Archetypes in Literature
World Literature
Definition of Archetype


A recurrent narrative design, pattern
of action, character type, themes or
image which is identifiable in a wide
variety of works of literature.
An archetype is the first real example
or prototype of something (as the
Model T is the prototype of the
modern automobile). In this sense
an archetype can be considered the
ideal model, the supreme
type or the perfect image of
something (Brunel 111-112,
11
Definition of Motif


An event, device reference or
formula which occurs frequently in
works of literature.
A pattern
Floral
Motif
So what’s the difference?
 The differences are minimal. Often the words are used
interchangeably.
 An archetype is described as a recurring symbol, theme,
character, or setting in multiple works. It's something that's
appeared in literature so often that it's very recognizable.
For example, an archetypical theme is "love conquers all."
Where have we *not* seen that before? An archetypical
plot structure is the infamous love triangle.
A motif, though, is a recurring contrast, structure, or
literary device that comes back in different forms. In Lord
of the Flies, the beasties are symbols which are used as
motifs which represents fear, but it comes in different
forms.
Archetype: Definition

“A universally recognizable element .
. . that recurs across all literature
and life (Latrobe 13).
Archetype

The word is derived from the Greek:
arche, original, and typos, form or
model; thus, original model (Latrobe
13).
Archetype versus Stereotype



An archetype is a universally
understood symbol, term, statement,
or pattern of behavior in myths or
stories occurring across different
cultures. Connotation – positive.
A stereotype is a conventional,
formulaic, and oversimplified
conception, opinion, or image.
Connotation – negative.
It is “all too easy for an archetype to
slip into a stereotype.”
Let’s start with the two guys
who came up with the
concept:
Carl Jung
Joseph
Campbell
Carl Jung



Believed in the idea of the “collective
unconscious”
Thought that archetypical patterns were
reflective of the collective unconscious
People are not born as blank slates
(tabula rasa) but rather with a
connectedness to those who came before
us
Mythological Analysis
•A student of Freud who differed in views of human nature.
•Jung believed that human nature was more than a
collection of repressed desires and fears.
•He was influenced by religion, art and mythology.
•Jung divided the mind into the ego, the personal
unconscious and the collective unconscious.
•The collective unconscious is the reservoir of all human
experience. According to Jung all people were connected
at this level .
Mythological Analysis
•Archetypes are universal images/concepts/ ideas that
come from shared common experiences, which transcend
time, place and culture.
• The value in using archetypal characters in fiction derives
from the fact that we unconsciously already recognize the
archetype, and thus the motivations, behind the character's
behavior.
Read: Why do we have heroes? (See link below.)
•http://tatsbox.com/hero/heroques.htm
examples
Joseph Campbell



Scholar of myth- saw connections
between myths of past and present
In his book “The Hero with a
Thousand Faces”, Campbell identified
the underlying patterns in myths,
stories, and the spiritual traditions.
https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/pdf/JosephCampbellPathHero.pdf
The Hero


The hero is usually male. According
to Campbell, women typically
represent creation and ultimate
wisdom and therefore do not need to
make a journey. If a woman does go
on a quest, traditionally it is to find
her prince or mate.
http://www.uky.edu/~aubel2/eng104/myth/hero.pdf
The Hero


The hero often times is of lowly birth,
but may secretly have special powers
or a high birthright he is unaware of.
http://www.uky.edu/~aubel2/eng104/myth/hero.pdf
The Hero


The hero's parents are often dead,
absent, or uncaring. A hero usually
can't begin a journey to become a
man if his father figure is still
present.
http://www.uky.edu/~aubel2/eng104/myth/hero.pdf
The Hero
According to Joseph Campbell


A hero is judged by the things he
does and the way he reacts and
relates to people. His deeds must be
marked by a nobility of purpose, and
he must be willing to risk his life for
his ideals.
http://www.uky.edu/~aubel2/eng104/myth/hero.pdf
Okay, so what exactly characterizes an
Archetypal Hero then?
3 Stages of the Journey
Departure
(Separation)





Journey
(Initiation)


Return
The hero leaves on
his or her journey.
The adventures and
obstacles the hero
faces.
The hero returns to a
normal life but is
changed.
The Archetypal
Hero
Hero Archetype

Characters
• Hero (think of the classic hero journey &
qualities of hero)


