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The panel discusses Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Ashes, with special attention given to the floridity of its descriptions and the duplication of language and imagery, and to the nature of the malady that afflicts the twin siblings of Usher. Continue reading

The panel reads The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, with attention to its structure of vengeance, its gothic genre features, the presence of literal echoes and narrative recurrence, and particularly the reliability—and sanity—of the narrator. Continue reading

The panel discusses the conclusion of Beowulf—including Beowulf's final battle and his victorious death—with particular attention given to the didactic purpose of the poem, its framing of leadership and loyalty, and its function in historical context. Continue reading

The panel discusses the second of Beowulf's battles—this time, against Grendel's vengeful mother—with special attention to the nature of his foe and the particularly fantastic setting of the battle, which takes place deep beneath the water of the fens. Continue reading

Dr. Madeline Potter joins the panel just in time for the first-ever Readers' Choice series: the Old English poem, Beowulf. The panel reads of Beowulf's battle with Grendel, with special attention to how honour is won and defended by Geats and Danes. Continue reading

The panel discusses the conclusion of The Candle in the Wind, with a look at Mordred's unreal motivations, Arthur's ultimate victory or failure, Guenever's personal agency, and the development of Gawaine beyond the initial limits of his character. Continue reading

The panel discusses chapters 6–10 of the final book in The Once and Future King, with attention to Arthur's philosophical character, particularly whether his political theories serve as a prison which prevents the kind of action that could save his realm. Continue reading

The panel discusses the first five chapters of The Candle in the Wind, the last of the four books in the tetralogy, with a look at White's historical overview of the mediæval period, and a thorough study of his villainous duo of Agravaine and Mordred. Continue reading

The panel discusses the closing chapters of The Ill-Made Knight, with attention to the circumstances of Guenever's increasingly frenzied behaviour towards Lancelot, and to his growth as a character—from self-glorifying to self-abasing—across the book. Continue reading

The panel discusses chapters 26–33 of The Ill-Made Knight, examining the violent deaths of Morgause and Lamorak, Arthur's solution to the problem of 'games-mania' in the Round Table, Guenever's festering jealousy, and Lancelot's spiritual devotions. Continue reading

The panel addresses reader questions and discusses chapters 19–25 of The Ill-Made Knight, with an examination of Lancelot's pitiable condition and an investigation into its causes, whether due to internal contradiction, or because of external pressures. Continue reading

The panel discusses chapters 9–18 of The Ill-Made Knight, with special attention given to the development of Lancelot's relationships with the wily Elaine and the imperious Guenever, particularly in the savage denouement that leads to Lancelot's madness. Continue reading

The panel discusses chapters 1–8 of The Ill-Made Knight, with special attention given to the characterisation and Freudian psychology of Lancelot, contrasting humility with narcissism, and examining the beginning of his relationship with Guenever. Continue reading

The panel reads the second half of The Queen of Air and Darkness, giving special consideration to Arthur's vision of the Round Table and total war, the need for Might to support Right against wickedness, the Aristotelian (or not) nature of the tragedy. Continue reading

The panel discusses the first half of The Queen of Air and Darkness (also known as The Witch in the Wood), with particular attention both to the Freudian characterisation of Morgause and her children, and to Merlyn's 'just war' political philosophy. Continue reading