An archetype is a literary term that refers to a “first type” or “fundamental type” of character or other story element. Part of what makes the legend of King Arthur so important is that it created many archetypes that permeate our society today, especially in the superhero genre.
Knight in Shining Armor
My students always have a good idea of what a knight in shining armor is well before we begin reading King Arthur. They know it refers to a hero, typically male, who swoops in to save someone in danger, even at great peril to himself.
When we go a little deeper, they quickly recognize the symbolism of his “shining armor.” It is not simply that the knight is supposed to be glamorously good-looking (which doesn’t hurt), but also that he is a model of virtue. His goodness shines forth and shields him from badness.
I love questioning my students, especially the girls, about whether they believe a knight in shining armor really exists. Even at their young age, they mostly say “no” with a sigh. But once they start learning about the actual knights from the legend, wrought with all their imperfections and yet always seeking virtue, they begin to see the archetype as the only ambition for a man!
Damsel in Distress
The definition of a damsel in distress is almost too obvious at first. It refers to a person, typically a female, who is utterly incapable of saving herself from disaster and must therefore rely on the chivalrous rescue of a knight in shining armor. Que the romance music, and the two end up happily ever after.
This is one of the more difficult archetypes for our modern sensibilities. At first glimpse, it positions women as being weaker than and therefore dependent on men, which is not a popular idea these days.
However, that is not exactly a correct interpretation of the medieval gender roles the archetype reflects. Women in the Middle Ages were very much likened to the Virgin Mary. Just as all men should revere Mary, so too should they serve a worthy reflection of her on earth. The damsel in distress, then, was placed on a pedestal that made her greater than the man, even if weaker in physical abilities.
In the medieval worldview, men and women were not meant to be equal in their sameness but in their complementarity.
Hero’s Dilemma
Much of the dramatic conflict in the legend of King Arthur revolves around the hero’s dilemma, which on a basic level, describes when a knight meets two people in need of rescue but cannot save both. Typically, one person is someone he loves, and the other is a stranger. He must, therefore, choose between serving his own desires or suppressing them.
The hero’s dilemma also repeatedly plays out in a figurative sense through the struggle between virtue (serving God) and vice (serving self).
The most extreme hero’s dilemma revolves around Arthur. When he learns of the love affair between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot, he must choose between sentencing her to death as prescribed by the laws he created and governs, or letting her go free. (Lancelot escapes arrest and so is not sentenced.) In other words, he wrestles with saving his “family” or his “kingdom.” This is an impossible choice because Arthur loves them both!
Dilemmas such as these make for thoroughly enjoyable and insightful classroom debates.