Archetypal Characters In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight ...

Even in the middle ages of literature, a story such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight had many aspects of Joseph Campbell’s view of the hero’s journey. In the story of our character Sir Gawain accepts a â€Å"Call to adventure† (Campbell 45) and goes on a quest that will go through many of the archetypes. Likewise, there lies one character, The Green Knight, that can be many of the archetypal characters in the cycle of the hero’s journey. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight dramatically demonstrates how a single character can play many archetypal roles. At the beginning of the story, the great city of Camelot is being offered a challenge by a knight in all green, challenging the knights of the round table to chop off his head if the Green Knight†¦show more content†¦From all the information the Green Knight gives, more continues to show about his character showing that he is merely just a lackey of something much greater. With him taking the role one of the mentors of the story, this character archetype in a sense connects with the Green Knight also being the EPUG or the â€Å"Evil Figure that is Ultimately Good.† This ties in with the fact that the Green Knight is also the host and what is said in the ending dialogue between Gawain and the knight is informing Gawain of the ultimate goal. â€Å"Sir Knight, and wast wanting in loyalty, yet that was for no evil work, nor for wooing neither, but because thou lovedst thy life—therefore I blame thee the less† (Weston 40). This quote takes place when the knig ht/host exposes who he identifies as to the Sir Gawain and what the plan all along was, this last exchange between the two conveys that the Green Knight also partakes two more character archetypes; the minion and it proves the claim of him being the â€Å"evil figure who is ultimately good.† The last exchange shows how he falls into the role of the minion, how the Green Knight talks about Arthur’s evils sister, Morgain, and how she worked toward dishonoring Camelot. Throughout the story green is the ruling color but on the contrary colors from the tale likeShow MoreRelatedArchetypal Development In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight841 Words   |  4 PagesArchetypal situations scatter the content of literature and film supporting our understanding of storytelling and presenting them to us in a way that encourages clarity in the hero’s quest and what it consists of. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight includes this archetypal development through (c. A number of archetypal situations occur in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that serve to promote Gawain’s moral development. The archetypal situation of the the call to adventure is where Gawain’s moral developmentRead MoreArchetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1100 Words   |  5 Pagesidentify which character represents which archetype. One must also understand that each story— bearing its own unique characteristics— will not always follow Joseph Campbell’s analysis to the tee, but will bear very similar qualities. For example, a character may represent multiple archetypes— a common trend in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Despite common belief, though, other elements of a story allow for analyzation as well. In fact, a number of archetypal situations, characters, colors,Read MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight, And The Heros Journey960 Words   |  4 PagesAn archetypal analysis of Gawain’s quest reveals some significant changes that occur in the hero’s character. We will analyze the progress of the hero, Gawain, as he ventures out to co mplete his quest. By analyzing the works of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight along with The Hero With A Thousand Faces, and how it completes the Hero’s Journey. The departure commences with the protagonists call to adventure and ends with the crossing of the threshold. In the case of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, theRead MoreThe Truth Behind the Knight: the Presence of Archetypes in Sir Gawain the Green Knight2908 Words   |  12 PagesThe Truth Behind the Knight: The Presence of Archetypes in Sir Gawain the Green Knight In the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we are introduced to a young man, who, like many of young men, is trying to discover himself and travel through his rite of passage. He is trying to figure out who he is in life, and while in his journey, passes through many phases that mold him into one of the great Knights of the Round Table that old King Arthur wanted to serve with him. These phases