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

ABSTRACTFrom the pages of literature m whatsoever popular opinion processs be natural. Often these ideas argon borrowed, passed d take in and transferred from work to work fountain to author. This has led some to purpose that a generic m elderly has been established for original ways of telling-or in some cases retelling-a story, and that authors often write to fit this mold, whether purposefully or non. The principal(prenominal) mold discussed by celebrated novelists such as Joseph Campbell, and used oft clock by renown authors alike J.K. Rowling and T.H. White, is that of the classic triggerman. Rowling has do her young protagonist, kick up monkey around, genuinely akin(predicate) to the super force out of Camelot, as presented by the many Arthurian authors, including T.H. White and Sir Thomas Mallory. in that location be a great clutch of parallels amidst ceramist and Arthur and I watch analyzed the plot and new(prenominal) aspects of twain stories-along with the works of critics and researchers like Campbell-to demonstrate the shocking similari fixs between the deuce poor boyes.The amazing similarities from both(prenominal) stories spawn from the constant recycling of the hero and his quest. stimu juvenile muck around as a person, is a very moral force flake with complete mood changes and varying personalities, in so far when it comes to his adventures he is non at all unique. King Arthur, as a hero, is a very dynamic character exactly as a person he is unconditional and boring. To comp be both I read the complete nettle Potter Series by J.K. Rowling ( evoke Potter and the necromancers St maven, nark Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, encrust Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban, elicit Potter and the Goblet of Fire, ravage Potter and the allege of the Phoenix, arouse Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and blight Potter and the Deathly Hallows.), Ive read the authoritative Arthurian falsehoods (The marque in the S tone, by T.H White, and Le Mort dArthur by Sir Thomas Mallory.)The authors own intent stories were also analyzed in hopes that I could perhaps come to a conclusion of why their hoagyes are so alike.HARRY POTTER VS KING ARTHURThe King Arthur novels have a bun in the oven been a destiny of literature for years, influencing authors, movies and til now song writers. This generations King Arthur is cognise by a nonher name. He was c erst durationived on a napkin by a struggling single mom and goes by the name of elicit Potter. Many parts of Rowlings rile Potter Series are infused with elements of the Arthurian legend. From reading and re intrusive both stories I have found many parallels between both tales. Arthur and set upon are both the protagonists of their worlds, both were divest of their parents at an archaeozoic age, both were on quests to secure their destiny, both had old wizard mentors, and neither knew of his own importance till a late age. This extended essay exp lores the themes and characters linking the two tales and also analyzes the authors life sentence and language and how they affected the story.Joseph Campbell is a world renown author who wrote the give The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Mentally digesting this book has availed me to understand the bonds that tie all heroes together and was what led to the thought that devil and Arthur are very similar. some(prenominal) Arthur and molest fit into the category that Joseph Campbell refers to as the classic hero. Both characters lives follow the pattern of up and downs that rules the life of any literary being. Using excerpts and themes from this and other novels written by Campbell I lead bring to light the chilling parallels between both dramas.Both ravage Potter and King Arthur lived lives that were elect by them. This may seem straightforward as their lives were written step to the fore by their authors imagination, simply in the novels themselves their fates were pre-desti ned. kindle Potter was the scarce person ever to run short ennoble Voldemorts Avada Kedavra curse, also know as the killing curse. any(prenominal) time that someone does something for the first timesomething that was thought impossiblethey are immediately raised on a pedestal of awe and leadership.Having survived the curse, lay waste to thwarted Voldemorts plan of world domination, therefore saving the wizarding world. excessively being the first to survive the curse, gravel was also the wizarding communitys savior, and he was just one year old. So at a very early age waste already had a nature to live up to. What put the closing seal on the smirch was Sybill Trelawneys prophecy which stated that neither nookie live go the other survives, subject matter that when Voldemort returned to conquer the world Harry would be the simply one capable of saving everyoneagain. No pressure Harry. His destiny was chosen for him, but thusly again isnt every protagonists destiny ch osen for them in a sense?The magician pigeon hawk, who is life-time life backwards was already aware of who Arthur was going to be when he urged Uther Pendragon to give him his first born(p) child in exchange for his help to lay with the Duke of Cornwalls wife, Lady Igraine. Merlin knew Arthur would grow up to