Le Morte d’Arthur

by Sir Thomas Malory

Le Morte d’Arthur: Genre 1 key example

Book 17
Explanation and Analysis:

The genre of Le Morte d'Arthur is Arthurian Romance. It is somewhat unusual for an entire genre to center on a single character, but Arthurian Romance is an exception because King Arthur was such a popular legendary figure. Particularly in France and Britain between the 12th and 15th centuries, writers built not only on the folklore and legends about Arthur but also on one another's writing about him. Arthur himself was less of a developed character than the central figure drawing together a set of stories about chivalry.