Mordred and Hildebrand: A Book of Tragedies

"Mordred and Hildebrand: A Book of Tragedies" by William Wilfred Campbell is a collection of dramatic works likely written in the late 19th century. This book draws inspiration from the Arthurian legends, particularly focusing on the tragic narratives surrounding King Arthur, his illegitimate son Mordred, and the fateful love involving Guinevere and Launcelot. The tension between noble aspirations and deep personal flaws forms the crux of the storyline. The opening of the play introduces King Arthur and his illegitimate son Mordred, who is burdened by the fate of his origins and the tragic nature of his relationship with his father. Arthur grapples with the memory of his past sin—unknowingly being with his sister—and seeks redemption through his role as a king. As he processes his inner turmoil, Mordred struggles with feelings of rejection and anger due to his deformity and his tumultuous relationship with his father. Meanwhile, Merlin provides wisdom that highlights the potential for greatness hidden within Mordred, even as the stage is set for the impending conflicts and betrayals rooted in love and ambition. This intricate web of characters' motivations and emotional struggles promises a dramatic exploration of tragedy within the legendary context. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Wilfred Campbell was a Canadian poet. He is often categorized as one of the country's Confederation Poets, a group that included Charles G.D. Roberts, Bliss Carman, Archibald Lampman, and Duncan Campbell Scott; he was a colleague of Lampman and Scott. By the end of the 19th century, he was considered the "unofficial poet laureate of Canada." Although not as well known as the other Confederation poets today, Campbell was a "versatile, interesting writer" who was influenced by Robert Burns, the English Romantics, Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Thomas Carlyle, and Alfred Tennyson. Inspired by these writers, Campbell expressed his own religious idealism in traditional forms and genres.