Archetypal Characters
The Hero/Rescuer - Traditionally the hero's mother is a virgin, the circumstances of his conception are
unusual, and at birth some attempt is made to kill him. He is, however, carried away and raised by foster
parents. We know little or nothing of his childhood, but when he reaches 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, which leads to his death. The hero may be a knight
associated with chivalry and nobility whereas the warrior represents physical strength and the ability to
protect and defend.
The Advocate - coming to the defense of others and showing compassion in action. He or she champions
the rights of others in a public forum with the passion to transform social concerns that affect others.
The Scapegoat (outcast, outsider, wanderer) - he or she is conceived as the alien other. The scapegoat
is an animal or more usually a human whose death in a public ceremony or expulsion from the community
expiates some taint or sin, the results of which have been visited upon the community. In ancient times the
sacrifice of the scapegoat was meant to restore fertility to the land, so that the scapegoat can be a kind of
hero.
The Patriarch – the father guides and shields those under his care. There can be negative connotations
associated with the male dominance of this archetype but his positive traits include courage and
protectiveness. A good father figure will sacrifice his own desires when needed but can also become
dictatorial and abuse his authority.
The Sage/Guide – the guide takes the role of teacher to a spiritual level by providing wisdom and insight.
The Herald/Messenger – plays an important role in bringing information, power, and inspiration to
individuals or groups.
The Helper/Sidekick – his or her qualities of loyalty, unselfishness and tenacity are needed as he or she
provides a service to someone with a stronger personality and role in life that carries more authority. The
“right hand man” provides support and sometimes he/she can betray the hero.
The Seer/Prophet or Visionary Mentor – is a person in whom you can place your implicit trust. More
than a guide or sage, he or she is all knowing and omniscient. The extensive knowledge of the seer serves
him to be the best counselor who uses their abilities on behalf of humanity rather than for personal use.
The Wizard or Magician – has the power to produce results outside the ordinary rules of life – create a
spell, make objects appear, etc. These figures are usually associated with supernatural powers
The Revolutionary or Liberator – this archetype is an invaluable ally to free individuals from entrenched
beliefs and attitudes. He or she sees the future or conflicts differently than others. He or she offers options
to violence, and plays a role in the freedom from oppression or suffering or change experienced by a nation.
Also called a rebel.
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., Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Satan, the Faust
Legend.)
The Fool (or Trickster) - a shadow figure distressed by some unconscious lack of power, often driven by
greed or an inordinate desire for fame (all archetypes), who projects his or her inadequacies against
scapegoats as described above. When such figures have real power, they can and do cause real harm
against their own people and especially against others whom they demonize as the enemy.
* The Fool is not always negative, of course. A relatively benevolent form of the fool is the Clown, who is
more aware of his or her trickster aspect, perhaps, than is the fool. Indeed, laughter can be a great healing
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force. That cruelty is often a part of comedy demonstrates a need to displace our own shadow urges to be
cruel. The clown is cruel, or suffers cruelty, for us.
The Avenger – this archetype responds to a need to balance the scales of justice, sometimes by employing
aggressive techniques fueled by a sense of righteousness on behalf of society.
The Martyr – provides service and suffering for others. The martyr gains respect for having the courage
to represent a cause, even it if requires dying for that cause for the sake of others. They suffer so that others
might be redeemed. They are the most selfless.
The Villain – antagonist who opposes the actions of the hero.
The Trickster – appears as a key archetype in drama. Usually plays dubious jokes or tricks. Provides
alternative to the straight and narrow path.
The Feminine Hero is not as prominent in Western culture, but examples of both male and female heroes
exist throughout the world, examples such as Gilgamesh, Ishtar, Osiris, Shiva, Krishna, Kali, Oedipus,
Theseus, Perseus, Jason, Dionysus, Orpheus, Diana, Moses, Joseph, Elijah, Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Arthur,
Merlin, Robin Hood and Joan of Arc.
The Platonic Ideal Woman is a source of inspiration and a spiritual ideal for the individual (or protagonist
in myth and literature). It is an intellectual or a spiritual rather than a physical attraction.
The Matriarch – Symbolic of fruition, abundance, and fertility, this character traditionally offers spiritual
and emotional nourishment to those with whom she comes in contact. She is recognized as powerful,
caring, loving and essential to the family unit.
