Archetypal Conflicts In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Prior to reading a novel, simply by looking at its monomyth 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 his encounter with a foe, carries on. The main conflict that drives this read is the internal struggle Sir Gawain faces when deciding if his virtues are more valuable than that of his life. This†¦show more content†¦Not only is she portrayed as being very flirty, but she also serves as the temptress by trying to have Gawain make as many mistakes as possible. An example of this temptation can be found when she states â€Å"but in sooth I have mine answer; kiss me now courteously, and I will go hence; I can but mourn as a maiden that loves much.† (Weston 30). This quote from the excerpt uncovers true feelings that the temptress has when attempting to have Gawain fall into her trap. Another archetype that helps Gawain develop his character is that of the Green Knight. By arriving to Sir Gawain’s kingdom uninvited, the Green Knight challenges Sir Gawain in front of all and ultimately brings dishonor to Gawain and â€Å"the whole community† (Campbell 15) unless Gawain chooses to accept. This minion of Morgan le Faye tests Gawain’s courage and with the help of the temptress, is able to provide Gawain with a valuable, unhealable wound across his neck that reminds him to not be selfish and stay true to his word, all because he decided to keep his â€Å"magic weapon,† the green girdle. Lastly, numerous archetypes help in developing a major theme for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. By accepting the call to action and pursuing his quest against the Green Knight, Sir Gawain expresses a great sense of valor and bravery. This sense of greatness is shown when Weston writes, â€Å"all men in that keep were joyful that they should be in the company of him to whom belonged all fame, andShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Archetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight864 Words   |  4 PagesOne story, in particular a poem, arises in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The poem dramatically demonstrates how a single character can set out to fulfill one quest to uncover archetypal elements in tremendous amounts of ways. And it reveals the essence of character development, theme, and conflict transparently through the archetypal quest within three key archetypes—the magic weapon, the boon, and the unhealable wound in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. There’s always some kind of magical elementRead MoreThe Character Development Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight873 Words   |  4 Pagesstructure. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight dramatically demonstrates how the Green Knight’s monomythic roles of the Evil Figure who is Ultimately Good, mentor, and herald contribute to the conflicts that lead to the character development of Sir Gawain throughout the poem and ultimately influence the work’s themes. Even though the Green Knight turns good at the end of the story, he still presents Gawain with a variety of difficult challenges throughout the poem that make him appear evil. The Green KnightRead MoreArchetypal Characters In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight : Character Analysis1143 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight had many aspects of Joseph Campbell’s view of the hero’s journey. 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