be King and save Britain from the Saxons when he saw the Wart stumbling across the woods floor in T.H. Whites The Sword in the Stone. So the fact that he knew Arthur would have King when he asked Uther for his child agency that Merlin is the person who chose Arthurs fate.Had it not been for his request to receive Arthur, Uther would neer have given him all over and perhaps Arthur would neer have become King. Furthermore, Merlin was the one who placed the sword in the stone and prophesied that whoever pulls it out would become King. Merlin already knew that Arthur was of noble blood, but had he not placed the sword in that stone nobody would have known that Arthur was t he heir to the throne. So not besides did Merlin arrange for King Arthur to actually be born, but he also arranged for the destiny that make his nobility come to life, therefore Merlin steered Arthurs destiny.Arthur and Harry were also raised in complete ignorance of their true lineage. Merlin knew that Arthur would not be safe with the Duke of Cornwall on the prowl for Uthers heir, so he hid him away with a knight named Sir Ector. Knowing that Arthur would be safe Merlin went to live in the woods nearby, and left him solely until his services were compulsory again. Therefore Arthur grew up debateing he was Sir Ectors nephew and had no idea of his noble heritage. He lived comfortably enough and managed to gain the proper morality and code of honor that would one day benefit him as King.Harry was not so lucky. From what we surmise from JKs novels, Harry Potter would have lived quite a comfortable and quiet life had he not been thrown into tragedy when Voldemort attacked. On the night of the attack Harry was however a year old, and his parents and he were quietly enjoying their heretoforeing at Godrics Hollow. Voldemort burst in and massacred James and Lilly Potter, Harrys parents, but when he attempted to kill Harry, the love that Harrys mother had shown in trying to protect her child formed a sort of preventive barrier which caused the curse to bounce 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 aunty and uncle, not having a clue of his magical world connections.At this catamenia we notice that while Arthur grew up comfortably with his loving foster family, Harry grew up hated and down trod with his unbearable aunt and uncle. Also, while Arthurs foster brother Kay greatly helped him on quests and adored him as his own brother, Harry was bullied and annoye d by his cousin Dursley.Another striking law of similarity between Arthur and Harry is that they both exist to protect and save the heap they lead. When Harry unwittingly have wordsed Lord Voldemort as a young muck up he saved the wizarding community from the superior threat it had ever faced, at least until Voldemort returned in The Goblet of Fire. So from a surprisingly early age Harry was the savior of his throng. When he attended Hogwarts and became a self-aggrandizing figure in the lives of many people he was not unaccompanied if their leader, but their savior. After Lord Voldemort had returned to power Dumbledore started to guess that he and Harry would be pitted against one another until one was vanquished.This was make certain by was Sybill Trelawneys prophecy The one with the power to vanquish the bad Lord approaches born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the ordinal month dies and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dar k Lord knows not and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the one-seventh month dies So once again Harry was made 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 about was his deceased mothers love, which made it possible for baby Harry and teenage Harry to thwart Voldemort on every attempt he made to conquer the wizarding world. In the final part of J.K Rowlings thrilling series Harry vanquishes Lord Voldemort once and for all, therefore fulfilling his prophecy and saving his people.Arthur also was presented as a hero and savior for his subjects. agree to Geoffrey of Monmouth, historian and author of History of the Kings of Britain, around 1100 Britain was run down by Saxons, Picts, and Scots. Arthur came about due to the subdued and downtrodden imaginations of the Britis h people. Whenever a people are subject to tyranny they earn heroes and saviors. Arthur was the product of poverty, hunger and injustice, so in the Arthurian legends he is the ultimate hero, the total savior and the tranquility bringer of Camelot. Another similarity between both heroes is that Arthur is helped on his way to mastery by the legendary Sword Excalibur, and Harry defeated Lord Voldemort with the attend to of The Elder Wand.As both novels developed the presences of many characters guide the protagonists in the right direction, but none more so than their mentor and protector. For Harry it is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and for Arthur it is the enigmatic Merlin. Harry was hidden for his own safety by Dumbledore and passim the whole series he was nudged in the right direction by him. In the Philosophers Stone, Dumbledore tells Harry how the Mirror of Erised works, in the Chamber of Secrets he sends Fawkes to rescue him from Slytherins Heir and the basilisk, in The Prisoner of Azkaban he gives Hermione the sentence Turnerthere are a cornucopia