bitter religious conflict and denominational feuding. Almost needless to say, society’s underpinnings and cultural sensibilities had shifted significantly since the heyday of Arthurian romance literature. Le Morte d’Arthur, envisaged as a sort of capstone for the Arthurian romantic tradition, can as the most widely distributed work of Arthurian literature be used as a sort of a barometer for changing attitudes towards its source material.ĭespite its former popularity and vaunted position as one of the earliest works of literature to be printed in English, L e Morte d’Arthur went out of print in 1634. The search for the ever-changing face of King Arthur and the examination of his legends’ reinvention and legacy now flings us upon the stormy reefs of modernity itself.
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