Objective: We all love the Lord of The Rings series. Why are so broken up when (spoiler alert!) Gandalf dies? Why do we root for Frodo as he climbs the last stairs toward Mount Doom? Why do we feel disdain and frustration at Gollum's incessant treachery to derail Frodo?
Probably because we recognize, understand, and potentially connect with the universal characters in the story. Looking back at works over thousands of years, we can find similar and repeated patterns in the design of a tale and the role of each character within. Pretty neat, right?
A famous psychologist from the early 1900s—Carl Jung—believed in universal archetypes, i.e., that we can label or lump people into categories. Later on, people decided that this wasn't just true in life, but in literature, too. Makes sense, right?
In this lesson, we'll classify the characters of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and think about how they're all connected.
Step 1: You already know about archetypes; you just might not know that you know. You've grown up with archetypes from fairy tales, Disney movies, Star Wars, and Harry Potter—just to name a few. We all remember and dread the evil stepmothers, the black-helmeted raspy villains, and the horrifying witches with flying monkeys.
Here is a list of seven common archetypes, based on the hero's journey (source):
As a warm up, think about your own lives as journeys and name your own mentors, tricksters, shapeshifters, etc. Do you have anyone really helping you on the journey as a mentor? We're not talking about driving you to school, but more metaphorically. Is there someone standing in the way of your path (threshold guardian)? Remember, these roles might be filled by different people at different times in your life. How do they affect your life overall?
Step 2: Once you have the archetype-identifying down, it's time to discuss how these archetypes fit into the plot and ultimate development, resolution, and theme of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Classify all of the characters in the story—check out Shmoop's Characters page for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to make sure you're not forgetting anyone.
In three to five paragraphs, explain each character and their archetype's effect on the other characters and the plot and—as always!—provide textual evidence for your choices. DUE OCTOBER 19TH !!
Step 3: Okay, the tough part is over. Now it's time for some creativity. Here are a few options for homework: DUE OCTOBER 26TH!!
Probably because we recognize, understand, and potentially connect with the universal characters in the story. Looking back at works over thousands of years, we can find similar and repeated patterns in the design of a tale and the role of each character within. Pretty neat, right?
A famous psychologist from the early 1900s—Carl Jung—believed in universal archetypes, i.e., that we can label or lump people into categories. Later on, people decided that this wasn't just true in life, but in literature, too. Makes sense, right?
In this lesson, we'll classify the characters of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and think about how they're all connected.
Step 1: You already know about archetypes; you just might not know that you know. You've grown up with archetypes from fairy tales, Disney movies, Star Wars, and Harry Potter—just to name a few. We all remember and dread the evil stepmothers, the black-helmeted raspy villains, and the horrifying witches with flying monkeys.
Here is a list of seven common archetypes, based on the hero's journey (source):
- Hero-Protagonist or Antagonist
- Mentor (Wise Old Man or Woman)
- Threshold Guardian (someone in the way)
- Herald (the one calling the hero to action or adventure)
- Shapeshifter (someone who changes appearance)
- Shadow (the villain or opponent)
- Trickster (con artist)
As a warm up, think about your own lives as journeys and name your own mentors, tricksters, shapeshifters, etc. Do you have anyone really helping you on the journey as a mentor? We're not talking about driving you to school, but more metaphorically. Is there someone standing in the way of your path (threshold guardian)? Remember, these roles might be filled by different people at different times in your life. How do they affect your life overall?
Step 2: Once you have the archetype-identifying down, it's time to discuss how these archetypes fit into the plot and ultimate development, resolution, and theme of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Classify all of the characters in the story—check out Shmoop's Characters page for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to make sure you're not forgetting anyone.
In three to five paragraphs, explain each character and their archetype's effect on the other characters and the plot and—as always!—provide textual evidence for your choices. DUE OCTOBER 19TH !!
Step 3: Okay, the tough part is over. Now it's time for some creativity. Here are a few options for homework: DUE OCTOBER 26TH!!
- Create a movie poster for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that clearly demonstrates three to four archetypes from the story. Write a short paragraph for each character pictured, describing how and why the choice is the best fit for the archetype.
OR
- Create a short movie trailer in which three to four archetypes from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are immediately recognizable. Along with your trailer, write a short paragraph for each character, describing how and why the choice is the best fit for the archetype.
