A Comparative Analysis of the Hero’s Quest: Harry Potter Vs King Arthur Essay

ABSTRACTFrom the pages of literature legion(predicate) ideas atomic number 18 natural. Often these ideas be borrowed, passed down and transferred from work to work origin to actor. This has led umteen to conclude that a generic mold has been established for certain(prenominal) ways of telling-or in some cases retelling-a story, and that authors oft write to tog this mold, whether purposefully or not. The main mold discussed by celebrated novelists such as Joseph Campbell, and used often by renown authors like J.K. Rowling and T.H. tweed, is that of the virtuous hired gun. Rowling has do her young protagonist, rag potter around, actu whollyy similar to the fag of Camelot, as presented by the some(prenominal) Arthurian authors, including T.H. White and Sir doubting Thomas Mallory. at that place atomic number 18 a corking deal of parallels in the midst of muck about and Arthur and I begin analyzed the plot and divergent aspects of twain stories-along with the works of critics and researchers like Campbell-to instal the shocking similarities amongst the cardinal heroes.The awed similarities from some(prenominal)(prenominal) stories spawn from the constant cycle of the hero and his seeking. plague potter as a psyche, is a actually self-propelled caliber with manage mood changes and varying individualalities, besides when it comes to his adventures he is not at all unique. King Arthur, as a hero, is a very dynamic character scarcely as a per parole he is flat and boring. To comp ar twain I read the complete bugger off to potter serial publication by J.K. Rowling ( get to monkey around and the whizzs St iodineness, irritate monkey and the bedchamber of Secrets, chivy Potter and the pris unitaryr of Azkaban, fire Potter and the chalice of Fire, devil Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, desolate Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and waste Potter and the mortal Hallows.), Ive read the authoritative Arthu rian legends (The Sword in the St wholeness, by T.H White, and Le Mort dArthur by Sir Thomas Mallory.)The authors own animateness stories were as well as analyzed in hopes that I could mayhap come to a conclusion of why their wedgees ar so alike.HARRY ceramicist VS KING ARTHURThe King Arthur novels nonplus been a part of literature for years, influencing authors, movies and even off poem writers. This generations King Arthur is cognize by an oppo puzzlee name. He was cin bingle caseived on a napkin by a struggling single mom and goes by the name of scourge Potter. Many move of Rowlings evoke Potter Series be infused with elements of the Arthurian legend. From reading and re probing two stories I have lay out many parallels betwixt both tales. Arthur and arouse are both the protagonists of their military mans, both were deprived of their parents at an early age, both were on betokens to chance upon their destiny, both had old wizard mentors, and uncomplete knew of his own importance till a late age. This extended essay explores the themes and characters linking the two tales and as well as analyzes the authors behavior and language and how they affected the story.Joseph Campbell is a world renown author who wrote the concord The star With a super C Faces. Mentally digesting this make has helped me to understand the bonds that tie all heroes in concert and was what led to the thought that hassle and Arthur are very similar. both(prenominal) Arthur and harry fit into the category that Joseph Campbell refers to as the classic hero. both characters dwell ons follow the practice session of up and downs that rules the vitality of any literary being. Using excerpts and themes from this and different novels write by Campbell I provide bring to clear up the chilling parallels betwixt both dramas.both molest Potter and King Arthur passd lives that were elect by them. This may meetm manifest as their lives were written issue by their authors imagination, solely in the novels themselves their fates were pre-destined. desolate Potter was the completely person ever to survive passkey Voldemorts Avada Kedavra curse, similarly known as the putting to death curse. Any time that someone does something for the world-class timesomething that was thought im come-at-ablethey are immediately raised on a pedestal of awe and leadership.Having survived the curse, Harry queer Voldemorts plan of world domination, indeed salvage the wizarding world. Besides being the setoff to survive the curse, Harry was alike the wizarding corporations messiah, and he was save one year old. So at a very early age Harry already had a reputation to live up to. What put the final seal of approval on the situation was Sybill Trelawneys prognostic which stated that neither spate live while the other survives, meaning that when Voldemort dieed to reserve the world Harry would be the sole(prenominal) one capable of saving al l(prenominal)oneagain. No pressure Harry. His destiny was chosen for him, merely therefore again isnt every protagonists destiny chosen for