Dec 21, 2009

Le Morte d'Arthur | Critical Overview

Malory's epic Le Morte d'Arthur deviates from traditional romantic epics in that it is a prose work, rather than a poem. This choice may reflect Malory's own talents and preference for the prose format. There is little knowledge of Malory's education, but it is doubtful that he had any serious education. Prior to Gutenberg's success in 1454, there were few books, and so there is no reason to think that Malory had any practical access to the epic tradition, as it evolved from works such as The Odyssey or The Aeneid. These Greek and Roman epics had virtually...