Archetypes

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Archetypes Beyond the Hero's Journey
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DEFINITION OF ARCHETYPE

• A universal image or symbol that may be found
  in the myths and literature of many different
  cultures.
• Archetypes can generally be divided into THREE
  categories

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THREE KINDS OF ARCHETYPES

• Character
• Situational
• Symbolic

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What about the Heros Journey?
The Heros Journey archetype is one of the most
common. It would be classified as a situational
archetype. In other words, it is a situation or
pattern encountered in many stories.
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The Heros Journey A Situational Archetype
Home/Beginnings
Refusal of the Call
Freedom to Live
Supernatural Assistance
Master of Two Worlds
Crossing the First Threshold
Crossing Threshold
Rescue from Without
Belly of the Whale
The Quest
Magic Flight
Refusal
Road of Trials
The Return
Meeting with the Goddess
The Ultimate Boon
Apotheosis
Temptations
Atonement
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New Archetypes!

• Lets take some time at the beginning of this
  quarter to learn about new
• archetypes that will enhance our understanding of
  literature.
• We will look at examples in all three categories.
  
• Character, Situation, Symbolic

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Character Archetypes

• The first category, character archetypes,
  include many variations on the universal
  character of the HERO.
• See your notes to review the many HEROIC
  archetypes.
• A couple of highlights

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The Archetypal Hero

• TRADITIONAL HEROtraditionally, the hero has
  unusual circumstances surrounding his birth.
  Sometimes he is an orphan. The hero always
  leaves his kingdom in search of a greater truth
  or life lesson and returns wiser. According to
  Joseph Campbell, heroes can take on different
  personalities, including the orphan hero, the
  warrior hero, the seeker hero, or the ruler hero.
• YOUNG MAN FROM THE PROVINCES often the hero is
  taken away as a young man and raised by someone
  other than parents he often wishes to return to
  civilization. When he returns, he can view
  problems objectively and can solve them more
  easily.

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• There are also many archetypal characters who
  support or challenge the hero . . .

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Character Archetypes
MENTOR The mentor is often a crusty old man who
could wield magic and always had advice for the
hero. Generally, the mentor serves a number of
purposes source of wisdom, gift giver and
conscience. Objects, animals, and forces of
nature may also act as mentors.
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Character Archetypes

• ALLIES (archetypal characters that help the
  hero)
• Hunting Group of Companions loyal companions
  willing to face any number of dangers to be
  together
• Loyal Retainers somewhat like servants to the
  hero their duty is to protect the hero and
  reflect the nobility of the hero they are
  expendable

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Character Archetypes

• Friendly Beast - beast on the side of the hero
  showing that nature sides with the forces of good
  (also Allies)

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Character Archetypes
ALLIES (archetypal characters that help the
hero) Scapegoat animal or human who is
unjustly held responsible for others sins
sacrificed but they often become a more powerful
force dead than alive. Earthmother offers
spiritual and emotional nourishment to those she
meets sometimes shown in earth colors with a
figure symbolic of her childbearing
capabilities Platonic Ideal female figure who
provides intellectual stimulation for the hero
he is not physically attracted to her
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Character Archetypes -
continued -

• EVIL FIGURE WITH A GOOD HEART the redeemable
  evil figure saved by the nobility or love of the
  hero
• OUTCAST figure banished from a social group for
  some crime against his fellow man (could be
  falsely accused of a crime or could choose to
  banish himself from guilt)
• STAR-CROSSED LOVERS two lovers forbidden to be
  together because of the rules of society or
  family often ends tragically

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Character Archetypes

• ANTAGONISTS (characters that hurt hero)
• Temptress sensuous beauty brings about the
  heros downfall because he is physically
  attracted to her
• Creature of the Nightmare animal or creature
  disfigured or mutated monsters who are the
  antagonists in the story
• Devil Figure- evil incarnate offers worldly
  goods, fame, or knowledge to the hero in exchange
  for possession of the soul

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Situational Archetypes

• THE QUEST a heros journey, the search for
  someone or some object, which when it is found
  and brought back will restore life or truth.

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Situational Archetypes

• The next category of archetypes involves
  situations or patterns repeated often in stories.
  Situational archtypes and symbolic archetypes
  sometimes overlap.

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Situational Archetypes

• THE INITIATION - this usually takes the
• form of an initiation into adult life. The
• adolescent comes into his/her maturity
• with new awareness and problems along
• with a new hope for the community.

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Situational Archetypes

• THE FALL - describes a descent from a higher
  to a lower state of being. The experience
  involves a defilement and/or a loss of innocence
  and bliss. The fall is often accompanied by
  expulsion from a kind of paradise as a penalty.

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Situational Archetypes

• DEATH AND REBIRTH - grows out of a parallel
  between the cycle of nature and the cycle of
  life. Thus, morning and springtime represent
  birth, youth, or rebirth evening and winter
  suggest old age or death.

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Situational Archetypes

• NATURE VS. MECHANISTIC WORLD - Nature is good
  while technology and society are often evil.

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Situational Archetypes

• BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL - Obviously the
  battle between two primal forces. Mankind shows
  eternal optimism in the continual portrayal of
  good triumphing over evil.

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Situational Archetypes

• THE UNHEALABLE WOUND - The wound is either
  physical or psychological and cannot be healed
  fully. This wound also indicates a loss of
  innocence.

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Situational Archetypes

• THE RITUAL - The actual ceremonies the
  initiate experiences that will mark his rite of
  passage into another state (weddings, funerals,
  etc.).

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Situational Archetypes

• LIGHT VS. DARKNESSlight suggests hope, renewal,
  or intellectual illumination darkness suggests
  the unknown, ignorance, or despair.

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Situational Archetypes

• WATER VS. DESERT - water is necessary to life
  and growth and so it appears as a birth or
  rebirth symbol the appearance of rain in a work
  can suggest spiritual birth or rebirth

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Situational Archetypes

• HEAVEN VS. HELL - gods live in the skies or
  mountaintops evil forces live in the new of the
  earth

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Situational Archetypes

• INNATE WISDOM VS EDUCATED STUPIDITY -
  uneducated characters can often be wise while
  some very educated characters have no common
  sense

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Situational Archetypes

• SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION - the gods most often
  intervene on the side of the hero to assist him
  in his quest.

HAVEN VS. WILDERNESS - for the hero, places of
safety are required for time to regain health and
resources these hideouts are often in unusual
places
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Situational Archetypes

• FIRE VS. ICE - fire can represent , knowledge,
  light, and life while ice can represent
  ignorance, darkness, sterility, and death

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Situational Archetypes

• MAGIC WEAPON - some object used to fight the
  forces of evil that has magical properties