Character Archetype



ARCHETYPE NOTES : 3 KINDS OF ARCHETYPES

I. Character Archetypes.

1. The Hero - This archetype is so well defined that the life of the protagonist can be clearly divided into a series of well-marked adventures which strongly suggest a _ritualistic___pattern. Traditionally the hero’s mother is a_virgin_,the circumstances of this conception are _unusual_, and at birth some attempt is made to__kill____him. He is however, spirited away and reared by _adoptive or foster__ parents. We know almost nothing of his childhood _, but upon reaching manhood he returns to his future ___kingdom ___. After a victory over the king or a wild_beast___, he marries a princess__,becomes __king______, reigns uneventfully, but later loses favor with the gods. He is then driven from the city after which he meets a mysterious _death___, often at the top of a hill. His body is not buried, nevertheless, he has one or more holy sepulchers. Characters who exemplify this archetype to a greater or lesser extent are Oedipus, Theseus Romulus, Perseus, Jason, Dionysys, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Jesus Christ, Siegfried, Arthur, Robin Hood, Beowulf, Frodo.

2. The Young Man from the Provlnces - This hero is spirited away as a young man

and raised by__strangers_____. He later returns to his home and heritage where he is

a stranger who can see new _problems___and new _solutions_. (e.g. Tarzan,

Arthur, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Spock, Symba from The Lion King.)

3. The Initiates - These are young heroes or heroines who, prior to their_quest___ must endure some training and ceremony . They are usually innocent and often wear white. ____ (e.g. Arthur, Daniel in The Karate Kid.)

4. Mentors - These individuals serve as _ teachers___or counselors to the _initiates____.

Sometimes they work as role models and often serve as a father or mother figure.

(e.g. Merlin, Mr. M.iagi in The Karate Kid.)

5. Mentor/Pupil Relationship - The mentor teaches by__example____ the skills

necessary to survive the __quest___.

6. The Devil Figure: _evil___ incarnate, this character offers_ worldly goods, _fame__, or __knowledge__ to the protagonist in exchange for_possession

of his _soul___. (e.g. Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Hitler, Circe, Ursula.)

7. Father/Son Conflict: _Tension__ often results from separation during childhood or from an external source when the individuals meet as men and where the mentor often has a higher place in the affections of the hero than the __natural __ ___parent________. (e.g. Arthur and Uther, Romeo and Lord Montague.)

8. The Outcast - A figure who is banished____from a social group for some _crime_____(real or imagined) against his fellow man. The outcast is usually destined to become a __wanderer____ from place to place. (e.g. some cowboys, Cain, The Ancient Mariner, Snow White, Romeo, Robin Hood, Simba)

9. The Scapegoat – An animal or more usually a human whose death in a public ceremony expiates some _taint (stain)__or sin that has been visited upon a community. Their _death___ often makes them a more powerful force in the society than when they _lived___.

10. The Star-Crossed Lovers - These two characters are engaged in a _love_ _affair_____ that is fated to end tragically for one or both due to the ___disapproval__ of the society, friends, or family or some _tragic__ situation. (e.g. Romeo & Juliet, Lancelot &Guinevere, Tony & Maria.)

11. Hunting Group of Companions - Loyal companions willing to face any number of _ perils_____in order to be__together . (e.g.Robin Hood& Merry Men, Knights of the Round Table.)

12. Loyal Retainers - These individuals are somewhat like servants___who are __heroic____ themselves. Their duty is to protect the hero and reflect the _nobility___________ of the hero. (Watson to Sherlock Holmes, Robin to Batman, Little John to Robin Hood.)

13. The Creature of Nightmare - A__monster__ usually summoned from the deepest, darkest part of the human _psyche___to threaten the lives of the hero/heroine. Often it is a perversion or desecration of the __human___ __body_____. (e.g. werewolves, vampires, huge snakes, Frankenstein, Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man from Ghost Busters, the Candyman, Freddy Kruger.)

14. Friendly Beast -This shows that _nature______ is on the side of the hero_____. (e.g.Toto,Lassie)

15. The Evil Figure with the Ultimately Good Heart - A redeemable__devil__figure saved by the nobility of_love__ of the _hero. (e.g.Green Knight, Scrooge, romance novel hero.)

16. The Damsel in Distress - The _vulnerable__woman who must be _rescued_ by the hero. She often is used as a _trap__ to ensnare the unsuspecting hero. (e.g. Guinevere, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty.)

17. The Earthmother - Symbolic of_fruition_ ,_abundance_,and _fertility__, this character traditionally offers spiritual and emotional nourishment to those with whom she comes in contact. Often depicted in _earth______ colors and has large breasts and hips symbolic of her _childbearing__ capabilities. (e.g. Mother Nature, Goldberry in The Lord of the Rings, Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Mrs.Potts from Beauty and the Beast, Nurse from Romeo&Juliet.)

18. The Temptress - Characterized by__sensuous___beauty, this woman is one to whom the protagonist is physically attracted and who ultimately brings about his _downfall_ (e.g. Delilah, Guinevere, Cleopatra, the Sirens, Circe.)

19. The Platonic Ideal - This woman is a source of_inspiration_ and a spiritual _ideal____ for whom the protagonist or author has an intellectual rather than a _physical__ attraction. (e.g. Dante’s Beatrice, Petrarch’s Laura, the Virgin Mary.)