The Temptress – Characterized by sensuous beauty, this woman is one to whom the protagonist is
physically attracted and who ultimately brings about his downfall because she has the ability to dominate
him. (E.g., Dante’s Beatrice, Petrarch’s Laura) The male counterpart is often referred to as the Don Juan.
The Unfaithful Wife – A woman, married to a man she sees as dull and unimaginative, is physically
attracted to a more virile and desirable man. (E.g., Guinevere, Madam Bovary, Anna Karenina, Lady
Chatterly).
The Witch who is opposite of the Temptress – uses her powers for evil and brings about the downfall of the
hero or works alongside the villain
The Angel/Fairy Godmother –intervene in times of great need, deliver important messages or guidance
The Damsal in Distress – perhaps the oldest female archetype in all of popular literature and the movies.
Always beautiful and vulnerable and in need of rescue, and then taken care of in a lavish way. This
archetype reinforces the old patriarchal views that women are weak and helpless and in need of protection.
Archetypal Concepts and Themes
The Quest – A search for virtually anything, noble or ignoble, spiritual or physical; in any case, the goal
(also called the treasure hard to obtain) has great value for the quester. (E.g., the quests of Gawain,
Percival, and Galahad for the Holy Grail).
The Task – To save the kingdom, to win the fair lady, to identify himself so that he may resume his
rightful position, the Hero must perform some nearly superhuman deed. (E.g., Odysseus must string the
bow, Arthur must pull the sword from the stone, Beowulf must slay Grendel, Sir Gawain must find the
Green Knight).
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Star-Crossed Lovers – A young man or woman enters an ill-fated affair, which ends tragically in the death
of either or both of the lovers. (E.g., Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, Tristan and Isolde, Hero and
Leander).
The Initiation – This usually takes the form of an initiation into life, that is, the depiction of an adolescent
coming into maturity and adulthood with all the attendant problems and responsibilities that this process
involves. An awakening, awareness, or an increased perception of the world and the people in it usually
forms the climax of the archetypal situation. (E.g., Holden Caulfield, Huckleberry Finn, Stephen Dedalus,
Eugene Gant).
The Journey – This usually takes form with any or all of the foregoing situational types. The journey is
used to send the Hero in search of information or intellectual truth. A common employment of the journey
archetype is the descent into hell. (E.g., Odyssey, Aenid, Inferno, Endymion, Joyce’s Ulysses, Beowulf.)
The Fall – This archetype describes a descent from a higher to a lower state of being. The experience
involves spiritual defilement and/or a loss of innocence and bliss. The fall is also usually accompanied by
expulsion from some kind of paradise as penalty for disobedience and moral transgression. (E.g., Adam
and Eve, Paradise Lost, Billy Budd).
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
and/or rebirth; evening and winter suggest old age or death.
Symbols and Associations
The collective unconscious makes certain associations between the outside world and psychic experiences.
These as associations become enduring and are passed from one generation to the next. Some of the more
common archetypal associations are as follows:
A. Light/Darkness – light usually suggests hope, renewal, or intellectual illumination; darkness implies
the unknown, ignorance, or despair. (E.g., “Dover Beach,” most Gothic literature, The Red Badge of
Courage.)
B. Water/Desert – Because water is necessary to life and growth, it commonly appears as a birth or
rebirth symbol. It is archetypally significant, anthropologists believe, that water is used in baptismal
services, which solemnize birth. Similarly, the appearance of rain in a work of literature can suggest the
character’s regeneration or rebirth. (E.g., The Ancient Mariner.) Conversely, the aridity of the desert is
often associated with spiritual sterility or desiccation. (E.g., The Waste Land.)
C. Heaven/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 housing gods
while the bowels of the earth contain diabolic forces that inhabit his universe. (E.g., Mount Olympus, the
Underworld, Paradise Lost, The Divine Comedy.)
It should be noted that the primitive mind tends not to make fine discriminations but thinks rather in terms
of polarities. Thus, when archetypes appear in a work of literature, they usually evoke their
primordial opposites. Good is in conflict with evil; birth symbols are juxtaposed with death images;
depictions of heaven are countered by descriptions of hell.
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