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’]
 |
| Victorian view of the Holy Grail |
Blog Question:
What was it about the Victorian age that promoted the revival of the Arthurian
story?
There were movements such as the preoccupation with social and sexual restraint which were popular and so would have been allied to Arthurian chivalry. Furthermore, British society was viewed as socially corrupt as the Industrial era brought many advancements too quickly, resulting in a greater disparity of wealth, health and opportunity. So the Arthurian tales could be seen as supporting the upper classes as necessary and as a shining example in a time when there was upheaval and the potential for criticism.
ReplyDeleteFor the Victorians here were two major factors that influenced the revival of the Arthurian story, first was the desire for a story to tell a national story required for the growth in nationalist sentiment, the second was as part of an escapist desire to flee from the ‘satanic mills’ and the evils of the modern world. In the age of growing nationalism and of the desire to define nation in terms of race, state and language, it was critical for the Victorians to find a hero and a myth cycle in which they could express a Britishness as they saw fit. In the Arthurian cycle they were able to find an ethnic native of the British Isles, a Christian and a distinctly non continental or Latin figure, an expression of Protestant Christendom. The period was a revolutionary one in British history, social and economic orders were in turmoil. An antidote to this was required and so people turned to a time of imagined tranquility. The imagined state of a fictional Arthurian world, in which god and state are in alignment and social harmony reign was a happy ideal both to flee to and to aspire to for the Victorian mind.
ReplyDeleteTom Daley
The rise of the novel, the demand for romantic escapes and the peak of the British Empire all probably played a part. Arthurian tales would have a special place in British nationalism, and at the peak of the British Empire the revival of interest in the legendary ideal of Arthur's realm makes sense. A more widespread interest in literature would have played a role. The fact that the tale tells of romance and chivalry would have been both appealing as an escape from a sexually repressed society, and from the emerging societal shifts seen after industrialization. The emergence of a middle class laborer and rapid urbanization was often seen unfavorably in the United States and Britain, thus it makes sense that there would be a desire for a fantastic escape into an age of chivalry and heroism on the part of great, noble men.
ReplyDeleteThe 19th Century provided an ideal temporal frame for the Arthurian romance to regain pertinence on a basis of the ideals it venerates. The Victorian Age, although the first to see the improvements resulting from scientific, industrial and technological advances, also witnessed the results of new rationalist ideas, characterised by a departure from religious faith and a perception of growing immorality. The Arthurian tradition was able to find popularity in this age because of the parallels that exist between Victorian society and the Arthurian world: Tennyson's Arthur attempts to establish a perfect kingdom but is unable to overcome the inherent failures of mankind, and so the potential of his kingdom amounts to nothing because of the weaknesses of the human kingdom. Similarly, Victorian society, with all the opportunities open to it through scientific and technological advances, is unable to realise its full potential because of the issues arising out of such achievements. Additionally, in an age of innocence for Britain, an idealised man like Arthur would have presented an appropriate model for ethical and moral conduct, something for the burgeoning gentleman to aspire to. It is logical, therefore, that the Arthurian romance tradition would witness a rebirth through Tennyson's Idylls, due to its renewed relevance to Britains of the time.
ReplyDeleteThe Victorian age saw rise to the withdrawal from religion and faith. The Arthurian tradition was successful in finding popularity primarily due to the links between the Victorians and the Arthurian universe. Throughout Tennyson's work, there is a certain similarity between Arthur's struggles to maintain a world that is deemed perfect, as well as the Victorians failing to take up their chances of success with their development. Furthermore, the figure of Arthur would have represented for the Victorians, a way to conduct, both ethically, morally as well as how to live their lives.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments. I am drawn to the moral aspect of the Arthurian corpus in this instance: the development of the British Empire evolved an incumbency on those that 'served' to distinguish themselves through a 'moral superiority' from those they ruled. It is likely, perhaps, that the ruling classes were drawn to these religious (and elite) role-models of behaviour.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I concur that Arthurian romance saw a revival during the victorian period primarily to provide moral stability to a society which was under constant social change due to rapid industrialisation, the growth of capitalism and the slow demise of the church, I would also add that the leadership of Victoria and her husband played a similar role in engendering popularity for the story. The revival of the monarchy under the pious Victoria, who, unlike the her uncles, evoked feelings of hope and nationalist pride from the British, can be considered to have many parallels to arthur in leading Britain into a new age. Like the chivalric Arthur, Victoria set moral standards for the empire and perhaps the growth in arthurian literature was established under a need to separate the queen from her Hanovarian heritage and associate her with the 'true' king of britain.
ReplyDelete