Lion And The Wardrobe Archetypes

An archetype, which can also refer to as a universal symbol, can not only limit it to theme, setting, and symbol but can also refer to as a character. A type of archetype can not only represent one character, it can represent many different types of characters. Depending on the story that the author wants to try and portray. In the medieval romance, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight dramatically demonstrates how a single character can play many archetypal roles. This story possesses many different types of characters that can all have more than one archetype. Having characters that more than one archetype in this story helps build Sir Gawain’s character and helps guide him through his initial quest and trails that he encounters to face in order to face the Green Knight. There are several different characters in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that aid in the troubles that Sir Gawain faces throughout the story.

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, many archetypes can be found, like in most works of literature. This literary work included situational and symbolic archetypes as well as character archetypes and color archetypes. Each archetype in the poem aided in Sir Gawain’s development as a character. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight dramatically demonstrates how a single character can play many archetypal roles.

Archetypes are universal symbols used in literature to represent fundamental human motifs. In the medieval romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the hero must undergo archetypal situations to succeed in his quest to redeem the honor of Camelot. Gawain embodies the transcendent hero as he further goes into “The Zone of Magnified Power” (Campbell 71) then faces conflict resulting from the threat placed on the society. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight dramatically demonstrates how a single character can play many archetypal roles.

In almost any story, whether novel or poem, lies a hero. Depending on the path, a variety of archetypes usually accompany the hero. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines “archetype” as “the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies.” Joseph Campbell’s A Hero With A Thousand Faces introduces the common archetypes often found in various pieces of literature, explaining “The parallels will be immediately apparent; and these will develop a vast and amazingly constant statement of the basic truths by which man has lived throughout the millenniums of his residence on the planet,” in his preface to the 1949 edition. To summarize, after learning of the different archetypes found in a story, one

Lewis, after Edmund Pevensie wanders into Narnia and meets the White Witch. Once she finds out that he’s one of the “Sons of Adam” mentioned in the prophecy that foretold the end of her reign, the White Witch puts on a false demeanor. She offers Edmund a hot beverage and a box of enchanted Turkish delight that makes the consumer crave it and consume it to his or her death. Edmund is the only one putting effort into this “communion,” as he is the only one eating while the White Witch is simply sitting on the sled and interrogating him. The White Witch doesn’t bond with Edmund, and Edmund fools himself into thinking that he’s become friendly with the Queen of Narnia. As such, the “communion” ultimately fails in regard to friendly bonding. However, there is an exchange of ideas: The White Witch feeds him lies about making him prince and giving him more Turkish delight, and in return, Edmund unknowingly gives her information on a traitor and promises to bring his siblings to

Archetypes are symbols in literary pieces that give each character, object, color, and detail meanings beyond themselves, aiding the reader to interpret the piece better. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain represents the heroic image vital to Camelot after the Green Knight confronts the knights of the Round Table with a challenge. The Green Knight, however, represents the herald and a threat when introduced. As the poem continues, the reader can conclude how a single character can play many archetypal roles.

C.S. Lewis wrote The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe because he wanted to write a children’s book “as a gift for his godchild” (Palmer). It began for him with a series of pictures that came into his mind. “Lewis stated, ‘Everything began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion” (Kennedy). A fairy tale was forming in his mind and “‘At first there wasn't anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord’” (Kennedy), As the story progresses and Lewis’s characters and storyline begin to develop a seemingly clear relationship formed between The Bible and this novel. “Given Lewis’s strong Christian faith, that is not surprising. In fact, once the story was established, Lewis said he ‘...saw how stories of this kind could steal past a certain inhibition which had paralysed much of my own religion in childhood’” (Kennedy.) Even though C.S. Lewis started off writing a children's novel, many people perceive it to be a novel written in parallel to the Bible. Lewis has used Biblical references and a classic storyline to prove that good will alway triumph over evil. Aslan is labeled as a divine figure in the novel; he is also known as the son of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Aslan’s death and resurrection is like that of Christ. The four children are all considered important to in the world of Narnia, but in the real world they are

In the end of the novel, Edmund showed the traits of a brave and altruistic hero through his actions. Edmund used to be a bratty evil child, but since the middle of the novel, he has begun to become a very heroic person. Given his history, some would say that he could never change, but his experiences with the White Witch allowed him to come to his senses about what side he should be on, and what side he shouldn’t be on. All the anger that was building up inside of him towards the Witch, he let out on the battlefield by destroying her wand and putting an end to the reign of the White Witch. Edmund is now a hero because he no longer is only thinking about himself, he has now gained the trait of altruism and is thinking about the needs of others,

The books have Christian themes and describe the adventures of a group of children who visit a magical land called Narnia. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was the first published and the most popular book of the series. Lewis is said to have stated that he wrote the novels when he wondered what it would be like if Jesus Christ was incarnated on another planet or world to save the souls of those inhabitants”.

The classic fantasy The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a story written by L. Frank Baum, who suffered from a heart condition. Since he was unable to participate in many activities as a teen he resulted in writing, allowing him to escape the real world and live through his fantasies. Starting in Kansas and moving into the Land of Oz it is the reoccurring patterns of symbolic and situational archetypes that bring the story to life. Although originally written as a piece of children's literature, it is a story that people of all ages love. Literature has the ability to take readers to another place better than the real world. Expressive use of vivid colours throughout the Land of Oz, unfortunate situations that lead to newfound friendships and Dorothy's purposeful journey allows readers to visualize how life would be living in a childhood fantasy.

     My favorite character in this book would have to be Peter. He was a little bit of a tough guy yet timid, but wasn’t afraid to fight for his siblings lives. Peter was the oldest amongst his brother and two sisters and was most likely the brains and brawn of the bunch. In this story, Peter has to fight off a wolf to test his courage or, in Aslan’s words, win his spurs. He returns victorious and is knighted by the lion called Aslan. His brother Edmund, a very mischievous boy and a bother to his sisters Lucy and Susan, looks up to Him though he never admits to it. Peter was definitely the highlight of this book.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the first of several novels in the C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. These books tell stories of another universe that is called Narnia. Here there are many unearthly things from talking animals and evil witches. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the story of four young siblings who discover this new world by entering a wardrobe. Little did they know, they were destined to become the new royalty of Narnia but only after going through many battles. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis analyzes the character Lucy, the theme of good versus evil, and the parallels of Narnia to other literature and Lewis’s life.

In C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis emphasizes the three points of philosophy, themes, and symbolism throughout his writing. Lewis was a strong Christian man, and wanted to make children see and understand all the stories of the Bible. Therefore, he put Christian elements through his books, but with fantasy characters as well. Especially in this story, Lewis conveys the differences between good and evil. Aslan is represented as Christ just as the White Witch represents the sense of evil. Lewis wrote several books in this Narnia series, but The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe became the most famous and recognized of his novels.

I wouldn’t presume to understand why Edmund would be so distrusting in his siblings. Edmund constantly acts as though he is hiding something, he acts as though he cannot trust anyone. Even before Edmund meets the witch his is always acting shifty. This dishonesty Edmunds exhibits is one of his key personality traits the witch preys upon. She is almost immediately aware that she will be able to manipulate him easily. Unfortunately for Edmund and his family alike, this misplaced faith in the witch makes him follow her nearly blindly, it also leads me to believe he is capable of strong faith in something. If he would have not been left alone he wouldn’t have been led astray by the witch. He also would not have had this opportunity to learn a valuable

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is a fascinating, adventurous journey about 4 siblings traveling through a magical wardrobe to a land called Narnia. As they explore the land, they learn of its destiny and free it from the evil white witch, with the help of a majestic lion.