70 pages 2 hours read

John Steinbeck

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1976

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Reading Context

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The stories spend a fair amount of time defining the code of chivalry. When you hear the word “chivalry,” what does it mean to you? Does it apply to life nowadays? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: You might want to solicit definitions from the class of their individual notions of chivalry. These might then be compared to the definition given in the article below. A possible contrast might then be set up between medieval ideals and current notions of proper conduct.

  • This article describes the evolution of the medieval code of chivalry in England.

2. What sort of training regimen do you suppose a warrior might go through to become a knight? Can you think of any parallels to other real or fictional worlds in which a hero’s preparation might be similar?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be useful to guide students to a discussion of pop culture in terms of martial arts films or even comic book superheroes. You might want to consider how these current figures differ in their training and focus from medieval knights.

Related Titles

By John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

Cannery Row

John Steinbeck

Cannery Row

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

East of Eden

John Steinbeck

East of Eden

John Steinbeck

Plot Summary

logo

In Dubious Battle

John Steinbeck

In Dubious Battle

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck

Plot Summary

logo

Sweet Thursday

John Steinbeck

Sweet Thursday

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

The Harvest Gypsies

John Steinbeck

The Harvest Gypsies: On the Road to the Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck

Plot Summary

logo

The Log From The Sea of Cortez

John Steinbeck

The Log From The Sea of Cortez

John Steinbeck

Plot Summary

logo

The Long Valley

John Steinbeck

The Long Valley

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

The Moon Is Down

John Steinbeck

The Moon Is Down

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

The Red Pony

John Steinbeck

The Red Pony

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

The Wayward Bus

John Steinbeck

The Wayward Bus

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

The Winter Of Our Discontent

John Steinbeck

The Winter Of Our Discontent

John Steinbeck

Plot Summary

logo

To a God Unknown

John Steinbeck

To a God Unknown

John Steinbeck

Plot Summary

logo

Tortilla Flat

John Steinbeck

Tortilla Flat

John Steinbeck

Study Guide

logo

Travels With Charley

John Steinbeck

Travels With Charley

John Steinbeck