“The main character leaves his or her
community to go on an adventure,
performing deeds that bring honor to the
community” (Herz and Gallo 121).
The courageous figure, the one who’s
always running in and saving the day.
• D’artagnan from Three Musketeers
• John Wayne in most of his movies
• Hercules
Traits of the Archetypal Hero






Unusual Circumstances of Birth
Departure from Family
Quest, faces an antagonist and
a significant test
Special Weapon
Supernatural Help
Travel to a magical unreal
world
More Heroic Traits…






Proves self on Quest
Gains self-knowledge
Faces a formidable
antagonist
Journey and Unhealable
Wound
Atonement With Father
Spiritual Apotheosis
A Hero
A person who undertakes a
journey and is changed in the
process.
Departure
Journey
Return
Departure (Separation)


Spiderman
Peter realizes
that he has
special powers
and begins to
use them in NYC.


The Lion King
Simba’s dad is
killed and he runs
away.
Journey (Initiation)


Spiderman


Learning to control
power
Learning to do
what’s right
Fighting the Green
Goblin
Journey (Initiation)


The Lion King


Simba meets
Timon and Pumba
He grows up and
decides to return
to Pride Rock
Fights his uncle
Return



Spiderman
Saves NYC
Learns to live as
Peter and
Spiderman




The Lion King
King of the Lions
Grows up
Has a baby
Quests





Quest for material wealth
Quest for security, as a secure place
to live
Quest for kin
Quest for global good, such as when
a kingdom is threatened
Quest for self, for self-identity or
self-assurance
Tests & Trials

“In the transition from one stage of
life to another, the main character
experiences a rite of passage
through growth and change; he or
she experiences a transformation”
(Herz and Gallo 115).
Birth/Death and Rebirth


“Through pain and suffering the
character overcomes feelings of
despair, and through a process of
self-realization is reborn” (Herz and
Gallo 110).
Key is the idea that ultimately the
hero comes to live a “mature” life
and brings his wisdom back to his
people. Discussion Points Link:
http://tatsbox.com/hero/heroques.htm
Consider a
hero or
heroine from a
film or story
familiar to
you.
How does that
character’s
journey fit the
archetypal
journey?
Details about the Hero Cycle
According to Joseph Campbell
This is the model for the hero’s
journey that we will be using in this
class.

http://www.uky.edu/~aubel2/eng10
4/myth/hero.pdf
How does the hero archetype
apply to Beowulf?
Question:
In what ways is Beowulf
representative of the hero
archetype?
How does his experience fit with the
hero cycle as defined by Joseph
Campbell?
Mother Figure



Fairy Godmother (surrogate mother) –
comforts and directs child, especially when he or
she is confused and needs guidance. Represents
powers that can be called on for help when it is
needed. Helps young person to solve own
problems (Knapp 71).
Earth Mother – This character is symbolic of
fulfillment, abundance, and fertility; offers
spiritual and emotional nourishment to those who
she contacts; often depicted in earth colors, with
large breasts and hips
Stepmother
Examples




Fairy tales characters such as the stepmother in
Cinderella, fairy godmothers, Mother Goose, Little
Red Riding Hood, Briar Rose, Pocahontas
Mythology: Persephone, Demeter, Hercate,
Gorgon, Medusa
Literature: Gladriel from Lord of the Rings, Glinda
from the Wizard of Oz, Dante’s Beatrice,
Faulkner’s Light in August, Woolf’s To the
Lighthouse
Movies: the Dad in Mr. Mom, the mother in
Flowers in the Attic, Ripley with Newt in Aliens
The Great Teacher/Mentor



Wise old men/women – protects or helps
main character when he or she faces
challenges.
Sometimes they work as role models and
often serve as father or mother figure.
They teach by example the skills
necessary to survive the journey and
quest.
Examples
• Obi Wan Kenobi
• Rafiki
The Innocent






Child/Youth
Inexperienced adult
The innocent, fearing abandonment, seeks
safety.
Their greatest strength is their trust and
optimism that endears them to others and so
gain help and support on their quest.
Their main danger is that they may be blind to
their obvious weaknesses or deny them. They
also may become dependent on others to fulfill
their heroic task.
Frodo – Lord of the Rings
Double






