In this character analysis, we look at the character of Thor in the PlayStation exclusive God of War: Ragnarök, created by Santa Monica Games. Through the lens of shame, we can better understand the motives of Thor and learn shame cannot exist in an environment of empathy, so lets build one together. Thor, the God of Thunder, born a symbol of traditional masculinity: Strong, violent, emotionless, expert at wielding a hammer. Curt Thompson states in his book, The Soul of Shame: Retelling the Stories We Believe About Ourselves “It may be revealing to know that telling your story begins with someone else. Long before you arrive on the scene, before and then after you were conceived, people started talking about you: they talked about your gender, what you will be named, who they hope you will resemble in appearance and character. And even before this, perhaps your parents had months or even years of longing for you. Or perhaps no one longed for you, and you were eventually passed on to someone else for your care. We are all born out of preludes of beauty and tragedy, each of us with our own ratio of both. You began your life out of and into this narrative that others were already telling.”
So was born Thor, son of Odin, destined to rule Asgard. Born a God, into leadership, and all that comes with it - violence, strength, unwavering character, and stoic in emotion. The god of thunder and wielder of Mjolnir (a channel for lightning) - born to be swift and loud in both action and words. Expected to become worthy of wielding a hammer (a man’s weapon) - rugged, tough, relentless, unable to feel pain, unallowed to connect with his emotions, but constantly expected to deal pain without feeling any - no matter how much he is hurting. Expected to always drop the hammer on his enemies, but never let the hammer drop from his hands. Son of the father who valued courage above all other human traits, a quality which the father possessed in abundance.
00:00 Introduction
03:11 The Cause of Thor's Shame
05:44 Shame on Thor
19:25 Breaking the Cycle of Shame