The Mists of Avalon Essays

The Mists of Avalon Marion Zimmer Bradley's book "The Mists of Avalon" takes a feminist approach to the Arthurian tales. The story which takes place in ancient Britain, centers on the challenges and lives of three strong women in particular: Morgaine (Morgan le Fay), Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), and Viviane, the Lady of the Lake. The story delves into theology, authority, romance, and the battle between Christianity and the ancient pagan traditions. Born in 1930, Marion Zimmer Bradley was the first

The Mists of Avalon is a wondrous story that puts the perspective of wise-women in the past into perspective, longing for freedom, true love, and trickery. The Mists of Avalon is a book that has been inspired by many other books that inform us about the of tale King Arthur and the convoluted story about many other characters related to or in opposition to with King Arthur. But this story focuses on one character in particular to showcase femininity and Christianity in it’s subplot. The Mists of Avalon

“The Mists of Avalon” is a film that tells the story of the Arthurian legends through the eyes the of the infamous Morgan le Fey, the daughter of Ingrain and Gorlois. Morgan tells the tales of the Arthurian culture from her point of view, but adds in her personal feelings as well. The story starts off with three sisters, one of which is the lady of the lake, Vivian, the jealous sister Morgause and Ingrain, the one who is supposed to give birth to Arthur. King Arthur is destined to be King of Camelot

In Mists of Avalon, Morgaine, a Pagan priestess, mocks witchcraft paranoia by saying “And as for sorcery-- well, there are ignorant priests and ignorant people, who are all too ready to cry sorcery if a woman is only a little wiser than they are” (Bradley 1195). Catholics in Mists of Avalon feared the Pagans and criticized their religion ignorantly. Christians burned suspected witches or sorceresses with little to no evidence in Le Morte d’Arthur. Once the religious Elaine wondered about Morgaine

Fairy tales have been part of the collective work of different cultures for centuries. Their main functions were to dictate moral concepts such as good and evil, as well as ideal notions of beauty, femininity, and motherhood. Such tales often told the struggles of different women who were bound to fill out their designated roles in patriarchal societies and were thrashed against each other in order for the author to make a point. The typical representations of women in fairy tales as good or evil

easier to see the differences in attitudes towards women between older and newer versions. Through analysis of the representation and characterization of women in two versions of King Arthur, The Legends of King Arthur and his Knights and The Mists of Avalon,

Avalon is the legendary island of Celtic mythology, which, according to some sources, King Arthur’s Excalibur sword was lodged. It is also the place where the mythical king was taken, fatally harmed, to meet his death. In other words, Avalon is a utopian bliss where the legends of English knights and political entirety unite in a kingdom lost in the mists of time. Like all mythological paradises, this place has been desired in all corners of the Earth. Some scholars say they found it in Glastonbury

the world and tempt men into sin, women all have inherent evil in them based on sexuality. Medieval people also accepted the ideas about women from Aristotle. He believed that women were “defective males” and naturally inferior to men (“The Mists of Avalon” 179). Malory’s work demonstrates the old Christian misogynist idea through the many seductive, wicked women who cause conflict for the Arthur and his knights throughout the stories. The idea that women and sex are sinful permeated the Christian

Heart.” PoemMeuseum, www.poemuseum.org/the-tell-tale-heart. Thoreau, Henry David. “Indeed, Indeed I Cannot Tell.” PoemHunter.com, 3 Jan. 2003, www.poemhunter.com/poem/indeed-indeed-i-cannot-tell/. Thoreau, Henry David. “Mist.” PoemHunter.com, 3 Jan. 2003, www.poemhunter.com/poem/mist/. Truth, Sojourner. “Aint I a Woman?” Internet History Sourcebooks, sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/sojtruth-woman.asp. Twain, Mark. “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Mark Twain in His Times, University of