ARCHETYPES AND LITERATUREUniversal patterns and common human experiences

What is an archetype?

• Reoccurring design, pattern of action, character type, theme or image which is recognizable in a wide

variety of works of literature representing common and

universal human experiences.

Characters Plots

SymbolsObjects Colors

Settings Themes

Carl Jung

• Carl Jung – Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist who studied the nature of the human mind.

• Coined the term archetype to define underlying psychological patterns that recur in stories and are frequently found in symbols, images, and themes of art, mythology, sacred texts, and popular entertainment.

Archetype theory says that all characters can be understood relative to a universal system of 12 personality types. – Added Value

Archetypes and Advertising

Archetypes and Mythology

• Joseph Campbell, an American psychologist and mythological researcher, wrote a famous book entitled The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

• Campbell discovered many common patterns running through hero myths and stories from around the world.

• Years of research lead Campbell to discover several basic stages that almost every hero-quest goes through (no matter what culture the myth is a part of). He calls this common

structure “the monomyth.” (Hero’s Journey)

The Hero’s Journey

"There are of course differences between the numerous mythologies and religions of mankind, but this is a book

about similarities; and once they are understood the differences will be found to be much less great than is popularly (and politically) supposed. My hope is that a

comparative elucidation may contribute to the perhaps not-quite desperate cause of those forces that are working in the

present world for unification, not in the name of some ecclesiastical or political empire, but in the sense of human

mutual understanding" Campbell- third edition, p. viii

Monomyth

• Influences come from James Joyce’ Ulysses

• A universal pattern common to heroic tales of every culture.

• Common variations in the hero’s journey which is an “operative metaphor, not only for an individual, but for a culture as well.”

• Common sequence of events/behaviors that we all encounter in our lives.

Stages of the Monomyth

• Campbell describes 17 stages or steps along the journey

• Very few myths have all 17 stages

• Stages may be numbered in a variety of ways

• The call to adventure • Refusal of the call • Supernatural Aid • The Crossing of the First Threshold • Belly of the Whale • The Road of Trials • The meeting with the Goddess• Temptation • Atonement with the Father • Apotheosis • The Ultimate Boon • Refusal of the Return • The magic Flight • Rescue from Without • The Crossing of the Return Threshold • Master of Two Worlds • Freedom to Live.

Influence of myth and archetypes

• George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, claims that Campbell’s monomyth was the inspiration for his groundbreaking films. Lucas also believes that Star Wars is such a popular saga because it taps into a timeless story-structure which has existed for thousands of years.

• Many followers of Campbell have defined the stages of his monomyth in various ways, sometimes supplying different names for certain stages. For this reason there are many different versions of the Hero’s Journey that retain the same basic elements.

Hero’s Journey

What do you make of this similarity between Luke and

Harry? Consider the common formula used in many animated Disney

films or Hollywood blockbuster movies- what

do they all have in common?

THE HERO’S JOURNEY Departure, Initiation, Return

THE ORDINARY WORLD

• Heroes exist in a world is considered ordinary or uneventful by those who live there. Often the heroes are considered odd by those in the ordinary world and possess some ability or characteristic that makes them feel out-of-place.

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Dorothy in Kansas

• The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins in Hobbiton

• Star Wars: Luke Skywalker on Tatooine

• The Lion King: Simba at Pride Rock

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE

• For heroes to begin their journeys, they must be called away from the ordinary world. Fantastic quests don’t happen in everyday life. Heroes must be removed from their typical environment. Most heroes show a reluctance to leave their home, their friends, and their life to journey on a quest. But in the end they accept their destiny.

• Usually there is a discovery, some event, or some danger that starts them on the heroic path. Heroes find a mystic object or discover their world is in danger. In some cases, heroes happen upon their quest by accident. Campbell puts it like this, “A blunder—the merest chance—reveals an unsuspected world.”

• The new world the hero is forced into is much different than the old one. Campbell describes this new world as a “fateful region of both treasure and danger…a distant land, a forest, a kingdom underground, beneath the waves, or above the sky, a secret island, lofty mountaintop, or profound dream state…a place of strangely fluid and polymorphous beings, unimaginable torments, superhuman deeds, and impossible delight”. This description may seem pretty vague, but think of all the various fantasy realms characters have entered throughout the years: Middle-Earth, Oz, Narnia, Wonderland. It could even be outer space, a haunted house, or the Matrix. Regardless of the details, the new world is sure to be filled with adventure.

REFUSAL OF THE QUEST

• During the Call to Adventure heroes are given a task or quest which only they can complete. They are faced with a choice: accept the quest or deny it. Their choice might seem like a no-brainer. If they don’t accept the quest, there won’t be much of a story—or will there? Actually, there are stories where heroes don’t accept their destinies. When this happens, the stage is set for disaster. There’s a reason why the powers-that-be have chosen a particular hero. A refusal of the quest only brings trouble.

