Character Archetypes Lesson 2

1
Character ArchetypesLesson 2
2
Character Archetypes

• There is nothing new under the sun. This
  statement applies to characters as well.
• All characters fit into pre-existing archetypal
  patterns.
• There are many character archetypes. We will
  encounter only some of the most frequent.
• Think of character archetypes as the same
  character reappearing with a different face and
  name.

3
The Hero

• The hero archetype is the most important
  character archetype.
• The hero is also the most complicated.
• Most of the time, the protagonist of any story
  will fit some or all of the hero
  characteristics.
• Generally, the hero is the hero because he or she
  embarks on the archetypal Heros Quest

4
Characteristics of the Hero

• The circumstances surrounding the characters
  conception or birth are unusual.
• An attempt is made to kill the hero at birth.
• Early in his life, he is taken away and raised by
  foster parents.
• Upon reaching adulthood, he returns home, where
  his true identity is discovered.
• After a victory over an evil force, (monster,
  beast, villain, etc.), he marries a princess (or
  other important lady), and becomes king (or gains
  other important position).

5
Characteristics of the Hero Continued

• Later, he loses favor with the gods or fate.
• He is driven away and meets a mysterious death,
  often at the top of a hill.
• His body is not buried, but he often has numerous
  tombs or monuments.

6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
The Archetypal Heros Quest

• Every Hero embarks on the Heros quest.
• In many ways, this quest defines the character,
  and is usually represented in the movie, book,
  comic, oral tale, or TV show we watch.

11
The Heros Quest

• The Call
• The character is given the opportunity to go
  into the world on an adventure
• May not accept.
• The person or event that begins the call is
  called the herald.
• The task is the thing the hero must do to
  complete the quest.

• Crossing Over
• This is the point where the character enters the
  adventure, entering the unknown. This world is
  where the hero endures his trials.

12
The Tests and Trials

• There are a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals
  that the person must go through to begin his or
  her transformation into the hero.
• Tests are obstacles that must be solved.
• Trials are ordeals that simply must be endured.
• The Ultimate Battle is the final test when the
  hero must defeat an evil foe of great power.

13
The Return Home

• The return home begins when the hero emerges from
  the underworld.
• The hero may rejoin his family and continue his
  original way of life, he is forever changed by
  his ordeal.
• The hero has to remember the lessons he learned
  on his journey and apply them to everyday life.
• This is where the majority of modern hero tales
  end, but the traditional Heros Quest continues .
  . .

14
The Gifts

• The gift is whatever reward is given or earned by
  completing the heros quest. It is why the
  person went on the journey.

15
The Transformation

• This may mean the character achieves balance
  between the material and the spiritual. The
  character has become comfortable and confident in
  both worlds.

16
Types of Heroes

• There are several versions or types of heroes in
  literature, books, movies, and all forms of human
  expression.

17
The Young Man from the Provinces

• The hero is taken away as a young man.
• He is raised by strangers.
• He later returns to his home where he is a
  stranger and can see new problems and new
  solutions.

18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
The Initiates

• These are young heroes or heroines who, before
  their quest, must endure some training or
  ceremony.
• They are usually innocent and often wear white.

23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
Mentors

• Mentors serve as teachers or counselors to the
  heroes.
• Sometimes they work as role models.
• Sometimes they serve as a father or mother figure.

27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
(No Transcript)
33
Father-Son Conflict

• Conflict resulting from separation during
  childhood.
• The individuals meet as men and have conflicting
  beliefs.
• Often, the mentor has a higher place in the
  affections of the hero than the father.

34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
Example - Superman
37
Hunting Group of Companions

• Loyal companions willing to face any number of
  perils in order to be together.

38
(No Transcript)
39
(No Transcript)
40
(No Transcript)
41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)
43
(No Transcript)
44
(No Transcript)
45
The Loyal Retainer

• Somewhat like a servant, but is heroic himself.
• Must protect the hero and reflect the nobility of
  the hero.

46
(No Transcript)
47
(No Transcript)
48
(No Transcript)
49
(No Transcript)
50
Friendly Beasts

• These animals accompany the hero on his or her
  quest.
• They show that the natural world is on the side
  of the hero.

51
(No Transcript)
52
(No Transcript)
53
(No Transcript)
54
(No Transcript)
55
(No Transcript)
56
The Devil Figure

• Totally evil
• Offers worldly goods, fame, or knowledge in
  exchange for the possession of the soul.
• Wishes to corrupt the protagonist, and thereby
  destroy him or her.

57
(No Transcript)
58
(No Transcript)
59
(No Transcript)
60
(No Transcript)
61
(No Transcript)
62
(No Transcript)
63
Evil Figure with a Good Heart

• This character starts as an evil character, but
  is ultimately saved by the heros love or
  nobility.
• Makes a turn around by the end of the story.

64
(No Transcript)
65
(No Transcript)
66
(No Transcript)
67
(No Transcript)
68
The Scapegoat

• An animal or, more usually, a human who is blamed
  for the ills of a society or community and is
  killed in order to remove the problem.
• Is not the real source of the problem.
• Is often a more powerful force in the society
  after death than when he or she was alive.

69
(No Transcript)
70
(No Transcript)
71
(No Transcript)
72
The Outcast

• A figure who is banished from a social group for
  a crime against his fellow man. The outcast is
  usually destined to become a wanderer from place
  to place.

73
(No Transcript)
74
(No Transcript)
75
(No Transcript)
76
(No Transcript)
77
The Creature of Nightmare

• A monster usually summoned from the deepest,
  darkest part of the human mind.
• Threatens the life of the hero/heroine.
• Often is a perversion or desecration of the human
  body.

78
(No Transcript)
79
(No Transcript)
80
(No Transcript)
81
(No Transcript)
82
The Earth Mother

• Symbolic of fruition, abundance, and fertility.
• Traditionally offers spiritual and emotional
  guidance to the hero or heroine.
• Often shown in earth colors with large breasts
  and hips.

83
(No Transcript)
84
(No Transcript)
85
(No Transcript)
86
The Temptress

• Sensuous Beauty
• Physically attractive to the protagonist
• Ultimately brings about his downfall

87
(No Transcript)
88
(No Transcript)
89
(No Transcript)
90
(No Transcript)
91
The Platonic Ideal

• This woman is a source of inspiration and
  spiritual ideal
• Protagonist or author has an intellectual rather
  than a physical attraction.

92
(No Transcript)
93
(No Transcript)
94
(No Transcript)
95
The Unfaithful Wife

• A woman married to a man she sees as dull or
  distant
• Is attracted to a more virile or interesting man.

96
(No Transcript)
97
(No Transcript)
98
(No Transcript)
99
(No Transcript)
100
The Damsel in Distress

• A vulnerable woman who must be rescued by the
  hero.
• She is often used to trap or ensnare the
  unsuspecting hero.

101
(No Transcript)
102
(No Transcript)
103
(No Transcript)
104
(No Transcript)
105
(No Transcript)
106
The Star-Crossed Lovers

• These two characters are engaged in a love affair
  that is fated to end tragically because of the
  disapproval of society, friends, family, or some
  other tragic situation.

107
(No Transcript)
108
(No Transcript)
109
(No Transcript)
110
(No Transcript)
111
Can you find them?

• For the next few weeks, try to identify character
  archetypes in television shows, movies, books,
  and anywhere else you may look.
• Well be using this information to identify
  character archetypes in literature in the future,
  so hang on to it!
• NEXT -
• Symbolic and Situational Archetypes!