What do you think of the ending to The Romance of Silence? Does Silentius betray herself/ himself by becoming Silentia? Or has He/she found a happy ending? What does a happy ending look for a transgender person in an Arthurian world?
I want to zoom out from our story, and consider the question of genre. Our class is on Arthurian romance, but this is the first story we’ve read thatdoes not take place in King Arthur’s court. What, in your opinion, is Arthurian romance? What are it’s defining characteristics?
In this tale, Guinivere is implied to have committed adultery with Lancelot. How does this square with the chivalrous value of promises kept? And how do you think the idea of courtly love would have been recieved by medival society?
Many of the characters in this story have no name; none of the knights (save Gawain and Menegault) are named nor are any female characters except the queen. Even Lancelot is Continue reading