20. The Unfaithful Wife - A woman married to a man she sees as _dull__ or_distant__ and is attracted to a more _virile_ or _interesting_ man. (e.g. Guinevere,MadameBovary,

II. Situation Archetypes

1. The Quest - This motif describes the search for someone or some talisman which , when found and brought back, will restore_fertility_to a __wasted land__, the desolation of which is mirrored by a leader’s illness and disability. One can trace this archetype through the quests of Gawain, Perceval, and Galahad for the Holy Grail. (e.g. The Lion King, Excalibur, Idyils of the King, Land Before Time)

2. The Initiation- This usually takes the form of an initiation into_adult _ _life_. The adolescent comes into his/her maturity with new_awareness_ &_problems_ along with new __hope for the community. This awakening is often the_climax_ of the story. (Huckleberry Finn, Stephen Dedalus, King Arthur, The Hobbit)

3. The Task -To save the _kingdom__, to win the _fair lady_, to identify himself so that he may reassume his rightful position, the hero must perform some nearly _super-human deed. *NOT THE SAME AS THE QUEST , THE TASK IS A PART OF THE ULTIMATE GOAL OR QUEST= THE RESTORATION OF FERTILITY. (Arthur pulls Excalibur from stone, Grendel slain by Beowulf, Frodo must arrive at Rivendale.)

4. The Magic Weapon - This symbolizes the_extraordinary_ quality of the hero because no one else can wield the _weapon_or use it to its full potential. It is usually given by a__mentor_ figure. (Excalibur, Odysseus’ bow, Thor’s hammer)

5. The Ritual - The actual _ceremonies__ the initiate experiences that will mark his _rite of passage_ into another state. The importance of ritual rites cannot be over stressed as they provide clear sign posts for a character’s role in society as well as our own position in this world. (e.g. weddings, baptisms, coronations)

6. The Journey -The journey sends the hero in search for some _truth_or information necessary to restore _fertiltiy__ to the kingdom. Usually the hero descends into a real or psychological _hell__ and is forced to discover the blackest truths, quite often concerning his _faults_. Once the hero is at this lowest point, he must accept personal _responsibility_ to return to the world of the living. A second use of this pattern is the depiction of a limited number of travelers on a sea voyage, bus ride or any other trip for the purpose of_isolating__ them and using them as microcosms of society. (e.g. The Odyssey, The Canterbury Tales, The Aeneid, The Fellowship of the Rings.)

7. The Fall - This archetype describes a _descent__ from a higher to a lower state of being. The experience involves a defilement and/or loss of_innocence_ and bliss. The fall is often accompanied by expulsion from a kind of_paradise_ as _penalty__ for disobedience and _moral_ transgression. (e.g.Adam& Eve, Lancelot& Guinevere, Paradise Lost.)

8. Death and Rebirth - The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif grows out of the 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___.

9. Nature vs. Mechanistic World - Nature is_good__while technology and are often __evil___. (e.g. Walden, Mad Max, The Terminator.)

10. 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_ despite great odds. (e.g. The forces of Sauron and those of Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings, Satan and God in Paradise Lost, any western, most cartoons.)

11. The Unhealable Wound - This wound is either physical_ or psychological_ and cannot be healed fully. This wound also indicates a loss of innocence_. These wounds always ache and often drive the sufferer to desperate measures. (e.g. Frodo’s shoulder, Lancelot’s madness, Ahab’s wooden leg.)

III. Symbolic Archetypes

1. Light vs. Darkness- Light usually suggests _hope__, __renewal__,, or intellectual

illumination; darkness implies the_unknown_, __ignorance_, , or__despair_.

2. Water vs. Desert - Because water is necessary to life and growth, it commonly appears as a _birth_ or__rebirth_ symbol. Water is used in baptismal services, which solemnizes spiritual births. Similarly, the appearance of rain in a work of literature can suggest a character’s _spiritual_ birth. (e.g. The Wasteland, the sea and river images in The Odyssey.)

3. Heaven vs. Hell - Man has traditionally associated parts of the__universe _not accessible to him with the dwelling _places_ of the primordial forces that govern his world. The skies and mountain tops house his_gods_; the bowels of the earth contain the __diabolic_ forces that inhabit his universe. (Paradise Lost, The Divine Comedy.)

4. Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity - Some characters exhibit _wisdon_ and

understanding of situations _instinctively_as opposed to those supposedly in charge who are ‘educated.’ Loyal retainers often exhibit this_wisdom__as they accompany the Hunting Companions on the _journey_. (e.g. Sam inThe Lord of the Rings, animals)

5. Haven vs. Wilderness - Places of_safety_ contrast sharply against the

dangerous _wilderness_. Heroes are often sheltered for a time to regain_health__ and __resources_. (e.g. the Batcave, Camelot, Rivendale, the Crystal Cave)

6. Supernatural Intervention - The_gods__intervene on the side of the_hero_ or sometimes _against_him. (e.g. The Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings, The Bible.)

7. Fire vs. Ice - Fire represents knowledge, light, life, rebirth while ice, like desert, represents darkness, _ignorance_, _sterility or death_. (e.g. the phoenix, Dante’s Inferno.)

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