Theme Of Archetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Stories all over the world involve the concept of the monomyth. Stories that involve an evil villain, a horrifying creature that goes through a dramatic change, a magical hero with superpowers, or even a story with an average person living an average life all involve and follow 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,†¦show more content†¦Sir Gawain undergoes character development in changing his mind in accepting the girdle. Sir Gawain deals with conflict by trading his honor for self-regard. Every hero’s journey involves an ultimate boon, which exists as the prize in the hero’s journey after or during the center of the abyss. The theme is presented when Sir Gawain accepts the challenge. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the ultimate boon Sir Gawain needs to achieve requires maintaining the honor he set out for the community of Camelot. A conflict arises during the dinner of New Year’s Eve, at King Arthur’s court. The community Camelot is threatened by a strange figure known as the Green Knight. He challenges the group’s leader or any other brave representative to a quest. The Green Knight says, â€Å" I charge thee, to the Green Chapel; such a stroke as thou hast dealt thou hast deserved, and it shall be promptly paid thee on New Year’s morn† (Weston 9), in summary he will allow whomever accepts the challenge to strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger find him in exactly one year to receive a bl ow in return. The knights at the court become mute by his presence, and the king is left to answer him with volunteering himself to play the Green Knights game. This pause of silence tests the character of Sir Gawain. At once, Sir Gawain arises and admits himself to the challenge in place for King Author.Show MoreRelatedTheme Of Archetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight768 Words   |  4 PagesThe 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. 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