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THE ARCHETYPAL HERO
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS
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The archetypal hero appears in all religions, mythologies, and epics of the world. He is an
expression of our personal and collective unconscious, as theorized by Carl Jung and Joseph
Campbell (see below). All archetypal heroes share certain characteristics. This fact has only come to
light this century, after people like Joseph Campbell began comparing mythologies of the world.
Click on a link to see how the heroes above fit the traits of a hero.Unusual circumstances of birth;
sometimes in danger or born into royalty
Leaves family or land and lives with others
An event, sometimes traumatic, leads to adventure or quest
Hero has a special weapon only he can wield
Hero always has supernatural help
The Hero must prove himself many times while on adventure
The Journey and the Unhealable Wound
Hero experiences atonement with the father
When the hero dies, he is rewarded spiritual
Definition of Archetypes
Your critical reading should also include an
awareness of archetypes.
Archetypes are things patterned after an original, and
many are so common that you often don’t need extensive
knowledge of the original to appreciate the meaning or
intent.
• For example, Of Mice and Men is an example of the
most notable of archetypal “buddy pairs”
• Friends who rely on one another through thick and thin
are a staple of literature
CATEGORIES
Archetypes often fall into one of two categories: character archetypes
and situational archetypes.
• common character archetypes include the Christ-figure, character
sacrificed for the common good. (Simon in Lord of the Flies),
• The mentor—The Mentor provides motivation, insights and training
to help the Hero (Obi-Wan Kanobi in Star Wars)
• The Temptress—woman who destroys society or a man (Julia in
1984, Circe/Calypso/Sirens in Odyssey)
• The Tempted woman—The woman whose temptation leads to a
decision that destroys the society. (Pandora, Queen Guinivere)
• The Innocent—often a girl, who goes out into society (Scout in To
Kill a MB, Little Red Riding Hood)
HERO ARCHETYPE
• Hero: "The Hero is the protagonist or central
character, whose primary purpose is to
separate from the ordinary world and sacrifice
himself for the service of the Journey at hand to answer the challenge, complete the quest
and restore the Ordinary World's balance.”
– the hero who saves the day (Homer’s Odysseus or
J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter.)
MORE ARCHETYPES
• Shadow: "The Shadow can represent our darkest
desires, our untapped resources, or even rejected
qualities. It can also symbolize our greatest fears and
phobias.” (Eyes of T.J. Eckelberg, Chillingworth)
• Trickster: "Tricksters relish turning the Ordinary World
into chaos. Their world and its inhabitants are
transformed by their antics. The Trickster uses laughter
[and ridicule] to make characters see the absurdity of
the situation, and perhaps force a change.“ (Puck, in
Midsummer)
Situational archetypes
• Situational archetypes involve story lines instead
of characters
• Example-- the quest and the pursuit of an elusive
goal,
– King Arthur’s relentless pursuit of the Holy Grail
– Frodo’s search for the ring in Tolkien’s trilogy.,
• the loss of innocence/coming of age
– Huck Finn’s evolving racial awareness
– Holden Caulfield’s recollection of the harsh realities of
adulthood.
Myth Analysis