Frankenstein 29

• “He tried to make us act plays, and to enter into masquerades, in which the characters were drawn from the heroes of Roncesvalles, of the Round Table of King Arthur, and the chivalrous train who shed their blood to redeem the holy sepulchre from the hands of the infidels.” (p. 33)

Roncesvalles is a mountain pass through the western Pyrenees in Spain. It is the traditional site of the death of the hero Roland during the defeat of Charlemagne's army by the Saracens. King Arthur, a British leader, appointed men to the Round Table; the round shape represented no head or foot and equality of man. The table was said to attract the greatest heroes all over Europe. With this introduction, Shelley reveals part of Henry Clerval’s character. Books of chivalry and romance is what he was interested in - it clearly differed from Victors taste.

(Works Cited)
"Knights of the Round Table." Wikipedia. Web. 11 Aug. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_the_Round_Table.
"Roncesvalles." Answers.com. Web. 11 Aug. 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/roncesvalles.

(Photo Credit)

Legends of Arthurian Quest. Photograph. Skynet. Web. 13 Sept. 2009. http://users.skynet.be/keltic/table.JPG.