I have been quite enjoying the readings of the medieval times and King Arthur. When I was younger I was really into this era and "The Mists of Avalon" was one of my favorite movies (which was set in this period), but since then it has died out a bit.
I do agree with you that it seems like alot of these stories are soap opera! With there never ending dramas and love sagas, especially with the incestual affairs, you would think you were watching "Days of our Lives"! Like in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight when we find the Lady of the manor trying to seduce Sr Gawain!
"And so she tested him, pushed and probed, trying to tempt him, pretending love, and Gawain was so gracefully evasive tat he seemed always polite, and nothing happened but happiness" (154-1554)
My favorite story so far has been "Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell". In this story Gawain was a truly noble night all in order to save his uncle, King Arthur. He went through with a wedding to what was at first a hideously large woman with the utmost respect and dignity. When you asked in class what did women wish for the most i was sure it was going to be love, but then when Ragnell said sovereignty I knew that that definitely beat love. Because even though a woman may love her husband, she can always resent him for not being to do what she wants to do. Sir Gawain definitely gave Lady Ragnell all that and more! Letting her choose how she would spend her time as beautiful was the true key in letting her be rid of the horrible curse forever, which i thought was quite the surprise reading it; for I could tell that she would end up being beautiful by the start of the story, but the answer to the question and the surprise secret loop whole in the curse was a real shocker to me.