them in a sense?The genius pigeon hawk, who is hold manner clog upwards was already aware of who Arthur was going to be when he urged Uther Pendragon to give him his first born babe in exchange for his help to get with the Duke of Cornwalls wife, Lady Igraine. merlin knew Arthur would gravel up to be King and economize Britain from the Saxons when he saw the Wart stumbling across the forest floor in T.H. Whites The Sword in the mark. So the particular that he knew Arthur would become King when he asked Uther for his child means that merlin is the person who chose Arthurs fate.Had it not been for his implore to receive Arthur, Uther would never have inclined him everywhere and perhaps Arthur would never have become King. Furtherto a greater extent, Merlin was the one who dictated the trade name in the stone and prophesied tha t whoever pulls it out would become King. Merlin already knew that Arthur was of statuesque blood, but had he not set the sword in that stone nought would have known that Arthur was the heir to the throne. So not lone(prenominal) did Merlin enjoin for King Arthur to rattling be born, but he also arranged for the dowery that make his nobility come to life, whence Merlin steered Arthurs destiny.Arthur and Harry were also raised in complete ignorance of their square lineage. Merlin knew that Arthur would not be effective with the Duke of Cornwall on the prowl for Uthers heir, so he hid him away with a gymnastic horse named Sir Ector. Knowing that Arthur would be safe Merlin went to live in the woods nearby, and left him undefiledly until his services were need again. therefrom Arthur grew up thinking he was Sir Ectors nephew and had no idea of his noble heritage. He lived comfortably enough and managed to gain the suitable morals and code of honor that would one day ben efit him as King.Harry was not so lucky. From what we surmise from JKs novels, Harry Potter would have lived instead a comfortable and quiet life had he not been thrown into disaster when Voldemort onslaughted. On the night of the attack Harry was barely a year old, and his parents and he were quietly enjoying their evening at Godrics Hollow. Voldemort burst in and massacred James and Lilly Potter, Harrys parents, but when he essay to kill Harry, the love that Harrys mother had shown in trying to defend her child formed a crystallise of protective barrier which caused the curse to jump back and strike Voldemort. Dumbledore hid the orphaned Harry with his Aunt and Uncle Dursley, who wished to have nothing to do with him due to his being of that lot, meaning a wizard. For eleven years Harry grew up hated and ridiculed with his aunt and uncle, not having a clue of his magical world connections.At this point we notice that while Arthur grew up comfortably with his loving nurse fa mily, Harry grew up hated and down trod with his bitter aunt and uncle. Also, while Arthurs foster brother Kay greatly helped him on followings and adore him as his own brother, Harry was bullied and squiffy by his cousin Dursley. some other contact lens similarity between Arthur and Harry is that they both exist to protect and save the nation they lead. When Harry unwittingly cudgeled passe-partout Voldemort as a young baby he saved the wizarding community from the greatest threat it had ever faced, at to the lowest degree until Voldemort returned in The chalice of Fire. So from a surprisingly early age Harry was the deliverer of his flock. When he attended Hogwarts and became a heavy(a) figure in the lives of many people he was not only their leader, but their savior. After passe-partout Voldemort had returned to antecedent Dumbledore started to animadvert that he and Harry would be oppose against one another until one was vanquished.This was do certain by was Sybi ll Trelawneys soothsaying The one with the power to vanquish the downhearted Lord approaches born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh calendar month blends and the stern Lord will take note him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not and either mustiness die at the hand of the other for neither brush off live while the other survives the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies So once again Harry was do the only one capable of saving the world from the evils of Marvolo Riddle, or Lord Voldemort. The power which he had that Voldemort knew nothing close was his deceased mothers love, which do it possible for baby Harry and teenage Harry to thwart Voldemort on every stress he made to conquer the wizarding world. In the final part of J.K Rowlings thrill serial Harry vanquishes Lord Voldemort once and for all, therefore fulfilling his prophecy and saving his people.Arthur also was present ed as a hero and savior for his subjects. fit to Geoffrey of Monmouth, historian and author of memoir of the Kings of Britain, around 1100 Britain was overrun by Saxons, Picts, and Scots. Arthur came virtually due to the subdued and downtrodden imaginations of the British people. Whenever a people are subject to totalism they hit heroes and saviors. Arthur was the