1. Our connection to stories
Archetypes
Our connection to stories

2. What is an Archetype?
An original model after which other things are similarly patterned
An image, story pattern, character type, representation, or recurring idea
It evokes strong associations to the reader or observer
It is derived from the “human condition”

3. What should I look for to identify archetypes?
A shared idea with all humanity
An inherited part of the human being that connects us all
A constant and universal idea
Though it may differ from place to place, the concept is worldwide
These are often the same ideas you look for with a motif

4. What kinds of Archetypes are there?
There are three main archetypes:
Situational
Symbolic
Character
We will begin with Character archetypes…

5. Character Archetypes
A person or being that serves as a representative of a greater ideal
Characteristics, actions, abilities, or powers contribute to the archetype characterization
There are many different archetypes present in literature

6. Common Character Archetypes
The Sage
The Hero
Temptress
The Ruler
Star-Crossed Lovers
The Initiates
The Innocent
Loyal Retainers
The Scapegoat
The Outcast
The Devil Figure
The Evil Figure with the Ultimately Good Heart
The Outlaw or Destroyer
Earth Mother
Jester
Just to name a few…

7. Character Archetypes: The Hero
Traditionally, the protagonist of a story
Often his past is a mystery
He is the champion, king, leader or savior of many
Endures pain and sorrow that all leads to a greater good

8. Character Archetypes: The Sage
Serves as a teacher or counselor to the initiate or future hero
Usually the “Wise Old Man”
Helps the hero see his potential or inner strength
Sometimes a Father or Mother figure
Guides the Hero on his Quest tied to the motif
The Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi

9. Character Archetypes: The Orphan
Young heroes who must endure training
The Orphan can ultimately become a good character or a bad one
Must complete some type of an internal journey to determine their ultimate place in the world
They are Innocent and often wear white (sometimes only temporarily)
In order to become a Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker must come to terms with who he is and choose to be a Jedi or be tempted by the “Dark side of the Force”

10. Character Archetypes: Star-Crossed Lovers
These two characters are engaged in a love affair
Fated to end tragically
Society, family, or friends do not approve of the relationship
Sometimes these characters can also be ill-fated friendships with the same result
Romeo & Juliet ultimately pay the price for their love through their tragic death

11. Character Archetypes: Sacrificial Lamb
Human or Animal
Voluntarily sacrifices himself for the good of others
Usually an allegory for and allusion to Christ
Public death is a sin of the community
His death/ injury is usually necessary for the story to continue or the Hero to complete his quest
Aslan from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe chooses to face the White Witch alone (and ultimately death) to save Edmund.

12. Character Archetypes: The Fool
Always optimistic that things will turn out well
Symbolic of blind hope and always has time for “silly” things
Sees the best in people
Wears his heart on his sleeve, easily giving and getting hurt
Despite many trials and tribulations, Dory’s indomitable spirit has her “just keep swimming” until she and Marlin find Nemo.

13. Character Archetypes: Sidekick
Somewhat heroic
Similar to a servant with hero-like qualities
Duty: Protect the Hero
Usually the hero and the sidekick’s fates will be intertwined
This is not like the Batman and Robin relationship, where the sidekick is an annoying “tag along” that gets the Hero in trouble; this character has an unyielding sense of loyalty and duty.
Sam from Lord of The Rings is the loyal retainer of Frodo.

14. Character Archetype: The Outlaw/Destroyer
This character is often rejected from a society and, to gain revenge, wishes to destroy all forms of the society that rejected him
Sometimes this character begins as an orphan or another neutral character and is turned by tragedy

15. Character Archetypes: The Monster
Monster usually summoned from the deepest, darkest parts of the mind
It/he is usually an allegory for some larger social fear
Threatens the life of the hero and threatens to destroy society
This character does not always “look” outwardly like a monster, but can be so on the inside
Summoned from nightmares, Freddy Krueger terrorized teens in the ‘80s and ‘90s in the Nightmare on Elm Street films.

16. Character Archetypes: The Outcast
Banished by Society or a social group
Destined to become a wanderer
Moves from place to place
Until he learns manners, Hancock is the outcast of Los Angeles.

17. Character Archetypes: The Trickster
Plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior
Openly mocks and questions authority, promotes chaos/unrest
Brings new knowledge and wisdom
Bugs Bunny plays tricks on his adversaries that show their weaknesses.

18. Character Archetypes: The Tyrant
A leader who is obsessed with power
May have started with good intentions, but now only wants power and steps on anyone in the way
Usually elected or given power, then becomes corrupted by it
Hitler’s initial election led to his power-hungry ways that destroyed the lives of many people.

19. Character Archetypes: The Hag/Witch/Shaman
An older person who has a great deal of wisdom and usually a connection with magical forces
Community members consult this person for advice
Plays a vital part of the hero’s quest, but is uninvolved with the outcome of events
In the film The Matrix, the Oracle gives spiritual advice to Neo in his quest for the truth.

20. Character Archetypes: The Sadist
Truly crazy character
His only desire is to create pain and suffering
Violent and craves control over life and death
Will never change and cannot be saved
The Joker wreaks havoc on the lives of Gotham’s residents in The Dark Knight Rises.

