Archetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Summary of Jungian Archetypal Psychoanalysis Many texts of literature throughout human history share a similar structure. These common themes in form and plot structure can sometimes allow us to divine some of humanity’s innermost, sometimes repressed, thoughts and mindsets. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is no exception to this pattern. While reading Sir Gawain, there are many common themes, or archetypes, that we can examine to gain some insight on humanity and some of its subconscious thinking. To do this, we must use psychoanalytic criticism, a branch of literary criticism devoted to analyzing the subconscious meanings and psychological aspects of a text hidden under the surface. Through analyzing these underlying parts of the text, we will be able to tie our discoveries together with the text itself and hopefully how the story aligns itself with the monomyth of the hero quest, as well as other archetypes. Specifically, we …show more content…
To begin with, the Call to Adventure is quite apparent in the appearance of the Green Knight, who proclaims a challenge: “If any… be so fierce… let him haste to me and lay hold of this weapon… and I will stand a stroke from him... provided… that I may deliver him another… And yet a respite I’ll allow, till a year and a day go by…” (34). As the end of the year of respite approaches, we see the Crossing of the First Threshold, another of the key components of the Departure. This crossing of the first threshold is apparent in pages 45 through 49, as Sir Gawain puts on his armor and sets out on the quest, marking the point of no return as his departure from the city of Camelot. While certain elements of the Departure archetype are not demonstrated (namely, Refusal of the Call, Supernatural Aid, and The Belly of the Whale), there are still clear parallels between the elements of the monomyth and what we see in Sir Gawain and the Green