The Study of ARCHETYPES English II Adapted from PowerPoint by Ms. Hickman

Get Ready…  You will need the notes packet at the front, a pen or pencil, and a piece of notebook paper.  Today you will learn about archetypes.  To activate your prior knowledge, respond to the following writing prompt:  Who is your personal hero? What qualities does this person have that inspire you?

What is an archetype?  an image, character, story, symbol, situation, or pattern that has been used since the earliest times to represent a universal idea throughout all human cultures  a universal symbol (a symbol is a concrete object used to represent an abstract idea)

The Innocent  Fears abandonment  seeks safety  optimistic  dependent on others  Write down as many examples of people you can think of from movies that represent the archetypes.

The Orphan  Seeks comfort  realistic  not too optimistic

The Wanderer  Unique  doesn’t follow the crowd  searching for own answers instead of listening to others  misses out on community and joy of life at times

The Warrior  Loyal  devoted  fair

The Martyr  Courageous  willing to die for their cause  puts others before themselves

The Magician  Wants to transform themselves  fears their own potential  want to change others

Who’s responsible for this?  The word is derived from the Greek “archetypos,” meaning “beginning or original pattern from which later things are made.”  The term was first used by the psychologist, Carl Jung.  Jung spent much time studying people’s dreams as well as myths and legends from around the world.  He recognized similarities in the types of symbols and stories that humans recalled. These similarities led him to the conclusion that a “collective unconscious” existed – a collection of inherited stories and images that exist in the subconscious of every human being.

…but what does that all mean?  Basically, Carl Jung determined that people everywhere can recognize the same symbols, or the same archetypes, because they are concrete representations of universal human experiences.

Why study archetypes?  The study of archetypes can help you make the leap from literal to symbolic interpretation of a work of art, whether it be literature, a painting, a film, or music.  You’ve been studying archetypes throughout your entire life. You just didn’t know it!

Archetypes: Places Place What it represents The underworld The encounter with the dark side of the self, the fear of death The wilderness Passion, lawlessness, the subconscious, chaos (the happy forest, the haunted forest, the heath, the prairie/fronteir, the jungle, the primeval forest, the sea) The river The stream of time and the flow of circumstance, purity regained, sin washed away, death The garden The production and idyllic state of innocence, reconciliation and peace, harmony with nature, the imagination, childhood (the tree of life, the self, etc.)

…More Places Place What it represents The wasteland Sterility, infertility, loss of inspiration, hopelessness, lack of creativity, industrial technology, spiritual deprivation in the modern world The city Order, law, harmony, rigidity, civilization; in the fallen world = corruption and hypocrisy The rock The stony place of suffering The desert The place of purity, self-awareness, deprivation, solitude, loneliness, lonely quest for meaning The crossroads The place of decision, penance, self-denial

…A few more places Place What it represents The maze or labyrinth Puzzling dilemmas or great uncertainty, the search for the dangerous monster inside the self, journey to the heart of darkness The winding stair Laborious and dangerous way into the unknown The wheel Fortune, the circle of life, death and rebirth, cycle of nature The castle Strong place of safety, holds treasure or princess, may be enchanted The tower Strong place of evil or isolation of the self

Archetypes: People THE HERO  Characterized by self- sacrifice, heroes will endure separation and hardship for the sake of their people  Must pay a price to attain their goals Common Characteristics: - Born and raised in a rural setting away from cities - Is of mysterious origin or becomes orphaned at an early age and is raised by animals or a wise guardian - Has a mentor or teacher - Loves and admires a beautiful lady - Must go on a journey, learn a lesson, change in some way - Is special, one of a kind - Is helped by divine, supernatural forces - Struggles for something valuable or important - Has a loyal band of companions - Is prepared to fight or die at any moment

The Hero’s Journey

Archetypes: People The Mentor Teaches a hero and given him/her gifts (weapons, food, magic, information); can serve as the hero’s conscience The Threshold Guardian Tests the hero’s courage and worthiness to begin the journey The Warrior Noble champion; knight in shining armor The Shadow Worthy opponent with whom the hero must struggle in a fight to the end; must be destroyed, neutralized or assimilated Companions Loyal companions willing to face hardship and ordeal in order to stay together The Trickster The clown, mischief-maker, sometimes an ally or companion of the hero; represents the force of cunning pitted against opponents who are stronger or more powerful

…More People The Traitor or Backstabber The double-agent who betrays those who trust him most. Plots the destruction of friends. The Tyrant The bullying despot – he wants power at any price The Outcast The lonely outsider who wanders aimlessly hoping to belong Friendly Beast An animal companion showing that nature is on the side of the hero The Devil Figure Evil incarnate The monster The hero’s dark self; the prince who has been turned into the beast; the double, the frightening side of nature The Evil Figure with Ultimately a Good Heart A devil figure with the potential to be good. This person is usually saved by the love of the hero.

…Just a couple more… The Scapegoat An animal, or more usually a human, whose death in a public ceremony resolves the sin of an entire community. They are often more powerful in death than in life. The Platonic Ideal A woman who is a source of inspiration to the hero, who has an intellectual rather that physical attractiveness about her. Damsel in Distress A vulnerable woman who needs to be rescued by the hero. The Earth Mother/Nurturer Symbolic of fruition, abundance and fertility. Offers spiritual and emotional nourishment. The Temptress/Siren/Black Goddess Characterized by sensuous beauty. The hero is often attracted to her and she brings about his downfall. May appear as a witch or vampire. White Goddess Good, beautiful maiden with religious or spiritual influence

Archetypes: Concepts/Ideas  Father-Son Conflict = In this relationship, the tension is built due to separation from childhood or some other source when the two meet as men  Star-Crossed Lovers = Two characters engaged in a love affair fated to end tragically for one or both due to the disapproval of society, friends, family or some tragic situation

Current Archetype Trend  Recently, in film, it is very trendy to mock or satirize archetypes  For example, movies like “Shrek”, “The Princess Bride” and “Enchanted” all take fairy tale concepts, characters, places and situations and exaggerate them for comedic affect

Now let’s see how many examples you can come up with… You see, you’ve been studying archetypes since you started reading, watching TV/movies and you didn’t even know it!