Refusal of a god means trouble

• King Minos, the monarch of Crete who antagonizes the Greek hero Theseus, does not do what the gods ask of him. Poseidon, Lord of the Seas, sends him a beautiful white bull. The god’s only order is that Minos must sacrifice the creature back to him. After seeing the magnificent beast, Minos decides he just can’t bring himself to do what the god asks and keeps the bull as a personal trophy.

• Enraged, Poseidon vows revenge and causes Minos’ wife to burn with lust for her husband’s prized beast. The rest of this story is taboo and results in the birth of the Minotaur, a creature half-bull, half-human, a curse to his father King Minos.

• Campbell notes that heroes who refuse their quest often become characters in need of rescuing or in Minos’ case, the villain of another hero’s journey.

• Star Wars: Luke refuses the quest until he learns his aunt and uncle are dead

• The Lion King: Simba refuses to return to Pride Rock and accept his destiny

The Journey begins

• ACCEPTING THE CALL: Once the adventure is accepted, the heroes advance into the next stage of their journey.

• ENTERING THE UNKNOWN : As they embark on their journey, the heroes enter a world they have never experienced before. Very often it is filled with supernatural creatures, breathtaking sights, and the constant threat of death. Unlike the heroes’ home, this outside world has its own rules, and they quickly learns to respect these rules as their endurance, strength, and mettle are tested time and time again. After all, it is not the end of the journey which teaches, but the journey itself.

• The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy must learn the rules of Oz

• The Matrix: Neo must come to grips with the realities and unrealities of the Matrix

• Lord of the Rings: Frodo has to navigate the world outside the Shire

SUPERNATURAL AID

• Supernatural doesn’t have to mean magical. There are plenty of hero stories that don’t have wizards or witches per say. Supernatural simply means “above the laws of nature.” Heroes are almost always started on their journey by a character who has mastered the laws of the outside world and come back to bestow this wisdom upon them.

• This supernatural character often gives them the means to complete the quest. Some of the time the gift is simply wisdom. Other times it is an object with magical powers. In every instance it is something the hero needs to succeed. As Campbell says, “One has only to know and trust, and the ageless guardians will appear.” The job of the supernatural assistor is to give the heroes what they need to finish the quest—not finish it for them.

TALISMAN

• A Special (and often magical) items that assist the heroes on their quest:• The Wizard of Oz: Ruby

Slippers • The Hobbit: The Ring • Star Wars: Lightsaber

ALLIES/HELPERS

• Every hero needs a helper, much like every superhero needs a sidekick. Without the assistance of their companions and helpers along the way, most heroes would fail miserably. • Lord of the Rings: Samwise

Gamgee • The Wizard of Oz: The Tin

Woodsman, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion

TESTS & THE SUPREME ORDEAL

• The heroes progress through a series of tests, a set of obstacles that make them stronger, preparing them for their final showdown. At long last they reach the Supreme Ordeal, the obstacle they have journeyed so far to overcome.

• All the heroes’ training and toil comes into play now. The journey has hardened them, and it’s time for them to show their prowess. Once this obstacle is overcome, the tension will be relieved. The worst is passed, and the quest, while not officially over, has succeeded.

• Star Wars: Blowing up the Death Star • Lord of the Rings: Mount Doom • The Wizard of Oz: Defeating the Wicked Witch

REWARD AND THE JOURNEY HOME

• Typically, there is a reward given to heroes for passing the Supreme Ordeal. It could be a kingdom. It could be the hand of a beautiful princess. It could be the Holy Grail. Whatever it is, it is a reward for the heroes’ endurance and strength.

• After the heroes complete the Supreme Ordeal and have the reward firmly in hand, all that is left is for them to return home. Just because the majority of the adventure has passed doesn’t mean that the return journey will be smooth sailing. There are still lesser homebound obstacles to overcome.

• The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

• The Lord of the Rings: Return to Hobbiton

• The Odyssey: Return to Ithaca

MASTER OF TWO WORLDS/RESTORING THE WORLD

• Success on the heroes’ quest is life-changing, for them and often for many others. By achieving victory, they have changed or preserved their original world. Often they return with “the exilir,” an object or personal ability that allows them to save their world.

• The heroes have also grown in spirit and strength. They have proved themselves worthy for marriage, kingship, or queenship. Their mastery of the outside world qualifies them to be giants in their own.

