A Hero's Journey In Beowulf And King Arthur

In Jungian psychology, there is one universal story. A hero, noble and kind, takes a journey, fights against evil, to save his people. He usually will have magical aid of one or more loyal friends. The hero will fall from grace and feel utter despair before he reaches his victory. Two examples of a hero's journey are seen in the stories of both Beowulf and in King Arthur. In both stories, two men of noble birth fight for their land and glory. They both exemplify great manners and grace, such grace that encompasses the hearts of their followers. King Arthur is a fictional character based off of an actual king in the fifth century. The tales were originally coined by the author Nennius, although, as years progressed it was discovered to be the craftsmanship of several authors. The several different writers each contributed to many different versions of the same story, much of the key elements remain the same. King Arthur was a Christian figurehead. He was the epitome of grace, modesty, and faith; just a few virtues that are heavily endeared by the Christian faith. In Le Morte d’Arthur, written by Sir Thomas Malory,Arthur says, “I may not so, for I have promised to do the battle to the uttermost by the faith of my body, while me lasteth the life, and therefore I had liefer to die with honour than to live with
He excelled in his search for the Holy Grail, the grail that was believed to have been the very same one the son of the Christian god drank from himself. He rid his land of treachery with his sword of magical properties, Excalibur. Excalibur is fabled to have been lodged in stone for hundreds of years, though many had tried to pull it from the stone hold, only Arthur was able to do, which earned him his throne in Camelot. Upon his throne, Arthur created the roundtable for the purpose of all his knights and advisors to be equally heard and seen during cabinet