Archetypes An archetype can be described as a typical reoccurring character/personality in any form of art. Each person is a certain archetype, though that archetype might change from moment to moment in their lives. There are 12 main archetypes in literature: The Ruler, The Creator, The Innocent, The Sage, The Explorer, The Revolutionary, The Magician, The Hero, The Lover, The Jester, The Everyman, and The Caregiver. No one archetype is more important than the other because in literature they work in concentric circles. Each one relying on the other to achieve their end goal. The sage is relying on the ruler to be corrupted, so the hero can go on their journey, entertaining the magician, and so on. Like real people each of these archetypes have a good side and a bad side, which is most often …show more content…
“Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones shows how the creator can make anyone fall from power or grace just to get what he wants. The Innocent: “Aren't you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers.” Kili “The Hobbit” The innocent main goal is to be surrounded by happiness at all times. It does not matter if it is their own or someone else’s. Their optimism and persistence in unparalleled by any of the other archetypes. The innocent’s biggest fear is to be stuck somewhere miserable. The innocent is usually the Hero’s greatest ally; the innocent has the ability to rally troops in great times of need. However, the innocent can be the Hero’s greatest hindrance as well. The shadow side of the innocent is stubborn, helpless, and precocious brat. They can be indicative of a child who cannot, or will not be told no. “Look Up” by Chris Bell shows their unwavering belief in all things good. “Somewhere over the rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole shows the innocents optimism for better times ahead in their
Archetypes refer to the persistently recurring symbols or motifs in literature. The term itself has its origins in ancient Greek and continues to play a prominent role in analyzing literature. Archetypal images and story patterns encourage readers to participate ritualistically in basic beliefs, fears, and anxieties of their age. These archetypal features not only constitute the eloquence of the text but also tap into a level of desires and concerns of civilization. The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, integrates many of the common archetypes that still exist today. The outcast archetype is one that particularly expressed the desires, anxieties and values of the people who lived during the Beowulf era. Grendel, a character of monstrous appearance and hazily human emotion, is portrayed as the principal outsider in Beowulf. The incorporation of a banished character against his fellow society effectively expressed the anxiety and fears that the Anglo-Saxon culture felt towards seclusion and abnormality, caused by a societal absorption in family lineage and traditionalism.
The different archetypes are the shadow, the mandala, the great mother, the transformation, the hero, the spiritual father, and the trickster. All archetypes were drawn from a part of what makes us human and hidden in our subconscious. Many of the characters in the film often play more than one character. An example of this would be Ben Kenobi seems to play the archetype of Luke’s father, then he also plays the archetype as an old, wise man.
Le Morte d’Arthur and many other stories have many wonderful archetypes in them. The definition of an archetype is a typical character action or situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature. This means that things represent things that naturally happen and will still happen. Archetypes play into Le Morte d'Arthur by showing how the character act and react with other characters and objects. In Thomas Malory´s Le Morte d´Arthur he illustrates the three types of archetypes they include character, situational, and symbolic.
Everyone can relate to an archetype character in a movie, book, or television show. An archetype in literature is a typical character with an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature. Common archetypes of characters are: a hero, caregiver, rebel, damsel in distressed, lover, villain, or tragic hero. In the play, The Crucible, there are several kinds of characters with archetypes. Tragic hero normally are in tragic plays which also can be called tragedy. “Tragedy is a drama in which a character that is usually a good and noble person of high rank which is brought to a disastrous end in his or her confrontation with a superior force but also comes to understand the meaning of his or her deeds and to
Archetypes are a common theme in many ancient mythologies across the world, and have become a common characteristic in modern day pop culture. A popular archetype is the Trickster, which has a strong influence in the popular T.V. show Supernatural. The trickster archetype in Supernatural is similar to the tricksters Loki in the Prose Edda and Prometheus in Roman culture because they share similar powers, they experiences a battle of wits with the gods, and the outcomes of the trickster’s deeds lead to their punishment. The trickster in Supernatural is also very similar to the god trickster Loki in the Prose Edda because of their relationship between the other gods.
