In the early 19th century, medievalism, Romanticism and the
Gothic Revival reawakened interest in Arthur and the medieval romances. A new
code of ethics for 19th-century gentlemen was shaped around the chivalric ideals
that the "Arthur of romance" embodied. This renewed interest first
made itself felt in 1816, when Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur was reprinted
for the first time since 1634. Initially the medieval Arthurian legends were of
particular interest to poets, inspiring, for example, William Wordsworth to
write "The Egyptian Maid" (1835), an allegory of the Holy Grail. Pre-eminent
among these was Alfred Lord Tennyson, whose first Arthurian poem, "The
Lady of Shalott", was published in 1832. Although Arthur himself played a minor role in
some of these works, following in the medieval romance tradition, Tennyson's
Arthurian work reached its peak of popularity with Idylls of the King, which reworked the entire narrative of Arthur's
life for the Victorian era. First published in 1859, it sold 10,000 copies
within the first week. In the Idylls, Arthur became a symbol of ideal
manhood whose attempt to establish a perfect kingdom on earth fails, finally,
through human weakness. Tennyson's works prompted a large number of imitators,
generated considerable public interest in the legends of Arthur and the
character himself, and brought Malory's tales to a wider audience. Indeed, the
first modernization of Malory's great compilation of Arthur's tales was
published shortly after Idylls appeared, in 1862, and there were six
further editions and five competitors before the century ended. [Wikipedia ‘King
Arthur’]
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| Victorian view of the Holy Grail |
Blog Question:
What was it about the Victorian age that promoted the revival of the Arthurian
story?
The people living in the Victorian was a self-conscious group who believed their society was progressive and modern. Significant innovations in areas such as culture, technology, engineering, science, fashion, literature, etc contributed to this society feeling as if it can come close to establishing a 'perfect' world on earth. Such aspirations made moralists and reformers keenly aware of the need to establish conventions and enforce conformity so that this 'perfect' world would be realised and maintained. The political nature of the time influenced writers to look to medieval codes of conduct. The Arthurian world, like the nineteenth-century holds utopian promises, but eventually collapse due to the imperfections of its inhabitants. Therefore, the Arthurian legends can be used to demonstrate the tragic consequences when people neglect to abide by mainstream social morals.
ReplyDeleteThe British Empire in the Victorian Age was England’s greatest time since Queen Elizabeth, moreover, it has been suggested that “Elizabeth had brought back to England the glory of her famous ancestor”, subsequently, authors aimed to trace an analogy between King Arthur’s perfect civilisation and the British Empire in the Victorian Age characterised by scientific, technological, and intellectual advances. Essentially, the reign of Prince Albert and his wife Victoria was great and thus should resemble Arthur’s kingdom. However, there was also a darker side in a modern world affected by undermining of faith, doubt and despair and imperfections that constantly frustrated people from achieving an ideal. Again, this situation markedly resembles Arthur’s kingdom and how conflicts among knights driven by vengeance and treachery contributed to the downfall of Arthur’s court. Therefore, it seems that Arthurian legend teaches us to advance morally and “move towards the level of the angels”, something authors of different generations wanted to share with their readers. On top of that, the Arthurian legend was revived and restructured in a way to reflect interests, fears, and political concerns of the Victorian era.
ReplyDeleteMaria S. (22504079).
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ReplyDeleteThe Authruian stories created within their realms a mythical golden age for the British isles. Malory's popularised version of this story with it's strict moral codes would have agreed with many Victorian sensibilities. Although Enland at this time was not as prudish as America were it could be considered rude even to show a table leg they still had many moral hangups. Maknig the at times black and white honour codes of this story quiet aplicable. Escapism was also a large aspect, the industrial era of England created a rather bleak world for the populace with it being common practise for parents not to even name their child before they reached the age of five due to the chances of dying. As such the ideal created within this romantic tale would have been a welcome retreat for many. Even the natural world was severely damaged by changes of the time such as high amounts of smog, this meant that a more 'green' view of the world was wanted in many cases. The encouragement of the times moral values also had to do with the growth of the Hedonist and Atheist movements of the time, thus the more relatable figures of Lancelot, Arthur adn Galahad would have been prefered over their biblical counter parts.
ReplyDeleteThe Victorian Age was a time of much success for the British Empire. The British were very powerful, very proud and thought themselves to be the most civilised nation in the world. For them the stories of Arthur represented many of the feelings that were imminent in society and created a sort of a lineage of English pride and success. For those in the Victorian age the stories reinforced the ideals of the possibility of a great kingdom as well as what it meant to be a great man. The Arthurian tales espoused many of the pillars of British society and brought with it an undercurrent of pride and some historical basis. Whether it be a display of the proper way for a person to act, the proper way for a kingdom to be governed, or the devastating power of temptation and treachery Malory's tales became a fun, historic and subtly influential piece.
ReplyDeleteThe glory of Arthur's reign became a direct parallel to Victoria's marvellous empire. The expansion of her empire, mirrored the expansion of Arthur's in the early years of his reign. Similarly, the moral rigidity and chivalric codes of Arthur's court was mirrored in the Victorian era, certainly at least in the upper classes. However, this idealism was partially escapist because the modernising society was rather bleak, especially for the lower classes. Similarly religion itself was being questioned, making the characters of Arthur's court much more sympathetic.
ReplyDelete