Arthurian Ethics
Sponsoring Organization(s)
Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, St. Louis Univ.
Organizer Name
Melissa Ridley Elmes; Evelyn Meyer
Organizer Affiliation
Lindenwood Univ.; St. Louis Univ.
Presider Name
Evelyn Meyer
Paper Title 1
King Arthur, Church, and Kingdom in the Lancelot-Grail Cycle
Presenter 1 Name
Stacey Hahn
Presenter 1 Affiliation
Oakland Univ.
Paper Title 2
Savage Messiah: The Ethics of Vengeance in the Perlesvaus
Presenter 2 Name
Adrian McClure
Presenter 2 Affiliation
Purdue Univ.
Paper Title 3
Arthurian Ethics of War and Pierre de Langtoft's Chronicle
Presenter 3 Name
Christopher Michael Berard
Presenter 3 Affiliation
Providence College
Start Date
12-5-2018 3:30 PM
Session Location
Schneider 1340
Description
From its medieval origins to the present day, the sprawling Arthurian legend has proven useful for many literary and cultural purposes, not least of which is how readily it lends itself to the examination, promotion, and/or critique of a wide variety of socio-cultural, political, and religious concerns, chief among these what is and is not correct, or ethical, behavior in a given situation. Accordingly, this panel seeks papers dealing with the subject of “Arthurian Ethics.” Papers might consider the following topics: Does King Arthur, or any of his knights, or any of the Arthurian women, have or display any specific or discernible system or program of ethics beyond chivalry? Is there an ethics of Arthurian chivalry, and if so, is that ethics at odds with or in line with the ethics of chivalry more broadly? Is there anything new or striking to be considered in terms of ethics and violence, or ethics and love, or ethics and friendship, in various of the medieval Arthurian tales? What are the ethics of Arthurian propaganda, historically or in the present day? Are there / what are the ethics involved in the appropriation of Arthurian materials for various social, political, or religious purposes? What are the ethics of Arthurian adaptation in literature, art, and/or film? Is there an ethics of Arthurian adaptation in literature, art, and/or film? How can, or do, Arthurian ethics influence other literary or cultural figures or institutions? Finally, on a fundamental level: does Arthur have ethics?
Evelyn Meyer
Arthurian Ethics
Schneider 1340
From its medieval origins to the present day, the sprawling Arthurian legend has proven useful for many literary and cultural purposes, not least of which is how readily it lends itself to the examination, promotion, and/or critique of a wide variety of socio-cultural, political, and religious concerns, chief among these what is and is not correct, or ethical, behavior in a given situation. Accordingly, this panel seeks papers dealing with the subject of “Arthurian Ethics.” Papers might consider the following topics: Does King Arthur, or any of his knights, or any of the Arthurian women, have or display any specific or discernible system or program of ethics beyond chivalry? Is there an ethics of Arthurian chivalry, and if so, is that ethics at odds with or in line with the ethics of chivalry more broadly? Is there anything new or striking to be considered in terms of ethics and violence, or ethics and love, or ethics and friendship, in various of the medieval Arthurian tales? What are the ethics of Arthurian propaganda, historically or in the present day? Are there / what are the ethics involved in the appropriation of Arthurian materials for various social, political, or religious purposes? What are the ethics of Arthurian adaptation in literature, art, and/or film? Is there an ethics of Arthurian adaptation in literature, art, and/or film? How can, or do, Arthurian ethics influence other literary or cultural figures or institutions? Finally, on a fundamental level: does Arthur have ethics?
Evelyn Meyer