An archetype is a universal symbol. It is also a term from the criticism that accepts Jung’s idea of recurring patterns of situation, character, or symbol existing universally and instinctively in the collective unconscious of man. Archetypes come in three categories: images (symbols), characters, and situations. Feelings are provoked about a certain subject by archetypes. The use of the images of water, sunsets, and circles set the scene of the movie. Characters, including the temptress, the devil figure, and the trickster, contribute to the movie’s conflicts that the hero must overcome in order to reach his dream. However, to reach his dream, the hero must also go through many situations such as, the fall, dealing with the unhealable wound, and the task. By using archetypes in the movie, the viewer can obtain more than just the plot and better understand the true theme of the movie: to never give up on dreams.
... typical archetype. These characters are obviously supposed to mirror the archetypes that are common in fairy tales, but their flaws are contradictions to the archetypes that they are supposed to represent; through this Goldman mocks typical and standard fairy tales.
Within every story, there are recurring qualities that can be identified, and used to connect unrelated works together. Two characters from two entirely dissimilar pieces may exhibit the same types of qualities, causing them to fall under the same archetype. This could happen in variety of ways, but nearly every story has a few of the same archetypes, and Shakespeare's “Twelfth Night” is no exception. The play contains several archetypes, including The Mentor, The Wiseman, and The Fool; these rolls are filled by the Sea Captain, Feste, and Malvolio.
In literature, Archetypal Criticism is a critical approach where the reader interprets the meaning of a story by looking at the archetypal characters, events, and symbols that it contains. In general, an archetype is a universal, primordial representation of an event or character that is seen as a general blueprint for stories and myths, such as the Hero or Death and Rebirth (Meyer 1587). Archetypes can be very important in identifying and supporting a theme by giving us background and references for aspects throughout the story. Carol Joyce Oates uses a couple vital archetypes in her short story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been,” a tale about Connie, a teenage girl, who goes through an innocence to experience situation, signifying a transition from childhood to adulthood.
In the book, “Lord Of the Flies” by William Golding, innocence was the universal truth. The book shows that Piggy was trying his best to be loved and accepted among his peers. Piggy kept his faith on being rescued and always respect Ralph for the acceptance that Ralph gave him, but in the end it was not enough. In life, in some ways, I have been Piggy among my group of friends. Always searching for acceptance for who I am because I am different than every other boys in high school. I believe that people have a good heart and even if they are trying to cover it up with layers of walls. In, “The Twelve Archetypes” by Carol S. Pearson, the author stated that, “The Innocent is the spontaneous, trusting child that, while a bit dependent, has the optimism to take the journey.” I feel like this is great example to describe how I am as a
An archetype in literature is defined as a typical example of a certain type of person. A character in a poem or play can be placed into many different archetype categories. Archetypes help a reader to gain a better understanding of who a character in the work is on the inside. This deeper insight into the character allows the reader to follow the flow of the story easier and more effectively. There are many different archetypes that can help advance the story.
As presented in the hero’s journey, many works of literature begin in the ordinary; although, in the archetypal story pattern the golden age, the story commences in a perfect world. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs follows “wannabe-scientist” Flint Lockwood, on his endeavour to flaunt his scientific abilities to the world (Sony Pictures 2009). Subsequent to his prior defeats, Lockwood develops a contraption allowing him to turn water into food. Lockwood seizes at the opportunity to gain the affection and approval from his peers and creates a remote to send orders to the machine in the sky. With every rainfall came cheeseburgers, steaks and praise from all whom used to doubt him. Catastrophe strikes when the device overloads; consequently, causing the homemade contraption to send down monstrous sized portions that threatened the towns wellbeing. Lockwood sets out on his mission to bring serenity back to the towns
Glasspell, Susan Trifles. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing 4th Ed.
Innocence is usually associated with youth and ignorance. The loss of one’s innocence is associated with the evils of the world. However, the term “innocence” can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Similarly, the loss of one’s innocence can be interpreted in more than one way, and, depending on the interpretation, it may happen numerous times. The loss of innocence is culture specific and involves something that society holds sacrosanct.
Some examples of archetypes are, the wounded child, the victim, the villain, the rebel, the savior, finding redemption, death, and the happy ending. Now that there is an understanding of what an archetype is we can look at four different archetypes in The Bell Jar.