British Literature
Apolinario 1
CAMELOT
Before we can unlock the future we must examine the past.
ACT I: The Man Behind the Myth
1. What is perfect politics?
2. Who advised Arthur against marrying Guinevere?
3. What illicit affair led to the end of Camelot?
4. When did the Romans leave Britain?
5. Who was attacking Rome?
6. Who attacked the native Celts of the unprotected Britain?
7. Provide some reasons why the Dark Ages we “dark indeed”.
8. Who won the battle between the Celts and the Saxons?
9. Who attacks the British Isles in 1066?
10. Why is Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Arthur not completely fictional according to
Charles T Wood?
British Literature
Apolinario 2
11. Who was possibly commissioned to set the folk tale of Arthur & set it as history in
order to improve the stature of the King?
12. In 1170, what does Chrétien de Troyes add to the story of Arthur?
13. In 1470, who wrote the first English novel based on Arthur?
14. Between 1859-1885, who write the Idylls of the King?
15. What was the name of the Arthurian policy that created a social and political impact
on Medieval society?
16. What is chivalry?
17. What character does Chrétien d’ Troyes introduce?
18. What are Bonnie Wheeler’s 2 descriptions of Guinevere? Queen & whore
19. Where was Arthur born?
20. Describe the events that lead to Arthur’s birth.
British Literature
Apolinario 3
ACT II: The Mist of Avalon
1. According to Celtic lore, who gives Arthur Excalibur?
2. What is the best way to prove a knight’s courage and skill? According to folklore
how many seats are at the round table?
3. Where is it believed that Camelot existed?
4. What explanation does Charles T. Wood give as to the Arthur’s appeal.
5. How did Merlin save his life from Vortigern?
6. According to Malory’s Le Morte d’ Artur, who is the paragon of chivalric behaviour?
7. What theme persisted throughout ALL Arthurian tales?
British Literature
Apolinario 4
ACT III: Holy Grail
1. According to legend, where in Britain did Joseph of Arimethea take the grail?
2. Alan Lupack states that the grail itself is not that important. So, what are the two
most important aspects of the quest for the grail?
3. Who arrives when the Grail arrives?
4. What sensations do the knights associate with the Grail?
5. The Grail is more than spiritual fulfillment, it is also physical. How?
6. Where are Arthur and Guinevere buried?
British Literature
Apolinario 5
ACT IV: Love Triangle
1. What was the name given to the civil war of the 15th century?
2. What were the 2 ways Medieval authors portrayed women, according to Charles T
Wood?
3. What was considered to be the new evil in England by Tennyson?
4. Based on Tennyson’s tale, what is the only flaw in the two perfect knights of
Camelot – Arthur and Lancelot?
British Literature
Apolinario 6
ACT V: Once upon a Time
1. Who is Arthur’s enemy towards the end of his life at the Battle of Camlan?
2. Who takes care of Arthur when he is taken of the Isle of Avalon?
3. What is his final command?
4. What is supposedly written on Arthur’s tomb?
5. What happens to Lancelot and Guinevere after Arthur dies?
6. How are we to measure a man’s worth?
7. What Biblical location does Charles T Wood compare with Camelot?
8. According to Bonnie Wheeler, Camelot is the best we can make until we find what?
British Literature
Apolinario 7
QUEST FOR THE GRAIL
ACT I: Blood & Magic
1. According to the story of Christ, what is the Grail?
2. According to legend, who collected the blood of Christ?
3. Where was the ‘cup’ taken?
4. Whom were the Crusaders evicting out of the holy land?
5. Celtic lore is filled with magical objects. Which object is most like the Grail?
ACT II: The Seekers
1. What is the ‘key’ to finding the Grail?
2. Who could sit at the Seat Perilous of the round table?
3. Why is Lancelot denied the Grail?
4. Why is the church so against the concept of the grail?
5. What is Rosslynn chapel also known as?
6. Who were the guardians of the Grail at Rosslyn?
British Literature
Apolinario 8
ACT III: The Treasure
1. According to Arthurian legend, where was the Grail castle?
2. What did the Cathar knights take from Montsegur?
3. In what country did they find the Throne of Arches, the supposed Grail Castle?
ACT IV: Descendants of Jesus
1. If it is not a cup, what do some people believe the Grail to be?
2. According to theory who was Jesus married to?
3. What evidence do we have that document the stories from the time of Christ?
4. Who forced the church of the possible ‘descendants’ of Christ underground and
even ordered their deaths?
5. Based on the bloodline theory, where did Mary Magdalene escape to?
6. Provide the Medieval tales’ firm view of what the Grail is?
7. What could have been an underground ‘flashcard’ version of Catechism which the
church viewed as evil heresy?
British Literature
Apolinario 9
ACT V: Sacred Path
1. What are the 3 forms of the Grail?
2. What is the most important than the Grail’s form itself?
3. What is the medieval French term for Grail?
4. Why is the search for the Grail so difficult (especially for Arthur’s knights)?
5. What leads to the true path of enlightenment?
6. “Whom does the Grail serve?”
7. Why is it that the Grail cannot be explained rationally or scientifically?
HW Question: The lure of the Grail is still as prevalent today as it was for the knights of
the Round Table. The spell endures despite or perhaps because of modern belief. We live in
a culture in which rationality is prized and that science has the answers to all. I ask you to
write a 1-2 paragraph response (5-8 sentences per paragraph) on this question, “Why do you
seek the Grail?”
** Yes, I do mean you, my dear student. Do not even plan on saying that you do not seek
the Grail. The Grail is different for each of us, and it is not as simple as searching for a cup.
Put some thought into this, for I would love to anonymously post your responses on our
class website for others to read. I hope that it leads to some type of enlightenment.