ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how Arthurian material has endured for so long in so many different guises, and focuses on the two very different re-writings of Arthurian origins in King Arthur and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword in order to map the trajectory of this medieval material. The unique nature and vast corpus of Arthurian literature lends itself well to afterlives: medieval, early modern, and contemporary. Most are characterised as in the fantasy drama category. Epic, action, comedy, historical all appear on Arthurian-themed official Motion Picture Association of America generic designation. African-American director Antoine Fuqua’s King Arthur focuses on the quasi-historical Roman connections of the early Arthurian myth, and re-writes only a hint of the beginning of the Arthur-Guenevere-Lancelot love triangle. Arthur is shown as upholding law and order, but within the context of organised crime and outlaws in his urban community.
