Kings & Captains: Variations on a Heroic Theme
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Charles Moorman reexamines several major works of the western heroic tradition: "The Iliad", "The Odyssey", "Beowulf", "The Song of Roland", "The Nibelungenlied", the Norse sagas, and the Arthurian cycle. Disregarding the usual limited definitions which have controlled the study of heroic literature, he draws together these disparate works by proposing a theme common to them all: the opposition of two major figures whom he names king and captain. The figure of the king arises from the community with its need for responsible government, while the captain, derived from myth, is a highly individualistic, irresponsible heroic figure. The tension which Moorman sees between them is used as a means of reinterpreting the works under study. Though widely separated in time and cultural milieu, "The Iliad", and "The Song of Roland", for example, can be compared by interpreting both the Agamemnon-Achilles and the Oliver-Roland relationships as conflicts between king and captain. These essays will prove illuminating for layman and scholar alike. PREFACE ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii Chapter One. THE ILIAD 1 Chapter Two. THE ODYSSEY 30 Chapter Three. BEOWULF 57 Chapter Four. THE SONG OF ROLAND 87 Chapter Five. THE NIBELUNGENLIED 109 Chapter Six. THE ICELANDIC SAGAS 132 Chapter Seven. THE ARTHUR LEGEND 148 NOTES 173 INDEX 185
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