Film review: A Knight's Tale (2001) - A Hero's journey

During today's lecture we looked into depth on Joseph Campbell's monomyth theory on the 17 stages of 'A Hero's Journey' and how the stages are very evident in films such as Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) and The Matrix (1999).

The theory has 3 acts which come together to form the 17 different stages in A Hero's Journey. Below is a diagram to explain Campbell's theory:

Figure 1. Joseph Campell - 17 Stage Monomyth - A Hero's Journey (1949)

The film that I am using to help prove this theory is A Knight's Tale (2001).

Figure 2. Original Movie Poster (2001)

Stage 1 - The call to adventure:

The Knight that William (Heath Ledger), the knight's servant, works for, dies, meaning that William, along with all of the Knight's over servants, are left without a job. As the servants worry what to do next and panic as they haven't eaten in three days, one of the King's servants come over on a horse and explains that the Knight needs to be ready soon in order to joust. William explains that the knight will be ready shortly. Once the King's servant goes, William explains that he will take the Knight's place.

William then wins the jousting competition. After, he believes that he could be a knight and earn enough money for himself and the other servants.


Stage 2 - Refusal of the call:

The other servants explain to William that he is only good with a sword in the Practice Ring and that he "is not of noble birth" and that "glory and reaches and stars are beyond our grasp" so it would not be possible for him to follow his dream of becoming a knight. Each time that William tries to justify himself the other servants explain that it is not possible and that if he did try to become a knight he would not have enough money to buy the right equipment and weapons.


Stage 3 - Supernatural aid:

The servants give in to William and give him a chance. William begins to train using the Knight's training equipment and the servants speak to one another and realise that he is getting worse. They then travel to the market where on the way they meet with a naked man, who has just been robbed, called Jeffery Chaucer who offers to give William his patents (letter to confirm he's a knight). He explains that they need to "Clothe me, shoe me and for God sake feed me and I'll give you your patents." William agrees to Chaucer's terms and gets his patents.


Stage 4 - Crossing the threshold:

William gets his patents and travels to the town of Rouen. Here he is shown in front of a panel of judges. Chaucer has to speak to the judges, making it seem as though William is of noble birth. Chaucer explains that William is son and grandson of a lord. The judges then ask Chaucer to select the events that William will compete in, showing that William has been accepted into the jousting event.

Figure 3. Jocelyn and William 

Stage 8 - Temptation:

While riding around the streets of Rouen on his horse, before attending the jousting competition, William bumps into Lady Jocelyn (Shannyn Sossamon), and it is love at first sight. The use of wind instruments and harps signify this. As Lady Jocelyn walks away William watches and follows her on his horse until he speaks to her, asking for her name. 


Stage 6 - Road of trials:

After competing in his first jousting match William is called aside to come and help Chaucer. William follows to find that Chaucer is naked again, not because he has been robbed, but because he has a gambling problem which has resulted in him losing all of his possessions. As William agreed to look after Chaucer in exchange for his patents, Chaucer told the people he owed that William would pay his debt. The debt is large and although William does not have the money, he says he will get the money which he now needs to win from the sword match that he has been signed up to compete in.

Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) begins to compete against William for Lady Jocelyn's hand by calling William a peasant. William then jousts against Count Adhemar and loses. Count Adhemar explains that William should only see him again when he is "worthy".


Stage 7 - Meeting the Goddess:


While in Rouen, looking for a blacksmith as his armor is beginning to break, William is unable to find a free blacksmith so he is directed to a female black smith called Kate (Laura Fraser), who, with some sexist comments, is provoked into fixing William's armor. This enables him to fight in the next jousting event. 


Stage 5 - Belly of the whale:


The belly of the whale is shown throughout the film while William fights in the jousting matches.

Figure 4. William (2001)

Stage 10 - Apotheosis (God like):


William and the servants then travel to London (his home city) for the jousting World Championships. All of the peasants living in the village look up to him.


Stage 9 - Atonement with the father:

William is becoming a knight just like his Father believed he could.


Stage 12 - The refusal to return:

As William is back in his home town, in the evening he returns to the house that he lived in as a young boy with his Father. When returning he realises that his Father still lives in the house but he is blind. Here he speaks to his Dad and realises how his Dad is living. Although he was a thatcher, he has been unable to repair his house's roof. In order to help him, William fixes the roof and Count Adhemar watches him. 


Stage 14 - Rescue from without:

William is found out to be a fraud and put into the stocks. A knight which he helped earlier, which turns out to be a prince, comes to release William the stocks and knights officially knights William.


Stage 13 - Magic flight:

William returns to the jousting ring where he competes with Count Adhemar.


Stage 15 - Crossing the return threshold:

William wins the jousting competition.


Stage 11 - The ultimate boon (prize):

William wins the love of Lady Jocelyn and becomes the best knight.


Stage 16 - Master of two worlds:

William has not only become successful and been able to live his dream, he has also become a very successful knight.


Stage 17 - Freedom to live:

William is able to live as he pleases.



Illustrations:

Figure 1. (1949) Joseph Campell - 17 Stage Monomyth - A Hero's Journey

Figure 2. (2001) Original Movie Poster. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Knight%27s_Tale#/media/File:AKnightsTale.jpg [Accessed on: 28 Sep 2018]

Figure 3. (2001) Jocelyn and William. https://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/a-knights-tale/proving-love [Accessed on: 02 Oct 2018]

Figure 4. (2001) William. https://tenyearsago.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/ten-years-ago-a-knights-tale/ [Accessed on: 02 Oct 2018]