ARCHETYPAL CRITICISM
Archetypal Criticism
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The word archetype is from the Greek arkhetupon,
first mold or model, in the meaning of being the initial
version of something later multiplied.
In literature and art an archetype is a character, a
tradition, an event, a story or an image that recurs in
different works, in different cultures and in different
periods of time.
Archetypes
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Archetypal criticism focuses on those patterns in a
literary work that commonly occur in other literary
works.
These patterns include persistent images, figures,
and story patterns shared by people across diverse
cultures.
Archetypal critics are also interested in certain
myths and rituals that recur in a wide variety of
cultures.
What is an Archetype?
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An archetype is a pattern from
which other, similar things can
be developed.
It is a kind of “original model.”
For example, “the Flood” is an
archetypal image that exists in
myths across many cultures. The
basic model is a huge flood
covering the entire planet,
initiating a kind of “clean slate.”
Carl Jung
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Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung believed that common
archetypes existed in the collective unconscious. He
based this assertion in part on the fact that there are
images, character types, settings and story patterns
that existed across cultures.
He suggested that this collective unconscious is not
directly knowable and is a product of the shared
experiences of our ancestors. This is why archetypal
criticism is often discussed in psychological terms.
Primordial and Universal
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Jung believed that the collective unconscious and its
contents are primordial.
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That is, we, as individuals, have these archetypal images
ingrained in our understanding before we are born.
Jung also believed that these archetypes are universal,
which is why they can be found all over the world and
throughout history.
Archetypal criticism therefore seeks to identify and
analyze the presence and variance of recognizable
archetypes in works of literature.
These archetypes are said to be identifiable in a wide
variety of works of literature, as well as myths, dreams
and even ritualized modes of social behavior.
Archetypes on Parade
There are a number of identifiable archetypes in
literature, art and film spanning centuries.
Some of the most easily recognizable archetypes in
character, situation and symbol include the
following:
Archetypal Characters
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Hero/Heroine
Sidekick/Helper
Villain
Wise Sage
Outcast
Oracle
Caring Mother/Earth
Mother
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Mad Scientist
Femme Fatale
“Don Juan”
Star-Crossed Lovers
Witch/Shrew
Underdog
Stern Father
Damsel in Distress
Archetypal Situations
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The task/trial
The journey
The Quest
The loss of innocence
The initiation
Apocalypse/end of the
world
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Pursuit of revenge
Descent into the
underworld/heavenly
ascent
Searching for father
Damsel in distress
Banishment of the
prince