Transcript How to Write a Medieval Romance Play

How to Write a Medieval
Romance Play
ESL 7
Decisions, decisions, decisions
• Decision Number 1 – Decide on a setting
–
–
–
–
–
–
War
In the castle
Wandering for no real reason
Going on a quest
Setting is often imaginary and vague
Make up a setting—where is it really. It could be
under the sea.
Decision 2 – Who is the main character
• Look up the names of all the knights in King Arthur’s court and
select one to be the main character
• Characteristics of the Hero-Knight
• 1. Birth of a great hero is shrouded in mystery
2. He is reared away from his true home in ignorance of his real
parents.
3. For a time his true identity is unknown
4. After meeting an extraordinary challenge, he claims his right
5. His triumph benefits his nation or group.
• Arthur himself is a Hero Knight and the events surrounding his
rise to power as King is a Medieval Romance. "The Tale of Sir
Gareth" is an excellent example of the Medieval Romance
because it contains all elements. (Some romances do not contain
all elements).
• http://www.arthurian-legend.com/more-about/more-aboutarthur-3.php
Decision 3 – Who is the villain
• The knight must always defend either his, the
king’s or a fair maiden’s honor. He could also be
defending a castle or searching for some religious
symbol.
• The villain is the one testing the knight although
he may just want the knight to prove himself or he
truly might want to destroy the knight and/or the
Round Table.
• Who is the villain and what is his/her purpose?
• Don’t forget the dragons!
Remember the Quest Structure
• Knight is challenged to defend his (someone’s)
honor
• Goes on a journey to defend that honor
• Journey might include a search for a religious
item
• He encounters dangers and conflicts.
• He must overcome them and return with the
object or fail.
Include all the elements on
INSPIRATION
• Flashcards of characteristics
• Characterized by:
• 1. Medieval romance usually idealizes chivalry
2. Medieval romance Idealizes the hero-knight and his
noble deeds
3. An important element of the medieval romance is the
knight's love for his lady.
4. The settings of medieval romance tend to be imaginary
and vague.
5. Medieval romance derives mystery and suspense from
supernatural elements.
6. Medieval romance uses concealed or disguised identity.
7. Repetition of the mystical number "3." (Repetitions of
the number or multiples of 3)
Remember to include acts of chivalry
• To fear God and maintain His
Church
• To serve the liege lord in valour
and faith
• To protect the weak and
defenceless
• To give succour to widows and
orphans
• To refrain from the wanton giving
of offence
• To live by honour and for glory
• To despise pecuniary reward
• To fight for the welfare of all
• To obey those placed in authority
• To guard the honour of fellow
knights
• To eschew unfairness, meanness
and deceit
• To keep faith
• At all times to speak the truth
• To persevere to the end in any
enterprise begun
• To respect the honour of women
• Never to refuse a challenge from
an equal
• Never to turn the back upon a foe
Characteristics of Code of Chivalry
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Faith
Charity
Justice
Sagacity
Prudence
Temperance
Resolution
Truth
Liberality
Diligence
Hope
Valour
Magical elements
• Birth of hero is magical
• His tutor (mentor) may be
magical.
• The way he discovers he
is a hero may involve
magic
• He may have amulets
that have magical powers
• His death may be magical
in nature
• The mystical use of the
number 3
You may have in addition to the quest
• Stressing of social rank
• Aimless (errant)
adventures
• Spontaneous fighting
• Love is a focus
• Lighthearted tone
Introduction to the play – Act 1 - introduce
the setting and what was magical about it
• Have a narrator read the beginning of the story
• Long, long ago when dragons lived deep in the
caves and no man but the bravest dare enter
there…
• Long ago near the Tyrooon River with trees
covered in moss and mist lived a very special bird
whose feathers were magical. It was believed that
whoever found a feather and placed it in his hair
would be able to fly.
Introduction – introduce the boy to become a
knight and how his birth is unknown or magical.
This can be the hero or the villain
• One day the fiercest female dragon of all, Miraka,
made a nest in preparation of laying an egg.
However, a vision of her own mother-dragon
appeared in a dream and told Miraka to leave the
egg for it was tainted and would not be a dragon
at all, but a human with dragon powers. It would
challenge Miraka the very day it was born. (villain
born) (Have the villain be born alone and nurtured
by ugly witches who taught it evil ways and the
goal to kill the fairest lady of the land.
Hero-born
• One evening when the sun was peeping its last peep at the
world, young Queen Galla , heavy with child and heir of
the Kingdom of Wellingham, was fleeing her castle on
horseback from the barbarians of the North. As she looked
backward hoping to see she had escaped the hoard, her
head struck a branch and she tumbled from the horse,
causing her to be unconscious from the wound. When she
fell, her head landed on a magical feather which nestled in
her hair and carried the limb princess into the sky. (Her
body can be protected by the birds and animals of the
forest until the baby is born at which time the mother dies.
The animals raise the baby and is has all the characteristics
of the animals of the forest. It always keeps that feather
that saved it from death at the hands of the barbarians of
the North)
Act 2 – Have the child grow up
• Somehow the hero-child is tested and proves his true identity
(The knights from another village who are fighting the Barbarians
from the North may be passing through the forest and discover
him. He is spared because he can fly, which none of them can do.
Once peace is made, he is recognized by an old knight from his
castle who sees a ring the Queen of Wellingham was given the
King, his father).
• Go back to the conditions of the kingdom he left. He comes in and
does something to save his people quite by accident
• He has to leave his childhood environment but with the teachings
of his childhood, he conquers the barbarians
– He can fly
– He learns how to fight like a bear
– He can interpret the dying words of an animal who tells how to win a
battle
– If he fights a dragon, he needs to know the dragon’s one weakness.
Act 3 – He goes on his own quest
• Recognized by the King of Bellington, Tarjavid,
is knighted for helping save the King is his war
against the Barbarians. Now he must regain
his own title and find the magical feather and
the hair entwined on it that will prove to his
people, he through Divine Right is the rightful
ruler of Wellington and son of Queen Galla.
The Elders of the town demand he go on this
quest.
Act 4
• He either goes on a quest to get something to bring
back to save his village or he with the help of the
Bellingham soldiers, returns to his own village with an
army to defeat the barbarians.
• Either way, he also rescues a fair maiden trapped in
the cave with the dragon. She is really the evil spawn
of the dragon as a means to destroy Galla’s son, if he
ever ruled. This is revealed to him in a dream from his
mother and how to make the fair lady a true fair lady,
he must place his mother’s ring on her hand. Magically
the dragon spawn turns into a true lady worthy of his
love and position.
Act 5 - Conclusion
• Big party at Bellingham
as he returns home
with his beautiful lady,
who retains enough of
her dragon powers to
help control the
Barbarians and keep
them away forever.
• But what will their
children be?