Witch
Archetype
Alan Ardalan
Rodolfo Rojo
Christopher Bruno
Angelic Gaytan
Andrew Lopez
Thesis:
Across the wide spectrum of fairytales and
characters, the witch archetype has a consistent
set of features that present the witch as the
embodiment of human wickedness.
• Female
Characteristics of
a Witch
• Old and Ugly
• Black Magic, Poison, Surrogate Murder
• Evil: Willing to kill, cannibalism, trickery
• Takes advantage of the Innocent (Manipulation)
• Motivated by Greed
• Change Appearance to further goals
The Sea Witch:
From Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid”
Anderson’s Sea Witch
• This example meets the following traits:
• Unappealing/ Repulsive: “the sea witch; I’ve always been
dreadfully afraid of her”(Anderson 225)
• Takes advantage of innocent (manipulates the mermaid)
• Motivated by greed: “that voice you shall hand over to
me”(Anderson 226)
• Uses magic and potions: able to foresee future
Grimms’ “Hansel and Gretel” Witch
Grimms’ “Hansel and Gretel”
Witch
• Takes advantage of innocent: “You will not
meet any harm here” (Grimm 187)
• Motivated by greed: “I don’t care whether
Hansel’s plump or scrawny” (Grimm 188) the
witch will still eat Hansel
Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked Witch of the West
• Wants to stop Dorothy
• Driven by desire for red slippers
• Female, ugly (green skin)
• Dark clothing, Magic, Crystal Ball
Snow White’s Evil Stepmother
(Disney Version)
Before
After
Brothers Grimm/Disney
This example meets the following traits:
. Physically Unappealing: Old and Ugly
. Evil
. Associated with Magic and Poison
. Changes Appearance
. Preys on innocent
. Overlaps with Evil Stepmother
Witch Trials
• Witch Trials occurred in
Salem, Finnmark, and
Rogaland
• Men and women were killed
for using witchcraft to cause
harm or heal with magic (Alm
410)
• Witchcraft was passed down
from person to person, but in
some cases was believed to
come from a fungus know as
ergot which caused
hallucinations. (Alm 415)
Why it Matters:
Elderly:
• “Witch character inspired excitement and
obvious pleasure” (Warner 95)
• Witches empower the elderly
• Make them feel less helpless
Why it Matters:
Women:
• “witches, godmothers, and other female figures function as
the fantasy derivatives of early childhood splitting." (Cashdan
25)
• Witches represent the wicked side of a mother that
influences her children to be wicked
• "Fairy tales are about women and the important role they
play in the child's emerging sense of self.” (Cashdan 25)
Why it Matters:
Children:
• “fairy tales give children a way of resolving tensions that
affect the way they feel about themselves.” (Cashdan 28)
• "Fairy tales accomplish this by casting the protagonists as
ordinary children with whom young audiences can easily
identify themselves.” ( Cashdan 28)
• Many times in fairytales children must overcome conflict
caused by witches, giving real world children a sense of
confidence and relief when faced with real world conflicts
Xtranormal Definition
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13861823/wi
tches
Question:
Do you think the witch
archetype reinforces negative
stereotypes on women or does it
merely provide an entertaining
villain for stories?
Works Cited
Alm, Torbjorn. "The Witch Trials of Finnmark, Northern Norway, During the 17th Century:
Evidence for Ergotism as a Contributing Factor." Economic Botany 3rd ser. 57 (2003):
403-16. Web. 3 Nov. 2012.
Anderson, Hans C. "The Little Mermaid." The Classic Fair Tales. Ed. Maria Tartar. New York: W.W,
Norton &, 1999. 216-32. Print.
Cashdan, Sheldon. "The Witch Within: The Sleeping Beauties." The Witch Must Die: The Hidden
Meaning of Fairy Tales. New York: Basic, 1999. 15,24-25,28. Print.
Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Trans.
Jack Zipes. Toronto: Bantam, 1987.
Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. “Snow White” The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York;
W.W. Norton, 1999. 83-89. Print.
Warner, Dorothy. "Empowering the Older Adult Through Folklore." Adultspan Journal 5.2
(2006): 91-100. Onlinelibrary.wiley.com. 23 Dec. 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.
The Wizard of Oz. Dir. Victor Fleming. Perf. Judy Garland. MGM, 1939. DVD.