Silver for Monsters, Steel for Humans: An Analysis of Geralt of Rivia in Selected Short Storiea

This study analyzes the social humanity of Geralt of Rivia in selected short stories from The Last Wish (1993) and Sword of Destiny (1992) by Andrzej Sapkowski, focusing on how his moral decisions, actions, and social interactions construct his identity as a liminal figure between humanity and monstrosity. Although previous studies have explored themes such as monstrosity, identity, moral ambiguity, and otherness in The Witcher universe, limited attention has been given to Geralt’s social humanity as expressed through his direct ethical engagements across multiple narratives. This research employs a qualitative descriptive method using Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic pentad; Act, Scene, Agent, Agency, and Purpose, as the primary analytical framework, supported by Wellek and Warren’s intrinsic approach to literature. The findings reveal that Geralt’s social humanity is consistently demonstrated through acts of moral responsibility, empathy toward marginalized and non-human characters, and resistance to rigid distinctions between good and evil, showing that humanity in Sapkowski’s works is defined not by physical form or origin but by ethical action within complex social and moral contexts.