• Lord of the Rings: Frodo saves the Shire

• The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy rids Oz of the Wicked Witch

• Odyssey rids Ithaca of the suitors

Character Archetypes

• Doppelganger • Female Archetypes • Hero/Epic Hero • Anti-hero/Reluctant hero• Byronic Hero/Tragic

Hero

• Sage/Mentor/Wise-man • Social Outcast/Scapegoat • Trickster • Villain

“People everywhere can relate to a Hero who overcomes great obstacles, a Magician who helps make dreams come true, and a Jester who brings out the fun in a situation. We tell and re-tell stories featuring these kinds of characters because they assure us

that our own needs can be met. In a sense, the stories provide the key to understanding human meaning and motivation.”- Carol Pearson’s Archetypes

Definition of a Hero

According to Joseph Campbell in the Hero with a Thousand Faces, “a hero is any male or female

who leaves the world of his or her everyday life to undergo a journey to a special world where

challenges and fears are overcome in order to secure a quest, which is then shared with other

members of the hero’s community.”

Heroes/Epic Heroes

Central figures in stories (protagonists) Give their life over to a higher purpose Lowly/unusual birth Judged by what they do Does something beyond the normal range of

ability Raised by a guardian Leave the normal world into the extraordinary. Others will believe and follow the hero Accomplish extraordinary tasks.

(Rocky, Beowulf, Captain America, Harry Potter, King Arthur)

Anti-Hero/Reluctant Hero/Unwilling Hero

• Imperfections that separate them from typical “heroic” characteristics • Noble motives are pursued by bending/breaking the law • Does things that may be regrettable, but still does the noble and “heroic”

thing. • Displaced in society• Tries to establish personal social codes• Sometimes the most noble hero acts from the baser motives of the anti-

hero? (Robin Hood, Jack Sparrow, Hans Solo, Lancelot, Jay Gatsby)

Byronic Hero/Tragic Hero/Flawed Hero

• Is alienated• Has a fatal flaw: doomed to fail (Hubris) • Is a rebel• Has extremes of behavior – can be heartbreaker,

predator, or reckless (“Byron”).• Is an outcast• Has great appeal, good looks, and charm (“Byron”)

(Edward Cullen, Bilbo Baggins, Hamlet, Batman, Dr. Gregory House)

Doppleganger/Double/Evil Twin/Mirror

“The opposition between good and evil is the essence of the double, or doppelgänger, an archetype found in mythology and literature. Good and evil

are often personified in mythology as twins”

• Contrasting counterpart• Can be visible or invisible or material or spiritual• Identical in appearance, but opposite in temperament

( The Hulk, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dorian Gray)

Female Archetypes

• Encompasses the personal mother, grandmother, step-mother, mother-in-law, nurses, Surrogate mother, and governess. Also includes the goddess.

• The Mother archetype has both positive and negative representations – also known as the loving and terrible mother. They are associated with things and places standing for fertility and fruitfulness.

• Has three forms: the good, the terrible and the good/bad mother

Characteristics

Positive Qualities Maternal solicitation and sympathyLife givingMagic authorityWisdom and spiritualEncompasses all that cherishes and sustainsFosters growth and fertilityPlace of magical transformation and rebirthNegative Qualities Secret, hidden, dark, the abyssThe world of the deadAnything that devours, seduces and poisonsIs terrifying and inescapable similar to fate

Female Archetypes: Positive and Negative

• Earth Mother • Old Hag • Great Mother • Temptress • Mother

Goddess • Damsel in

Distress • Step Mother • Female Heroine

Sage/Wise-man/Mentor

• The sage is a wise or holy figure who guides the hero• Can appear as an oracle, a mentor, guide, teacher,

wise old man/woman• Provides gifts to the hero• Role model for the hero’s conscience or good

behavior• Often an older man or woman• Possesses insight or understanding beyond that of

ordinary people• Serves as a guardian of special knowledge or a

helper or advisers to heroes• Many times live in deep forests, on mountaintops or

in other places that are• withdrawn from the world• Some are divine beings or demigods

Social Outcast/Scapegoat

• Banished from a social group for some real or imagined crime or left it voluntarily

• Is alienated, the outsider, the criminal• restless traveler – wanderer must go from place to place• Alienated and an outsider and views the world as hostile• Is alone and may be associated with sorcery, black magic and

demons• It is possible Banishment is a result of a curse or for blasphemy

Trickster

• Fondness for sly jokes and malicious pranks; Unpredictable behavior• Not really evil, but does the most atrocious things• Can be a destroyer and a creator• Impulsive, selfish, grotesque character.• Duality of character – half animal, half divine or human• Does not recognize the rules of society• Appetites dominate behavior• Cruel, cynical and unfeeling.• May assume the form of an animal such as a coyote or rabbit• Collective shadow – dark part of people’s psyche

Villain

"A cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an

important evil agency in the plot.“

• Person guilty or capable of crime or wickedness• The person or thing responsible for specified problems, harm, or damage• Represents things we don’t like and would like to eliminate• Opponent with whom the hero must struggle• Negative force – break laws of nature -• Cunning• Madness is frequent in comic-book villains (Lex Luther)

Main Traits of a Villain

1)Powerful: magical powers/resources such as highly-trained armies/vast wealth/influences

2)Intelligent: Avoid making stupid decisions 3)Immoral: pose a real challenge to the hero as they believe

so strongly in their own cause 4)Wounded: physically/emotionally. No human being is

born a monster-made into monsters? Their real human experiences make them credible as the personification of evil.

