In Arthurian popular culture, certain writers are taking liberties with the gender and gender identities of characters. Traditionalists may argue against changing the gender of beloved characters suggesting that it not only deviates from the meaning and intent of the original authors but also it upsets the natural order of medieval literature where the knight errant earns honor and glory by rescuing the damsel in distress, not the damsel rescuing the knight. However, while modern writers may only be seeking to create a new twist on the tales to appeal to the modern audience, their ideas are not that far removed from tradition as women in Arthurian tales, while rarely warriors, often act behind the scenes to save the knights. Is the making of some known Arthurian characters female all that different?
This presentation will explore what, if any, impact there is to transforming key Arthurian characters to female in works such as Disney’s Avalon High, and the graphic novels Camelot 3000 and The Once and Future Queen.
About the presenterDiana Vecchio
Diana Vecchio is an Assistant Teaching Professor of English and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Widener University in Chester, PA. Her primary area of research is knightly codes in Arthurian literature.