Theme Of Archetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

The archetypes that are prevalent in many different stories all have have common origin in Joseph Campbells Hero With a Thousand Faces. More specifically, in the medieval story, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, there are distinct archetypes that are especially necessary to the theme of the story.An understanding of three key archetypes—the temptress the magic weapon, and the task—reveal the essence of Gawain’s role within the archetypal quest motif. To begin, the temptress archetype is an archetype that is characterized *where women,†become the symbols no longer of victory but of defeat† (Campbell 111).The temptress also serves as a distraction to the hero’s task and may even intentionally misguide the hero. As seen in Sir Gawain and the†¦show more content†¦Gawain first obtains the girdle from the host’s wife as something to remember. Gawain clearly feels uncomfortable about this, but does not bring it up to the host when he is supposed to exchange something in return for whatever the host caught during that day’s hunt. However, after the host’s wife telling him that the girdle will protect him from harm, the girdle now takes on the true role of a magic weapon. When Gawain meets with the green knight, he is unharmed, (with the exception of the cut on his neck). He believes that he was unharmed because of the green girdles magical powers. However, this is not the case. The green k night had no real intentions to hurt him, but Gawain obviously couldn’t have known this, so he credits his good luck to the green girdle. Only later does he recognize that the girdle is actually a symbol of his failures. He swears to wear it forever as a reminder of his lack of courage and honesty. When he returns home, the other knights start wearing green girdles as a symbol of their respect and admiration that they have for Gawain. In this way, the reader can clearly see the various different things the girdle symbolism. The girdle is probably one of the most important parts to the entire story since it is so multidimensional and provides insight into numerous situations Lastly, the actual task that Gawain had to complete was the entire meat of the story. When theShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Archetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight864 Words   |  4 Pagesfollow Archetypes. The concept of Archetypes presents itself in Joseph Campbells’, Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell’s book goes the extra mile describing/explaining how Archetypes come into action throughout the journey of the hero detailing how â€Å"The archetypes to be discovered and assimilated are precisely those that have inspired, throughout the annals of human culture, the basic images of ritual, mythology, and vision†(Campbell 41). One story, in particular a poem, arises in Sir Gawain and theRead MoreExamples Of Archetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1223 Words   |  5 Pagesin today’s culture, we become more and more aware of the archetypes that surround us. Archetypes are the works of a typical character, situation, setting, or symbol that can be found in fantasy and reality. An example would be the renowned medieval story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Pearl Poet. The author permeates the story with situational, symbolic, and character archetypes that illustrate the profound life of Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain was apprehensive of his journey at first, but as time passesRead MoreArchetypal Conflicts In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight785 Words   |  4 Pagesmonomyth archetypes, it becomes apparent to one what common patterns are found when following along with the hero’s journey. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, readers follow Gawain on his quest to redeem the honor of his community. A number of archetypal situations occur to Sir Gawain and serve to promote Gawain’s conflicts, character, and theme development. Throughout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, many conflicts rise to the surface as the medieval story, portraying a prideful knight and hisRead MoreSummary Of The Archetypal Roles In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight843 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history, archetypes have become increasingly common. In the medieval, chivalrous, romance narrative poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, archetypes are heavily displayed, particularly in the character of the Green Knight- who holds several archetypal roles himself. The Green Knight performs the most crucial archetypal roles in the reading and he plays a pivotal part in perfecting of the hero’s--Gawain’s--moral development and revealing some significant changes that occur in the hero’sRead 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 phasesRead MoreComparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, both reflect attributes of loyalty, specifically the testing of one’s loyalty and the consequences of disloyalty, which reflect the behavior and values shared by the Anglo-Saxons and the people of the Late Medieval era. When analyzing loyalty in both of these works one will see that one’s own self-worth turns loyalty into selfishness to save oneself rather than risking one’s life for the sake of the community. Joseph Cam pbell outlined archetypes in his HeroRead MoreAn Assortment Of Heroism : Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1171 Words   |  5 PagesAn Assortment of Heroism Theme is essential to any great work of literature, and while the following are certainly very different tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Beowulf and The Dream of the Rood each have particularly strong themes of heroism, though, they each have their own distinct idea of what heroism is, their own flavor one might say. It is partly because of their strong themes and ideas that they are still well-known and read today. A story without a theme or real purpose has littleRead MoreBeowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay2373 Words   |  10 Pageshowever, there are certain archetypes that can be recognized in every work. Often a hero emerges from a literary piece and embarks on the quest of saving his or her jeopardized community. In addition, the courageous hero often becomes the symbolic figure by representing the esteemed cultural ideals of the community. Such is the case in the works Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxon period and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight from the Late Middle Ages. Both heroes Beowulf and Sir Gawain represent certain customsRead MoreComparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1762 Words   |  8 Pages ultimately tying in with the theme of the work. Beowulf and Sir Gawain both exhibit what the Anglo-Saxons and the Middle-English viewed as both proper and improper conduct. What the reader encounters through these two characters, however, involves a paradigm shift between the two cultures, with values, fate and pride leading to demise , reflected in Beowulf contrasting with those, the knight’s code of honor and chivalry, expressed in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. These dissimilar worldviews becomeRead More Paganism and Christianity’s Roles in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight2350 Words   |  10 PagesPaganism and Christianity’s Roles in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Gawain’s belief by the end of â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† is that he has failed—in honesty, fidelity, and faith. As a representative of an ideal Christian whose priority is to remain godly (and knightly), he sees the outcome of his quest quite differently than the Green Knight. The Green Knight also prizes honesty, though not always at the cost of life, a view not necessarily shared by Gawain. Strangely enough, King Arthur’s