Don Quixote and the King Arthur

        How does medieval literature could tie in with students? Medieval literature may be approached in linguistic terms, regarding form and function (morphology, lexis, structure, form) and also from a cross-curricular perspective (Sociology, History, English, French and Spanish Language). Spanish students are expected to know about the British culture and its influence in Europe since students are required to know about the culture and history of its own language. So, medieval literature is easily approached by means of the subjects of History and Language, since literary productions in the Middle Ages have parallel developments. In addition, one of the objectives of teaching the English language is to provide good models of almost any kind of literary productions for future studies, and here we can find a good example of how different cultures mix each other for a common purpose, learning, looking at the most representative of our Spanish literary works Don quijote de la Mancha and one of the most representative English Legends, if not the most.

CAPÍTULO XIII

 Don Quixote de la Mancha and Sancho Panza, 
1863, by Gustave Doré

Donde se da fin al cuento de la pastora Marcela, con otros sucesos.

    -¿No han vuestras mercedes leído -respondió don Quijote- los anales e historias de Ingalaterra, donde se tratan las famosas fazañas del rey Arturo, que continuamente en nuestro romance castellano llamamos el rey Artús, de quien es tradición antigua y común en todo aquel reino de la Gran Bretaña que este rey no murió, sino que, por arte de encantamento, se convirtió en cuervo, y que, andando los tiempos, ha de volver a reinar y a cobrar su reino y cetro; a cuya causa no se probará que desde aquel tiempo a éste haya ningún inglés muerto cuervo alguno? Pues en tiempo de este buen rey fue instituida aquella famosa orden de caballería de los caballeros de la Tabla Redonda, y pasaron, sin faltar un punto, los amores que allí se cuentan de don Lanzarote del Lago con la reina Ginebra, siendo medianera dellos y sabidora aquella tan honrada dueña Quintañona, de donde nació aquel tan sabido romance, y tan decantado en nuestra España, de:

    Nunca fuera caballero de damas tan bien servido como fuera Lanzarote cuando de Bretaña vino; con aquel progreso tan dulce y tan suave de sus amorosos y fuertes fechos.

    Pues desde entonces, de mano en mano, fue aquella orden de caballería estendiéndose y dilatándose por muchas y diversas partes del mundo; y en ella fueron famosos y conocidos por sus fechos el valiente Amadís de Gaula, con todos sus hijos y nietos, hasta la quinta generación, y el valeroso Felixmarte de Hircania, y el nunca como se debe alabado Tirante el Blanco, y casi que en nuestros días vimos y comunicamos y oímos al invencible y valeroso caballero don Belianís de Grecia. Esto, pues, señores, es ser caballero andante, y la que he dicho es la orden de su caballería; en la cual, como otra vez he dicho, yo, aunque pecador, he hecho profesión, y lo mesmo que profesaron los caballeros referidos profeso yo. Y así, me voy por estas soledades y despoblados buscando las aventuras, con ánimo deliberado de ofrecer mi brazo y mi persona a la más peligrosa que la suerte me deparare, en ayuda de los flacos y menesterosos. [...]
 

 

CHAPTER XIII

Gustave Doré's illustration of Arthur and Merlin, 1868.

In which is ended the story of the shepherdess Marcela, with other incidents

"Have not your worships," replied Don Quixote, "read the annals and histories of England, in which are recorded the famous deeds of King Arthur, whom we in our popular Castilian invariably call King Artus, with
regard to whom it is an ancient tradition, and commonly received all over that kingdom of Great Britain, that this king did not die, but was changed by magic art into a raven, and that in process of time he is to return to reign and recover his kingdom and sceptre; for which reason it cannot be proved that from that time to this any Englishman ever killed a raven? Well, then, in the time of this good king that famous order of chivalry of the Knights of the Round Table was instituted, and the amour of Don Lancelot of the Lake with the Queen Guinevere occurred, precisely as is there related, the go-between and confidante therein being the highly honourable dame Quintanona, whence came that ballad so well known and widely spread in our Spain:
     O never surely was there knight so served by hand of dame, as served was he Sir Lancelot hight when he from Britain camewith all the sweet and delectable course of his achievements in love and war.

Handed down from that time, then, this order of chivalry went on extending and spreading itself over many and various parts of the world; and in it, famous and renowned for their deeds, were the mighty Amadis of
Gaul with all his sons and descendants to the fifth generation, and the valiant Felixmarte of Hircania, and the never sufficiently praised Tirante el Blanco, and in our own days almost we have seen and heard and
talked with the invincible knight Don Belianis of Greece. This, then, sirs, is to be a knight-errant, and what I have spoken of is the order of his chivalry, of which, as I have already said, I, though a sinner, have made profession, and what the aforesaid knights professed that same do I profess, and so I go through these solitudes and wilds seeking adventures, resolved in soul to oppose my arm and person to the most
perilous that fortune may offer me in aid of the weak and needy." [...]

Sources:

- http://www.literaturecollection.com/a/cervantes/don-quixote/15/
- http://www.spanisharts.com/books/quijote/capitulo13.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page