5)Determined: unstoppable force.

From: “5 Characteristics of an Epic Villain” by Antonio del Drago http://mythicscribes.com/character-development/5-characteristics-epie-villain/

Heralds

• The person or object who brings the Call to Adventure. • Bring the challenge as well as signify the impending

change.

(R2D2’s hologram, Bumblebee, Nala, Hagrid)

Threshold Guardians

• A figure or event that tests the resolve of a Hero as he pursues his destiny and/or his goal.

• The Guardian is not necessarily adversarial, but puts the hero in a position where he must make a decision that reflects a sincere commitment to the task at hand

• Sometimes the Guardian's challenge is an illusion which must be penetrated; when it is not, the Guardian himself is often the challenge, and defeating the Guardian can turn them into an ally.

• Whatever form the Guardian and their challenge takes, their defeat forces the hero to grow; heroes that are not yet ready for their journey are forced to turn back until they have matured sufficiently to handle the task.

• A guardian challenging an Anti-hero may provide them with the opportunity to prove their willingness or unwillingness.

Allies and companions

• Willing to face any amount of peril • Protect the hero • Often reflects the hero’s nobility • The hero likely would not succeed without help,

assistance, and loyalty.

Archetypal Settings

and Symbols

Archetypal Settings

• Forest/Trees/Gardens

• Mountains and Peaks

• Rivers

• The Sea

• Tower/Castle

•Islands

•Deserts/Wastelands

•The underworld (caves, tunnels, “death”, mazes)

Life, proliferation, immortality

Discovering one’s self, death, unknown

Gain insight, spiritual, powerful,

Journeys, decisions, paths to be crossed

Good/Evil side/ human unconsciousness?

Isolation with positive/negative effects

Emotional/physical wasteland

Power, human pride and folly, protection

Archetypal Symbolic Colors

• Black: Death/mourning, emotional darkness, hidden desires/instincts, un-enlightenment. Black: darkness, chaos, mystery, the unknown, death, wisdom, evil, melancholy.

• Blue: The color of the spirit, the spiritual, the heavenly, the divine, intuition, inspiration. Has the association with the unconscious and feminine qualities.

• Green: In positive terms, Mother Nature, fertility, hope, renewal, health, youth, harmony, prosperity. The color of sensual and spiritual passion.

• Orange: Balance, creative expression, pride and ambition, cruelty, ferocity, luxury. As the color of fire, can represent burning away impurities.

Archetypal Symbolic Colors (cont.)

• Purple: The color of royalty, imperial power, pride, justice, intuition, wisdom, truth. As a blend of red and blue, it is the color of authority/ power and the wisdom to know how to use it.

• Red: Blood, life, life-force; embarrassment, anger; fire, lust, passion. Associated with activity, energy, courage, will power, and war.

• White: Purity, holiness, sacredness, redemption, mystical enlightenment, innocence, joy, light and life it is transcendent perfection. It signifies the union of opposites to form a whole as well as the symbolic death of transformation and renewal.

• Yellow: The sun, illumination, intellect and generosity, maturity. The color of fire and thus the purification of flame. Yellow: enlightenment, wisdom.

Archetypal Plots

• Quest/Journey/Task• Battle b/w Good & Evil• Boy meets Girl• Rite of Passage• Loss of Innocence• Initiation

The Quest This plot concentrates on finding on object, such as the Holy Grail, that will restore fertility to a wasteland, health to the ill, or plenty to the impoverished.

Battle between good and evil.

This is a common plot that is pretty self-explanatory. Usually good triumphs.

Boy meets Girl The basis of all romantic plot lines.

Rite of Passage This is an organized event or ritual in which a young person officially becomes an adult.

Loss of Innocence

A good person, usually young and inexperienced, sees and experiences something of the world and learns how things really work.

Initiation This situation refers to a moment, usually psychological, in which an individual becomes mature and accepts a certain responsibility. He/she expresses a new understanding of problems and accepts that he/she is an important part of the solution. Typically, a hero gets a calling or message or sign that sacrifices must be made and he/she has to grow up.