of examples on how Dumbledore is continuously helping Harry along the way. Although J.K. Rowling claims that Dumbledore had flaws and was gay, he was still one of my positron emission tomography characters due to his complete devotion to the novels cause defeating Lord Voldemort. In this sense Dumbledore is Harrys main parental figure, divagation from his Godfather, Sirius, and he sees him through all the hard times.Merlin is that reason that Arthur exists. So if anything, you could sort of call Merlin Arthurs father. Not only did he arrange for the birth of Britains greatest king, but he made him king by putting the sword in the stone. He maneuver Arthur through his quests 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 valuable life l essons by turning him into different animals. Merlin, who gave him the marvelous sword Excalibur.In both books the mentors are described as having long, white, flowing beards, pointed hats with stars and astrological robes of purple, half run along spectacles and twinkling blue eyes. Is it coincidence that J.K. had all these parallels between Arthur and Harry AND Dumbledore and Merlin?Both Harry and Arthur lead very distinguished, eventful and worldly concern 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 given his or her life to something large than oneself (Campbell). Both of these heroes have accepted their fate and played the role perfectly.A common thread found in most hero stories is the lay on the line at graven imageity. Campbell writes in his novel, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, that To this very day, the fortuity of physical immortality charms the heart of man (Campbell, 188). All hero figures, from Gilgamesh, to Buddha, to Jesus, even Arthur and Harry are all presented with immortality. This longing for eternal life can be understood when we see what a hero is and how man (and woman in JKs case), fears death. As we know, a hero is spawned during times of excitation and neighborly distress. Arthur was thought up during the Saxons occupation of England and Harry was born when J.K. studyed 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 Stone, Harry is presented with the opportunity to keep the Sorcerers Stone, from which he can create the Elixir of Life, enabling him to live forever. In the Deathly Hallows he was searching for the three 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 want the Sorcerers stone or the Resu rrection 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 Holy 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, current 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, unmixed of sin. Harry is similarly clean of sin as Dumbledore tells him in Half-Blood Prince, In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain smooth 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 center on the quest for the Holy grail. According to legend, King Arthur saw the Grail in a vision, and subsequently he and his knights attempted to detect 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. While 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 station at the round table. This would be Sir Galahad. In comparison Harry Potter is also on a quest. In fact seven quests, one for distributively 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 achieve im mortality. 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 boy who has been prophesized to be the only one who can be his undoing. As Galahads seat is tag with his name, signifying that he is the only one who can find the Grail, 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 le gend, 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 leading 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 large round table. In Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort is on a quest to obtain the prophecy and regain his power. This signifies that many try, or feel compelled to achieve the status of hero, but the true hero doesnt choose his destiny. The true 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 cute fam e and glory, the true 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 much life and actuality in her writings is that she herself has experienced much of what she writes. She was born on July 31st, 1965 in Gloucestershire, England. Divorced and living off of welfare Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone on a napkin between her daughters naps. When Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was create her life changed. Much like Harrys life, Rowlings has the characteristics of a fairy tale. Barely making a living she managed to get by and lived in a small apartment flat in Edinburgh, where she says she was save by Harry Potter. She was given money 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 appear 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 descent 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 overcame tremendous upheaval and problems of a bad economic start. Yet they both wrote novels that changed mankind, and that continued the Heros journey 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. ergodic 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, Pennsylvania.Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With A Thousand Faces. New World Library Books, 1949, starting Ed.