Suggested Writing Topics for Medieval Arthurian Legend (NYU Course)

In order to present an acceptable paper, you will need to do some reading or research beyond the primary texts assigned for class discussion. Among the topics you might decide to work on during the semester are the following:

Did King Arthur exist? A survey of recent historical and archeological evidence.
Fiction and truth in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain.
Arthurian legend as propaganda in twelfth-century England.

The role of women in Chrétien de Troyes's Yvain.
The emotional and social development of the hero in either Yvain or Perceval.
The depiction of Arthur's court in Yvain.
Chivalric ideals in the romances of Chrétien de Troyes.

The theme of identity in Lancelot.
The use of disguise in Lancelot's adventures in Lancelot.
A comparison of the depiction of Lancelot in the prose Lancelot to Chrétien's story.

The function of hermits and recluses in the Quest of the Holy Grail.
The function and symbolic meaning of the grail appearances in the Quest.
The depiction of women in the Quest.

The tragic elements in Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan.
The meaning of the cave scene in Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan.
Tristan as anti-hero.
A comparison of Gottfried and Wagner's depictions of either Tristan or Isolde.

The depiction of Arthur's court in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (SGGK)
The newest critical approaches to SGGK.
What does the Green Knight represent?

The character of Lancelot in Malory and one other Arthurian work.
The meaning of the holy grail in Malory and one other Arthurian work.
The nature of tragedy in "The Death of King Arthur."

Goal of the paper: to develop your own analysis of the primary sources, supplemented by summary and critique of what scholars have had to say about the topic.
Length of paper: 8-10 typed pages
Format: MLA parenthetical style of documentation (see link from my web site)
P.S. There is some flexibility in the choice of paper topics. I am always open to ideas you may have.