Emulating Arthur: Arthurian Narrative and the Development of British Nationalist Rhetoric

Abstract

This thesis examines the continuity of Arthuriana as a form of nationalism, from its origins circa 1136 until the aftermath of World War One. It considers the various ways in which the Arthurian legend was implicated in political rhetoric, the ways in which its vernacular was rendered commonplace within the vocabularies of socialization, sport, and combat, and the ways in which this language was reinforced by visual representation. It also looks at the way in which the chivalric model of behaviour, loosely based on the fraternity of the Round Table, was used to inculcate young Britons with systems of thinking and conduct that were weaponized by war-era propagandists. Finally, it addresses the way in which the post-war literature that grapples with Arthurian themes demonstrates the lasting impact the legends had upon a generation that fought and died according to the chivalric values instilled in them from childhood.