Sir Gawain is a classic medieval romantic hero. Rorschach is a borderline sociopath. So what happens when you compare him to more of a modern hero, like Watchmen’s Rorschach? Surprisingly enough, the two actually share a myriad of similarities albeit completely overshadowed by their differences. By examining the comparison of the two contrasting heroes the definition of “hero,” as defined by culture, becomes al the more clear.
For those who don’t know, Rorschach is a DC Comics comic book hero, although he does not fall under the standard classification of comic book hero. Created by Alan Moore, Rorschach’s persona was originally crafted to be a demonstration as to what a vengeance-fueled vigilante (like Batman) would turn out to be like in “real life.” Moore’s conclusion was “a nutcase.” However, Rorschach’s character became more of a representation of the extremist side of “good,” meaning he believes that the end does indeed justify the means. Although classified as a sociopath, Rorschach lacks one of the key defining qualities: no moral responsibility; Rorschach is utterly uncompromising when it comes to his morals, he does everything for “good” and it doesn’t matter to which dark roads it leads him down. This uncompromising behavior is ultimately what results in his death toward the end of the series.
Sir Gawain is a seemingly near polar opposite to Rorschach, he the perfect romantic hero. Sir Gawain’s was born out of Arthurian legends in England. His heroic quest is detailed in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, where he embarks to find and kill the Green Knight and defend King Arthur. Seen as calm, kind, and well mannered he is virtually the perfect knight. Gawain is often revealed as one of, if not “the,” most proficient of the Knights of the Round Table (the other common best being Lancelot). Time and time again Gawain demonstrates honor and a strong set of morals. Gawain is a constant source of modest strength that carries over to people around him. Due to his timid and modest outlook, Gawain rarely leads seaming to prefer taking orders or being alone rather than having the responsibility to watch over others.
Rorschach and Sir Gawain seem to be polar opposites at a first glance, but putting aside Rorschach’s psychotic behavior one can more clearly see the similarities, prominent among which is their morals. One of Rorschach’s defining characteristics is his iron-clad sense of morality. Not only does this quality set him apart from standard sociopaths, but also this uncompromising nature shows a major similarity to romantic knight-heroes. In medieval Europe, knights were bound by codes of Chivalry, which translates to a strict code of morality demonstrated by Gawain. The only difference between Rorschach and Gawain pertaining to morals is that Gawain shows less strength. Rorschach never compromises even when faced with his death (and he dies because of it), whereas Gawain breaks a deal with his host in order to save his life.
Even taking into account Rorschach’s sociopathic behavior Gawain shares many characteristics, including loyalty. A key factor in their respective stories is their personal quest. Both Rorschach and Sir Gawain embark on their quest for the same reason, to save their compatriots from a force of evil. For Rorschach, he is trying to protect the other costumed heroes from being picked off by a mysterious person; and for Gawain, he is protecting his uncle and king, Arthur. Both heroes embark on their quests because of fierce loyalty felt toward their companions and family (respectively).
With or without Rorschach’s insanity taken into account, he displays a myriad of similarities to Sir Gawain. So much so that it is undeniable that many values from medieval Europe have carried through to depictions of modern heroes. Values like loyalty and morals both have been carried through the generations (albeit in the case of Rorschach the qualities are twisted), where other qualities like being as strong as an ox may have been dropped.