Doppelganger
It is the double or mirroring or split personality or
good/evil
It is the duplicate of an individual
or part of a divided individual
Versions of the doppelganger are
found in dreams, myths, rituals of
primitive people, folklore and
literature and other art forms
Can have many names including
the Other, the alter ego, the second self
Examples
• Frankenstein
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Sacrificial Redeemer


“The protagonist is willing to die for
his or her beliefs; the main character
maintains a strong sense of morality”
(Herz and Gallo 123).
Embodiment of divine power and
being sent on a mission to
save humanity.
• Jesus Christ
• Erin Brockovich
Scapegoat/Sacrificial Victim

The one who gets blamed for
everything, regardless of whether he
or she is at fault.
• Snowball from George Orwell’s Animal
Farm
• Hassan
Enchantress/Temptress

Characterized by sensuous beauty,
this woman is one to whom the
protagonist is physically attracted
and who ultimately brings about his
downfall. May appear as a witch or
vampire .
• The Sirens in Mythology
• Mystique from X-Men
• Elektra King from James
Bond The World is Not
Enough
Villain




Wolf
Antagonist
Bad Guy
Examples:
• Cruella DeVille
Trickster

A trickster is a god, goddess, spirit,
man, woman, or anthropomorphic
animal who plays tricks or otherwise
disobeys normal rules and
conventional behavior.
• Loki
• Coyote
Evil Figure


The Devil or Serpent
This character represents
evil incarnate. He or she
may offer worldly goods,
fame, or knowledge to the
protagonist in exchange for
possession of the soul or
integrity. This figure’s
main aim is to oppose the
hero in his or her quest.
• Voldemort
Archetypes in Advertising
Archetypes are used in all forms of
storytelling, even marketing
campaigns. By tapping into our
familiarity with archetypes,
marketers calculate and manipulate
our emotional reactions.

http://www.studiobanks.com/blog/p
ost/240/archetype-casting-the-12master-archetypes
Archetypal Settings
Settings

Garden
• Cultivated and carefully planned.
Restricted to certain vegetation
Forest

Habitat of the Great
Mother (Mother
Nature), the lunar
force. Fertility. The
vegetation and
animals flourish in this
“green world” because
of the sustaining
power of the Great
Mother. Symbolically
the primitive levels of
the feminine psyche,
protective and
sheltering.

Those who enter often
lose their direction or
rational outlook and
thus tap into their
collective unconscious.
This unregulated
space is opposite of
the cultivated
gardens, which are
carefully planned and
are restricted to
certain vegetation.
Tree

Represents life and knowledge
Caves and Tunnels



Deep down where character delves
into self
Place that character goes when
“invisible” or inactive
At the extreme may signify death
Mountains and Peaks


Highest peak is place to “see” far
Place to gain great insight
The River



Crossing river may
symbolize new
territory
Rivers can be
boundaries or borders
and on the other side
is something new or
different
May represent human
life or time passing as
we follow the river
from its sourt to its
mouth
The Sea


Vast, alien, dangerous,
chaos
Waves may symbolize
measures of time and
represent eternity or
infinity
Fountain

Stands for purification; the sprinkling of
water (baptism) washes away sin. Water
of fountain gives new life (Knapp 32).
Islands


Microcosms or small worlds unto
themselves
Represent isolation or get-a-ways

Pablo Picasso once stated, "Art is the
lie that tells the truth." This quote
not only encompasses the power of a
visual medium, but also evokes the
power of symbols, and their role not
only in art but also in literature.”
Link to Quote: http://www.teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/search/viewer7e1d.html?skin=h&id=initiative_10.01.09_u#a
Recurrent Motifs

“When reduced to their most basic
parts, archetypes are nothing more
than symbols recurring again and
again throughout literature and
culture, manifesting themselves on
the written page as well as on the
canvas of history. Archetypes are
everywhere.”
Link to Quote: http://www.teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/search/viewer7e1d.html?skin=h&id=initiative_10.01.09_u#a
Works Cited
Brunel, Pierre. Companion to Literary
Myths, Heroes and Archetypes. New York:
Routledge, 1992.
Franz, Marie-Louise von. Archetypal
Patterns in Fairy Tales. Toronto: Inner
City, 1997.
Herz, Sarah K., and Donald R. Gallo. From
Hinton to Hamlet: Building Bridges
Between Young Adult Literature and the
Classics. 2nd ed. Westport, CT:
Greenwood, 2005.
**URLS for direct Internet links are listed on
individual slides.