The History of the Kings of Britain

Though Geoffrey calls his work a history, historians of his time dismissed it as a fanciful and romanticized account of the island’s kings, calling it more myth than history. Modern historians uphold this position. As such, The History of the Kings of Britain is treated as a literary text. The author’s use of language supports this designation, at times mirroring literary devices employed by ancient epic poets who shaped the mythologies of ancient Greece and Rome: direct speech, direct address, similes, metaphors, aphorisms, narrative set pieces, and pathos. Further, some scholars believe that Geoffrey wrote his history to be read by individuals rather than orally performed to groups. Supporting this belief are the author’s visual imagery and tight narrative structure.

The History of the Kings of Britain provides a history of purported battles as much as it does of kings, since most of the kings Geoffrey discusses were obliged to battle for legitimacy and supremacy. As in Homer’s Iliad, battle scenes in Geoffrey’s text proceed within a set narrative structure: Geoffrey reports the speeches of each side’s leaders. The men arm themselves, and the opponents meet on the battlefield, each side fighting boldly and fiercely and holding the upper hand in turns.