IN LITERATURE AND FILM
Archetypal Symbols, Characters and Stereotypes
What are a few examples of archetypes commonly
found in literature and movies?
-Austin Hughes-
OBJECTIVE
• Performance: Students will be able to locate examples of
archetypal characters, symbols, and images.
• Condition: Using these examples, students will identify patterns
in archetypal usage and make suggestions regarding the
author’s purpose of usage, and classify the examples into
groups that represent their stereotype.
• Criteria: The students will identify at least three archetypes and
apply their knowledge to accurately classify each character to a
particular stereotype and provide evidence for their decision.
OVERVIEW
• Brief history
• “The Good Guys”
• “The Bad Guys”
• Activity (worksheet Hand-out)
• Archetypal Colors and Symbols
• Group Activity
ETYMOLOGY
• First used in English in 1540.
• The word archetype derives from the Latin noun
archetypum.
• Meaning “Pattern, Model, Type”
COMMON TYPES OF
ARCHETYPES
Protagonist
Antagonist
• The Hero
• Villain
• The Anti-Hero
• The Trickster
• The Mentor
• The Shadow
• The Willing Hero
• Willing to undertake any quest courageously
• The Unwilling Hero
• Doubtful, passive, unwilling to journey
• The Loner Hero
• Able to overcome opposition alone
• Tragic Hero
• Have a tragic flaw that hurt them in the end
EXAMPLES OF HEROES
• The Willing Hero
• Beowulf; King Arthur; Red Crosse Knight
• The Unwilling Hero
• Achilles, Hercules, Bilbo, Aragorn
• The Loner Hero
• James Bond; Superman; Indiana Jones
• Tragic Hero
• Romeo; Brutus; Hamlet; Macbeth
TYPES OF MENTORS
• The “Wise Old Man/Woman”
• Possesses wisdom and experience
• The Comic Mentor
• Provides humorous advice
• Continuing Mentor
• Recurring character such as boss or best friend
• Fallen Mentor
• Have faced a similar crisis; provides warning
EXAMPLES OF MENTORS
• The “Wise Old Man/Woman
• Yoda, Van Helsing, Gandalf
• The Comic Mentor
• Glenda the Witch, Fairy Godmothers,
• Continuing Mentor
• Alfred, Mentor, Una
• Fallen Mentor
• Haymitch, Yoda
ANTI-HEROES
• Generally oppressive, pessimistic,
and/or corrupt.
• Motivated by own personal desires
• Reluctant
• Classic Anti-Hero
• Frankenstein, Achilles, Hercules
• The Tragic Anti-Hero
• Jack Sparrow, Darth Vadar, Han Solo
HEROES & THEIR MENTORS
• Heroic characters typically have a guide that enlightens
them near the beginning of their journey and/or in times
of hardship.
• Frodo had Gandalf
• Batman had Alfred
• Luke Skywalker had Ben Kanobi
• Mina Murray had Van Helsing
“THE BAD
GUYS”
THE VILLAIN
• The foil of the hero
• Dueling personalities, tricky
• Classic Villains
• Moriarty, Long John Silver, The Dragon
• Modern Villains
• The Joker, Hannibal Lector
THE SHADOW
• Hero’s foil (Mirror Image of the hero)
• Dueling personalities, tricky
• The arch enemy
• Classic Example
• Mr. Hyde, Duessa
• Modern Example
• The Dark Sith,
THE TRICKSTER
• Seek to humiliate or outwit the Hero
• Antics cause the adventure
• Cunning and foolish
• Classic Tricksters
• Archimago, Reynard the Fox
• Modern Tricksters
• Bugs Bunny, The Riddler, the Joker
OTHER ARCHETYPES
• The CHIEF - a dynamic leader, he has time for nothing but work
The BAD BOY - dangerous to know, he walks on the wild side
The BEST FRIEND - sweet and safe, he never lets anyone
down The LOST SOUL - a tormented being, he lives in solitude
The CHARMER - a smooth talker, he creates fantasies The
PROFESSOR - coolly analytical, he knows every answer The
WARRIOR - a noble champion, he acts with honor
During Reading
Activities
ARCHETYPAL COLORS
• Black: Death/mourning, emotional darkness, hidden
desires/instincts, un-enlightenment. Black: darkness, chaos, mystery,
the unknown, death, wisdom, evil, melancholy.
• Blue: The color of the spirit, the spiritual, the heavenly, the divine,
intuition, inspiration. Has the association with the unconscious and
feminine qualities.
• Green: In positive terms, Mother Nature, fertility, hope, renewal,
health, youth, harmony, prosperity. The color of sensual and spiritual
passion.
• Orange: Balance, creative expression, pride and ambition, cruelty,
ferocity, luxury. As the color of fire, can represent burning away
impurities.
ARCHETYPAL COLORS
• Purple: The color of royalty, imperial power, pride, justice, intuition,
wisdom, truth. As a blend of red and blue, it is the color of authority/
power and the wisdom to know how to use it.
•
Red: Blood, life, life-force; embarrassment, anger; fire, lust, passion.
Associated with activity, energy, courage, will power, and war.
• White: Purity, holiness, sacredness, redemption, mystical
enlightenment, innocence, joy, light and life it is transcendent
perfection. It signifies the union of opposites to form a whole as well
as the symbolic death of transformation and renewal.
• Yellow: The sun, illumination, intellect and generosity, maturity. The
color of fire and thus the purification of flame. Yellow: enlightenment,
wisdom.
AFTER READING
ACTIVITY
• Each group will choose an archetype: (Hero, villain,
mentor, or trickster.)
List 3 physical characteristics
List 3 personality traits and/or ideals
Describe the archetype’s typical purpose in the
story.
Provide 3 famous examples of your archetype in
literature
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
• Applying the information from today’s lesson, create a
unique set of archetypal characters (a hero, a mentor, and
a villain) and write a short story using your characters.
• Story must be at least one page in length
• Contain an introduction, problematic situation, and a
conclusion explaining the hero’s triumph or defeat.
• Ticket in the door:
• Place completed short story in box beside the door.
GEORGIA STANDARDS
• ELA10RL2: The student identifies, analyzes, and
applies knowledge of theme in literary works and
provides evidence from the works to support
understanding.
• E. I. Archetypal Characters (i.e., hero, good
mother, sage, trickster, etc.) ii. Archetypal
Patterns (i.e., journey of initiation, search for the
father, etc.) iii. Archetypal Symbols (i.e., colors,
water, light/dark, etc.)