The Witcher, Spartans, and the Real Crisis of Masculinity
The degradation of the masculine ideal
What do the Witcher and the Spartans have in common?
On the surface, we can observe that both are famous for their martial prowess: the Witcher, Geralt, for his finesse with the sword and his lightning-fast acrobatic pirouettes, the Spartans for their fortitude and formidability while fighting in a phalanx. But looking beyond the obvious, we see another aspect that ties the White Wolf with the legendary warriors of Lacedaemon (the original name for Sparta): They are both bastardized by popular culture.
First, let us take a closer look at Geralt, specifically, as he is depicted in Netflix’s adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels. As far as casting is concerned, Henry Cavill as Geralt is a great pick; he does look the part. But how is the character written? While thankfully some of Sapkowski’s memorable dialogue does seem to survive the scriptwriter’s mangling, Netflix Geralt is a shadow of himself as originally portrayed in the books. His staple reaction, regardless of setting or circumstance, is either a neanderthal grunt or a gratuitous f-word. Far from being monosyllabic, Book Geralt is both intellectually accomplished and articulate. He attended Oxenfurt Academy, which is the Oxford/Harvard of the Witcher universe. He also…