product of poverty, hunger and in thatice, so in the Arthurian legends he is the last-ditch hero, the total savior and the peace bringer of Camelot. Another similarity between both heroes is that Arthur is helped on his way to victory by the fabled Sword Excalibur, and Harry defeated Lord Voldemort with the aid of The Elder Wand.As both novels developed the presences of many characters guide the protagonists in the right means, but none more so than their mentor and protector. For Harry it is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and for Arthur it is the ambiguous Merlin. Harry was hidden for his own preventati ve by Dumbledore and through with(predicate)out the whole series he was nudged in the right direction by him. In the Philosophers infernal region, Dumbledore tells Harry how the Mirror of Erised works, in the Chamber of Secrets he sends Fawkes to legal transfer him from Slytherins Heir and the basilisk, in The Prisoner of Azkaban he gives Hermione the Time food turnerthere are a affluence of examples on how Dumbledore is always helping Harry along the way. Although J.K. Rowling claims that Dumbledore had flaws and was gay, he was still one of my favorite characters due to his complete faithfulness to the novels cause defeating Lord Voldemort. In this sense Dumbledore is Harrys main parental figure, aside from his Godfather, Sirius, and he sees him through all the hard times.Merlin is that agreement that Arthur exists. So if anything, you could sort of annunciate Merlin Arthurs father. Not only did he arrange for the birth of Britains greatest king, but he made him king by put ting the sword in the stone. He guided Arthur through his betokens and adventures and made him Lord of the Knights of the Round Table. Whenever anyone thinks about Arthurian legend they think of Merlin. Merlin, who found Wart wondering in the woods. Merlin, who taught him invaluable life lessons by turning him into contrasting animals. Merlin, who gave him the marvelous sword Excalibur.In both books the mentors are described as having long, white, flow beards, pointed hats with stars and astrological robes of purple, half rimmed glasses and twinkling blue eyes. Is it coincidence that J.K. had all these parallels between Arthur and Harry AND Dumbledore and Merlin? two Harry and Arthur lead very distinguished, eventful and public lives. The life of the hero isnt an easy one, but it is quite rewarding. As Campbell puts it A hero is someone who has inclined his or her life to something bigger than oneself (Campbell). Both of these heroes have accepted their fate and play the role holyly.A common quarter found in most hero stories is the chance at immortality. Campbell writes in his novel, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, that To this very day, the opening of physical immortality charms the heart of man (Campbell, 188). entirely hero figures, from Gilgamesh, to Buddha, to Jesus, even Arthur and Harry are all presented with immortality. This longing for eternal life female genitalia be unders alsod when we see what a hero is and how man (and muliebrity in JKs case), fears death. As we know, a hero is spawned during times of upheaval and affectionate distress. Arthur was thought up during the Saxons occupation of England and Harry was born when J.K. needed to be saved from poverty and discontent. Whenever a peoples is oppressed they think of becoming rich, overcoming their difficulties and living forever.In Harry Potter and the Philosophers rock n roll, Harry is presented with the opportunity to keep the Sorcerers Stone, from which he can create the Elix ir of Life, enabling him to live forever. In the Deathly Hallows he was searching for the cardinal Deathly Hallows, one of which was the resurrection stone. The Resurrection Stone made it so that Harry could bring back anyone from the dead. Yet because he didnt indigence the Sorcerers stone or the Resurrection stone for his own use, he made himself immortal in a different way. He made himself immortal in his followers memories and in his many fans minds. Arthur, also, had the chance at immortality.On his quest for the hallowed Grail he was presented many times with challenges and dilemmas for which the reward was immortality. When Arthur is killed by his son Mordred, he is then taken to the islet of Avalon to be treated. A popular legend, live among the British people, claimed that King Arthur had never actually died and that he would one day return to his people when their need was great. In this sense King Arthur was thought to be the perfect man, pure of sin. Harry is similar ly wash of sin as Dumbledore tells him in Half-Blood Prince, In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart, just as pure as you were at the age of eleven.Finally, the greatest parallel between both heroes is the quest. The myths and legends surrounding King Arthur shopping centre on the quest for the Holy Grail. According to legend, King Arthur saw the Grail in a vision, and subsequently he and his knights act to meet the Grail. The Holy Grail and the vessel used by Christ at the Last Supper that was then used by St. Joseph to catch the blood of Christ were then thought to be the same cup. era the location of the Grail was forgotten over time, there was a prophecy at the Court of King Arthur that the Grail would one day be rediscovered by a descendant of St. Joseph. According to the prophecy, the person who would find the Grail would be the person designated to sit in the Siege Perilous, the perfect so-and-so at the round table. This would be Sir Galahad. In comparison Harry Potter is also on a quest. In fact seven quests, one for each book written. Each one of the Harry Potter books written involves quests.In Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, Voldemort is on a quest to find the Philosophers Stone to compass immortality. Voldemorts quest becomes Harrys quest, as Harry believes himself to be the only one capable of stopping Voldemort from obtaining the Stone once he learns that Dumbledore has left Hogwarts. The quest takes Harry through a series of obstacles, and while he is accompanied at first by Ron and Hermione, it is he alone like Galahad who must complete the quest and save the Stone from Voldemort. Philosophers Stone actually tells us about two quests the quest for the Stone, as well as Voldemorts quest to kill the male child who has been prophesized to be the only one who can be his undoing. As Galahads place is marked with his name, signifying that he is the only one who can find the G rail, Voldemorts attack on Harry as a baby leaves him marked with the scar that signifies Harry as Voldemorts equal and as the only one who can vanquish Voldemort.Also, Harry is the only one who can achieve the quest for the stone, like Galahad is the only one who can find the Holy Grail. As in Arthurian legend, Harry is not the only one who embarks on quests through the Harry Potter series. In Philosophers Stone, Voldemort uses Quirrell to try to find the Stone. The entire Hogwarts teaching staff (with the one guiding light exception of Professor Lockhart) is looking for the Chamber of Secrets in Book Two. The Dementors are searching for Sirius Black in Prisoner of Azkaban.The other contestants in the Triwizard Tournament, like Knights of the Round Table, are also on quests as they complete each Tournament task in Goblet of Fire. At the Yule Ball, the contestants and the judges even sit at a Brobdingnagian round table. In Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort is on a quest to obtain th e prophecy and regain his power. This signifies that many try, or tint compelled to achieve the status of hero, but the confessedly hero doesnt choose his destiny. The current hero becomes what he is because he has no choice, because it is in his blood. Like Harry and Arthur, who did not choose their future, and never wanted fame and glory, the confessedly hero does things alone.There exists many parallels between both heroes and in finality we can conclude that this is no mere coincidence. Rowling must have intended to at least base her protagonist off of Britains greatest hero King Arthur.The reason that J. K. Rowling is able to put so very much life and actuality in her writings is that she herself has see much of what she writes. She was born on July 31st, 1965 in Gloucestershire, England. Divorced and living off of eudaimonia Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone on a napkin between her daughters naps. When Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was publ ished her life changed. Much like Harrys life, Rowlings has the characteristics of a fairy tale. further making a living she managed to get by and lived in a small(a) apartment flat in Edinburgh, where she says she was deliver by Harry Potter. She was given cash to finish her books and has since become richer than even the Queen. She has written the harshness and nightmares of her pre-Potter life into her books, which is why they shape up so real.Whenever a people live an oppressed lifestyle they create saviors to rescue them, which is what J.K did. T.H White, on the other hand lived a pretty well off life, yet displeased with the world he too re-made a hero for himself, Arthur. There isnt much in common between both authors other than their British gloaming and the fact that they write. Their language is also very similar and the way they write is strikingly alike. Perhaps its the fact that they both attended Exeter college? In the quest for literary glory, both authors overc ame tremendous upheaval and problems of a bad economic start. Yet they both wrote novels that changed mankind, and that continued the Heros trip through literature. It is certain true then, that There is only one hero, and he has a thousand faces (HWTF, Campbell).BIBLIOGRAPHYWhite, T.H. The Sword in the Stone. haphazard House, Inc. October 1963Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. Cornell Books Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Cornell Books, Pittsburgh, Pennsy lvania.Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With A Thousand Faces. New World Library Books, 1949, root Ed.