Genre as Context in the Alliterative Morte Arthure

Genre remains an important context for teaching and understanding literature. The genre of the Alliterative Morte is epic-heroic. This genre is dominated by a focus on heroes and their concern with honor, glory and martial achievement. Such values and heroes have potentially tragic consequences, but such tragedy and the genre which surrounds it are celebrating, not condemning, Arthurian heroism and martial deeds.