King Arthur and Don Qujiote de La Mancha Literary narratives in England and Spain

One of the first literary utopian myths crossing national borders is the legend of the King Arthur, that so enthralled the rest of Europe that by the year 1100 Italian citizens were naming their offspring “Arturo.” In spite of the dearth of historical evidence regarding the authenticity of the myth, the fabled King has created an imaginary world in which he becomes the King of his people and the whole world. This book analyses Arthur as an English national hero, tracing his path from early Welsh tales to the re-branding of the legend in the late nineteenth century, while it also contrasts the myth of glory, military might, utopian triumph and world domination with Spain’s national hero, Don Quijote de La Mancha, a dystopian allegory that can be traced back to Arthur’s influence. The key here is to analyze the political uses of both King Arthur and Don Quijote, studying the different ways in which readers have re-interpreted them.