Lancelot and Guinevere : a casebook /

This engaging collection contains 16 articles--11 reprinted from various books and journals (most within the past 15 years) and five commissioned for the volume. An extensive introduction by Walters (Florida State Univ.) provides a clear and detailed overview of the Lancelot and Guinevere characters as they evolved from Chretien de Troyes's 12th-century Chevalier de la Charrette ("Knight of the Cart"), to the anonymous prose Lancelot of the early 13th century, to Thomas Malory's Morte D'Arthur ("Death of Arthur") in the late 15th century, to the 19th-century revival in England, to the present-day adaptations in literature and film. Contributors include both prominent Arthurian scholars and emerging critical voices; essay topics include texts and traditions, characterization, representation, and interpretation, with particular emphasis on each character's dual role as individual and member of the couple. A select bibliography of reference works and critical studies is provided. This accomplished and informative casebook should have wide appeal for teachers and students of medieval, modern, and comparative literature and culture. C. S. Cox University of Pittsburgh