WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO
BE A HERO?
Archetypes in Literature
What is an archetype?

Archetype: Patterns that commonly appear in stories
no matter what culture they come from. Archetypes
can apply to plots of a story, characters in a story,
and themes of a story.
Character Archetypes: Patterns depicted in
characters of stories
1. The Hero: protagonist whose life is depicted
through a series of well-defined adventures.
Usually he has an unusual birth, will have to leave
his kingdom to go on some journey, and returns to
his home a changed person. He is very brave,
strong, has honor, and risks his life for the good of
all. Examples: Hercules, Aragorn, Lancelot,
Wolverine
The Hero
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Traditional/Classical hero: Strong, good-looking, noble,
skilled in many areas, live by personal codes of honor, first to
jump in and save the day, love the acclaim
Antihero: the exact opposite of a traditional hero; reluctant
to help, lacks courage and honesty, is physically and mentally
weak. Also called a Byronic hero.
Tragic Hero: main character in a tragedy who makes and
error that leads to his/her downfall
Unsung hero: Heroes who do not get credit for their great
deeds and go unnoticed by society.
Super hero: Heroes who have some sort of magical/mythical
power that aides them in their tasks
Character Archetypes: Patterns depicted in
characters of stories (cont.)
Young Man from the Provinces: The Hero is from a
small, rural area and is not exposed to the wider
world
Mentor: The mentor is an older, wiser teacher to the
Hero. He is sometimes viewed as a father figure. He
gives the Hero gifts, food, magic, information, help,
etc. Example: Morpheus from the Matrix, Gandolf
Character Archetypes: Patterns depicted in
characters of stories (cont.)
4.
5.
6.
Hunting Group of Companions (side-kicks): Loyal
friends to the Hero who are willing to face
hardships with him on his journey. Example: Hans
Solo from Star Wars, Ron and Hermione from Harry
Potter
Creature of Nightmare: A monster (literally or
figuratively) that threatens the life of the Hero and
his companions. Example: Cyclops from The
Odyssey, the shark from Jaws
The Shadow: A worthy opponent with whom the
hero must fight in the end. Example:Voldemort, The
Matrix, Pride, Jealousy
Character Archetypes: Patterns depicted in
characters of stories (cont.)
8.
9.
The Damsel in Distress: A woman (usually) who
needs to be rescued by the Hero. She is often
used to trap the hero. Example: Princess Fiona
from Shrek, Sleeping Beauty
The Temptress: A woman whose beauty attracts
the hero and brings about his downfall or gets him
off course on his journey.
Situational Archetypes: These are patterns in plots
of stories
1. The journey: The journey sends the hero in search of
some truth that will help him save himself and/or his
kingdom.
Stages of a hero’s journey (5 stages):
 Stage 1: Departure: the Hero is called (or forced) to
adventure, although he is reluctant to accept
 Stage 2: Initiation: The hero crosses a threshold into a
new, more dangerous world, where he gains more
perspective in life
Character Archetypes: Patterns depicted in
characters of stories (cont.)
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Stage 3: The Road of Trials: The Hero is given
supernatural aide, endures tests of strength,
resourcefulness, and endurance.
Stage 4: The Innermost Cave: The Hero descends
into the underworld and is reborn in some way,
either physically or mentally (this is the final stand
off between good and evil)
Stage 5: Return to society: The Hero returns home
and restore order to his kingdom
More Situational Archetypes
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Task: The nearly super human feats the Hero must
perform in order to help himself or his kingdom.
The Fall: The descent from a higher to lower state of
being, usually as a punishment for screwing up (going
from god-like to man)
Death and Rebirth: The most common situational
archetype. Basically the Hero does someway
(figuratively or literally) and is reborn.
Battle Between Good and Evil: When the hero, usually
a symbol of goodness, battles an evil character.
USUALLY, good triumphs over evil, thus showing man’s
eternal optimism.
Symbolic Archetypes: Patterns of symbols in
stories
1.
2.
Supernatural Intervention: When spiritual beings
intervene on behalf of the hero.
The Underworld: A place of death where the hero
faces his fear of death or a great challenge during
his journey.
Symbolic Archetypes: Patterns of symbols in
stories
4.
5.
6.
7.
Haven vs. Wilderness: A haven is a place of
safety which is typically contrasted to the
wilderness, a place of danger. Heroes are often
sheltered from the wilderness during their journey.
The Crossroads: A place or time of decision when
a realization is made and a change occurs in the
Hero.
The Whirlpool: Symbolizes the destructive power
of nature
Fog: Symbolizes uncertainty
Symbolic Archetypes: Patterns of symbols in
stories
8.
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Colors:
Red: Blood, sacrifice, passion
Green: Growth, hope, fertility
Blue: Highly positive, security, tranquility, spiritual
purity
Black: darkness, chaos, mystery, death, evil
White: light, purity, innocence, timelessness
Yellow: Wisdom, enlightenment
The Journey
Heroes can go on many types of journeys. They can
be a quest for: identity, vengence, love, the holy
grail, search for knowledge, a journey to save his
people, or a tragic quest which is penance for
something they think they did wrong or did do
wrong.