RD 5: Rough Draft
The hero and the anti-hero; certainly an unknown, household archetypes that has flooded literature and more recently the film and television industry. These two archetypes have been brought to life through memorable characters both in the pages of a novel or on the big screen. According to Michael Ryan, “A structure is something that does not vary, “ and, “Narratives often follow patterns that they share with other narratives” This states that no matter how the writer, screenwriter, director, poet portray the hero or anti-hero, their intentions and goals will remain the same. Although Hercules and Beatrix Kiddo (the Bride) from the Kill Bill film series have opposing positions as hero and antihero, they both display the need
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Alike written literature, visual literature is massive contributor to the hero and anti-hero archetypes that are seen all throughout television and film. These archetypes are typically depicted through a certain character in the film or television show that possesses either the hero archetype or anti-hero archetype. The use of these two archetypes in film and television can be traced back all the way to the early days of film and has continually proven to be one of if not the most popular archetypes …show more content…
Hercules is devastated to find out what he has done. He considers taking his own life until his friend, Theseus convinces him that no hero has ever thought about taking his own life and suggests that Hercules join him on a trip to Athens. It was there that Delphi told him that he needed to be purified before sending him to meet with Eurystheus. This is where Hercules is given the Twelve Labors. “The tasks Eurystheus gave him to do are called “the Labors of Hercules.” There were twelve of them and each one was all but impossible” (Hamilton 171). It is important to remember the character in which we are speaking about. Hercules, referred to as the strongest man on earth and believed he was equal to the Gods. The twelve tasks that were given to him in order for Hercules to able to be purified. Eurystheus took advantage of this and considered Hercules to be his slave throughout the duration of him completing these difficult tasks. Though Hercules has been purified and has reached rebirth, he may never fully complete the journey until he
Virtually all literature contain instinctive trends in the human consciousness to represent certain themes or motifs, these are defined as archetypes. Archetypes can be thought as blueprints or as bundles of psychic energy that influence the manner in which we understand and react to life. There are two different categories of archetypes, the plot archetype and the character archetype. The orphan, martyr, wanderer, warrior, magician, villain, wise child, temptress, rebel, underdog, fool, saint, virgin, wise, old man or woman are all considered to be character archetypes. Call to adventure, isolation, quest and monster that turns against its creator are all considered to be plot archetypes. The novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, contains archetypes.
In “The Thematic Paradigm,” University of Florida professor of film studies, Robert Ray, defines two types of heroes pervading American films, the outlaw hero and the official hero. Often the two types are merged in a reconciliatory pattern, he argues. In fact, this
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
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.
Once he was a grown man, however, with a life full of potential, a loving wife and healthy sons, Hera decided to bring her wrath upon him once again. She sent fits of madness upon him, causing him to kill his wife and sons. When Hercules came, he couldn’t live with the guilt of his sins. He went to the oracle of Delphi for advice on how he could make up for his wrongdoings and rid himself of his guilt.... ... middle of paper ...
As a society we value and admire heroes who represent the idealized version of ourselves whom we stride every day to become. This is why they are sometimes scrutinized, unless they are an anti-hero, of course. The anti-hero is also admired by some even if he utilizes unlawful methods to achieve his goal, because he represents the good in a corrupt world. But this is not always the case as it is seen in some Noir stories. In Noir stories, the anti-hero is supposed to be a modern knight. Transgressing society's corrupt rules in order to reaffirm for its male audience the need to act justly do rightly; however, the anti-hero through this false nobility and sexism reinforces the social problems that plague contemporary society.
One of the most prominent character archetypes in literature is that of the tragic hero. This trope has appeared in many literary works, especially plays. Many of the greatest plays with this archetype were written by William Shakespeare, an English playwright who profoundly shaped this trope. The best example of his work with a tragic hero archetype is his play Macbeth. The archetype Macbeth perfectly depicts the character arc of a tragic hero in literature and teaches that excessive ambition and pride bring ultimate ruin.
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 to advance the story. One of the most useful in advancing this story is the typical powerful character. Whether it be supernatural or cunningness this character always comes out on top in the situation and holds the most control over others and their actions. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”,
Therefore the solutions offered were to use the cinema’s characterizations and plots (the stereotypes), to reject fictional
The 12th labor that Eurystheus would give Hercules would be to do 100 push-ups, 200 pull-ups, 300 sit-ups, and 400 body-squats. Hercules did the work out in sets of 10. He would do 10 push-ups, 20 pull-ups, 30 sit-ups, and 40 body-squats 10 times. It took Hercules one hour to finish the work out. Hercules threw up after finishing the workout. Eurystheus congratulated Hercules for finishing the 12 labors and told him that he was forgiven for the murder of his wife and children. Eurystheus asked Hercules what he was going to do since he was finished with all the labors and Hercules replied back saying that he was going to Disney World.
In the article “The Thematic Paradigm” exerted from his book, A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema, Robert Ray provides a description of the two types of heroes depicted in American film: the outlaw hero and the official hero. Although the outlaw hero is more risky and lonely, he cherishes liberty and sovereignty. The official hero on the other hand, generally poses the role of an average ordinary person, claiming an image of a “civilized person.” While the outlaw hero creates an image of a rough-cut person likely to commit a crime, the official hero has a legend perception. In this essay, I will reflect on Ray’s work, along with demonstrating where I observe ideologies and themes.
Anna Godberson once said, “She should have known that villains often come with pretty faces”. This is regularly the case in the film industry. Hollywood has an abundance of beautiful villains that steal people’s hearts. But, even though physical beauty is a common theme for glamorous Hollywood villains, there are many more means to ploy an audience to love an antihero. In a diversity of films, the audience is manipulated in to liking the bad guys in many divergent ways. With the use of enticing looks, schemas, and the fundamental attribution error (Keen, McCoy, and Powell 129-148) film developers master piloting their audience to love their villains. The directors and actors alike make these characters appeal to everyone who watches the film. Television shows including Arrow, breaking bad, and weeds all glamorize criminals that people have come to recognize and respect.
In our society, certain ideals are held in high regard. Individuals relentlessly pursue these ideals to achieve a perceived perfection. These principles are often depicted in media that further glorifies and establishes a desire to pursue these paragons. In a medium such as comic books, however, these standards and perceptions are heavily distorted by the characterizations and settings. Particularly, the superhero genre absorbs the ideals we strive towards and regurgitates them in an extreme and unrealistic manner. The superhero genre is often reflective of societal changes in ideas and morals. These ideals are then molded into misleading representations that influence the behaviors of viewers. Comic books absorb elements of our society and transform them. For example, as the enemies of America change, so do the enemies of our superheroes. However, the enemies are transformed into supervillains that are extremely dark and villainous. Such characterizations cloud people’s understanding of real threats and enemies affecting our society. Also, to cater to the value that American society places on intelligence, attractiveness, and physical strength, comic books create characters that epitomize these characteristics. Though the represent society’s ideals, these characters manipulate the ideas and convey them back to the audience in an unrecognizable manner. In developing such distorted representations, the superhero genre affects human behavior and perceptions of these ideals.
Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.
For a time, the main characters in a story, poem, or narrative were easily classified as either being a hero or a villain. A hero would be easy to identify by the traits he'd possess, such as bravery, honesty, selflessness, trustworthiness, courage, leadership, and more. The villain would be easy to identify as well, possessing traits such as maliciousness, deceitfulness, immorality, dark, wishing harm upon others, and more. But what if the character lacked the natural heroic qualities but wasn't a villain either? What if the person displayed personality flaws that would traditionally be associated with a villain, but has heroic intentions? These questions were finally answered with the emergence of the anti-hero in literature.