21. Character Archetypes: The Doppelganger
A character who is a “double” of another character
Usually possesses opposite characteristics to “twin” character
“A ghostly double of a living person”
Spider-man’s good qualities become the opposite while he is wearing the black suit.

22. What is a Situational Archetype?
A given experience that a hero or character must endure to move from one place in life to the next
Actions and events that add to the plot
A common event seen throughout stories in may different genres

23. Examples of Situational Archetypes
The Quest
Death and Rebirth
The Task
Nature vs. Mechanistic World
The Initiation
Good vs. Evil
The Journey
The Unhealable Wound
The Fall
The Ritual

24. Situational Archetypes: The Quest
A quest describes a search for someone or something of great power or importance
A quest is never easily accomplished and often includes near impossible challenges

25. Situational Archetypes: The Task
The Hero must perform some nearly superhuman deed
This is done to save the kingdom, win the girl, or find himself
Example: Arthur pulls the sword from the stone

26. Situational Archetypes: The Initiation
An initiation symbolizes a rite of passage
An adolescent may come into adulthood through an initiatory event
Very much connected with growing up and maturity
Masons created an initiation process that many secret societies still follow to date

27. Situational Archetypes: The Journey
Sends the hero on a search for some truth or information
Forces the hero to discover many unpleasant truths
At his lowest point, the hero will return to the world of the living

28. Situational Archetypes: The Fall
Shows a descent from a higher to lower state of being
Represents a loss of innocence
Usually comes with some type of expulsion as a result of disobedience

29. Situational Archetypes: Death and Rebirth
The most common of all situational archetypes
Parallels the cycle of nature with the cycle of life
Morning or Spring = Birth or Youth
Evening or Winter = Old Age or Death

30. Situational Archetypes: Nature vs. Technology
Nature represents purity and good
Technology represents evil and corruption
In this archetype, technology destroys nature

31. Situational Archetypes: Good vs. Evil
Battle between two primal forces
Traditionally, Good will triumph over evil
Can be found in almost any movie, book, or television show
Simba (good) vs. Scar (evil) in The Lion King

32. Situational Archetypes: The Unhealable Wound
Either physical or psychological damage that cannot be repaired
Indicates a loss of innocence
Drive the sufferer to extremes
Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) will never fully recover from his battle wounds. He is forced into a mechanical suit because of his lost limbs and scarring.

33. Situational Archetypes: The Ritual
Mark a rite of passage
Show character’s role in society
Explain a person’s role in the world
Baptism is an important ritual of the Christian faith. Once baptized, a person officially becomes a Christian.

34. Symbolic Archetypes
These serve as a representation of a specific person, act, deed, place or conflict. They are easily recognizable but not as common as situational archetypes.
Light vs. Darkness
Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity
Water vs. Desert
Haven vs. Wilderness
Heaven vs. Hell
Supernatural Intervention
The Magic Weapon
Fire vs. Ice

35. Symbolic Archetypes: Light vs. Darkness
Light suggests hope, renewal, or enlightenment
Darkness implies mystery, ignorance, or despair
The battle of light and darkness will stretch beyond actual light and dark. The good (light) and bad (dark) can be seen through a story’s characters and their actions.

36. Symbolic Archetypes: Water vs. Desert
Water appears as a symbol of fertility and birth; it may symbolize a spiritual birth or the beginning of something. It brings about hope for new life and spirituality.
A Desert typically represents a loss of life, hope, or faith. It might bring about loss of life, faith, or hope.

37. Symbolic Archetypes: Heaven vs. Hell
Places not easily accessible by man are regarded as the dwelling places of either the gods or demons
The skies, clouds, or mountains house the gods. Heaven is also associated with light and nature.
Canyons, caves, and the inner earth play home to the evil forces of the world. Hell is often associated with fire, demons, evil, and the unknown places of earth.

38. Symbolic Archetypes: The Magic Weapon
A symbol of the hero’s extraordinary quality
No other can use it to its full potential
Traditionally given by a mentor
Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, not because he is stronger than others, but because of his good qualities and righteousness

39. Symbolic Archetypes: Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity
Some characters are more experienced and in turn have a mystic wisdom
Other characters are educated, powerful, and, often times…stupid
The wise one is usually an assistant while the stupid-smarty is a leader
Though they work as a team, Alfred is wise with experience while Bruce Wayne is a college graduate who has a knack for flying by the seat of his pants despite his butler’s advice.

40. Symbolic Archetypes: Haven vs. Wilderness
Places of safety contrast with the unknown threatening forces of the wilderness
Heroes often must return to a safe haven in order to regain health or supplies
Log Cabins serve as a haven to many who enjoy living in the heart of a wild world.
The Batcave Home of The Batman.

41. Symbolic Archetypes: Supernatural Intervention
God or gods intervene in a given situation
The gods will often favor the hero, but occasionally they do not
This is seen throughout Greek Mythology as well as most practiced religions
In the movie 300, the gods intervened when “Zeus hurled thunderbolts and rain storms as the enemy ships crashed against the rock.”

42. Symbolic Archetypes: Fire vs. Ice
Typically, fire represents knowledge, light, life, fertility and (re)birth
Ice will usually represent a deserted place, ignorance, sterility, and death