Anonymous, Alliterative Morte Arthure

Zoë Enstone (York St John University)
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The Alliterative

Morte Arthure

offers the legend of King Arthur in alliterative verse, a form that is unusual, although not unique within the genre. The work presents a military Arthur who is uncompromising in his approach to battle, whilst retaining his traditional sense of fairness and honour. The Alliterative

Morte Arthure

reworked earlier Arthurian tropes and narrative and also influenced later works, notably Thomas Malory’s

Morte Darthur

(1470)

.

The Alliterative Morte Arthure survives in a single manuscript, Lincoln Cathedral Library MS. 91, also known as the Thornton or Lincoln Thornton Manuscript. The manuscript dates to around 1440, but the text is earlier, from the second half of the fourteenth century. The Alliterative Morte Arthure is one of a selection of texts from what has

2403 words

Citation: Enstone, Zoë. "Alliterative Morte Arthure". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 January 2019 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38803, accessed 29 March 2024.]

38803 Alliterative Morte Arthure 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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