ARCHETYPESARCHETYPES

Carl Jung…Studied under Sigmund Freud Studied under Sigmund Freud Named the first “complex,” Named the first “complex,” based on his idea that based on his idea that trauma might result in trauma might result in exaggerated reactions.exaggerated reactions.

Believed that modern humans Believed that modern humans rely too heavily on rely too heavily on science and logicscience and logic

Freud believed Freud believed the brain was the brain was divided into divided into three parts:three parts:IDID – basic needs and – basic needs and drives; survivaldrives; survivalSUPEREGOSUPEREGO –conscience; –conscience; keeps the id in checkkeeps the id in checkEGOEGO – the “self”; your – the “self”; your personality; overall personality; overall brain controlbrain control

Jung didn’t agree with Freud;

he divided the brain into two parts:

* MEMORIES – past experiences from this life

* FORGOTTEN CONSCIOUS— memories from past lives

Carl Jung… Called these forgotten memories the “collective unconscious”–is a knowledge base that all humans share

»contains ideas, images, and emotional responses

–is the basis of Jung’s theory on archetypes

Discovered (or identified) Archetypes–which are instinctive patterns

–that recur in art across cultures

–and recur in art across time

The collective unconscious is to humans like The collective unconscious is to humans like instinct is to animals. Salmon know how to spawn instinct is to animals. Salmon know how to spawn without being told. People don’t need to without being told. People don’t need to learnlearn everything; some things we are just everything; some things we are just bornborn knowing. knowing.

Archetypes:Archetypes: Instinctive patterns in Instinctive patterns in the the collective unconscious collective unconscious of humankind. Figures or of humankind. Figures or

patterns that recur in patterns that recur in works of art from works of art from

generation to generation.generation to generation.

ArchetypesArchetypes can come in can come in the form of stories, the form of stories,

characters, and symbols.characters, and symbols.These symbols must be These symbols must be shared by different shared by different

cultures OVER TIME to be cultures OVER TIME to be archetypes. They must be archetypes. They must be

universaluniversal..

Don’t confuse

archetypes with other signs or symbols.

SIGN

•A word or physical sign which represents one object.–initials: U.S.A., NASA, NHS–traffic signs–trademarks: “Just do it,” “I’m lovin’ it.”

•Meaningless in itself; gains meaning through usage.

SymbolSymbol• An object that stands for something

else. This can be a letter, a character, or a sign.– the American flag– a police badge– the Greek letter delta

• These objects are specific to a culture, a community, some times a specific novel.

Consider a snake . . Consider a snake . . . .

TIME & SPACE MACHINE

Put the snake in a Put the snake in a time and space time and space

machine and send it to machine and send it to ANY PLACE or ANY ANY PLACE or ANY TIME and people TIME and people

would agree on what would agree on what that snake means or that snake means or

represents.represents.

This is a two-dimensional joke: Snakes have no legs to kick with, or opposable thumbs with which to attach a sign.

Snakes are EVIL!

Heracles with the snake - Greece

The Rainbow Snake Aido-Hwedo

QUETZLCOATL is in charge of the

primal waters where all life was created.

The Seven-Headed Serpent

Lotan from Canaanite myths, which served as a symbol of the seven

deadly sins.

Shesha, the world Shesha, the world serpentserpent

In Hindu Mythology, Shesha spews fire to destroy all creation

Apep, the chaos serpent

At first, Apep was the Egyptian Sun god. When he was replaced by Ra, he became very angry. Apep became a symbol

of evil.

Leviathan, Leviathan, the great sea the great sea

monstermonster

Dragons Dragons in Celtic and Chinese in Celtic and Chinese mythologymythology

Medusa Medusa - Greek- Greek

Jormungandr (Norse) will

eventually bring about ragnarok (the end of the

world)

Where can we find archetypes?

•MythologyMythology•LiteratureLiterature•ArtArt•ReligionReligion•MoviesMovies•Comic BooksComic Books•SongsSongs

Archetype: a universal Archetype: a universal theme theme

Universal theme: themes Universal theme: themes that transcend time and that transcend time and spacespace (of course, this is a controversial notion!) (of course, this is a controversial notion!)

Three types of Three types of archetypes. . . archetypes. . .

• archetypal plots archetypal plots

• archetypal charactersarchetypal characters

• archetypal symbolsarchetypal symbols

PLOTSPLOTSHero CycleHero CycleCosmogony (creation story)Cosmogony (creation story)Tragedy (everyone dies)Tragedy (everyone dies)Comedy (everyone marries)Comedy (everyone marries)Monomyth or Initiation Monomyth or Initiation

ARCHETYPAL ARCHETYPAL CHARACTERSCHARACTERS•Wise Man •Witch(crone)•Hero•Temptress

SYMBOLSSYMBOLS(metaphors/similes)(metaphors/similes)

•Water = BirthWater = Birth•Night = DeathNight = Death•Light = GoodLight = Good•Dark = BadDark = Bad

Can you see anything

problematic about

archetypes?

Anything that suggests that dark is bad and light

is good can be

dangerousdangerous in the wrong hands, and it does

not represent all cultures.

Any system of thought that limits males and females to

certain types rather than allowing them autonomy to choose what kind of person

to be can be

dangerous.

Be careful when looking at art, literature, film . . .

LIFE through an archetypal

lens.

ARCHETYPAL STORY PATTERNS

COSMOGONYCOSMOGONY (creation story)• Explains the origin of humans, the world, and/or the universe• Life is brought into existence by some supernatural being(s)• Often involves dirt, water, light, and language

HERO CYCLEHERO CYCLE•Revolves around a character who leaves homeRevolves around a character who leaves home

•Is guided by a supernatural aidIs guided by a supernatural aid

•The hero suffers a number of trialsThe hero suffers a number of trials * Temptress* Temptress * Belly of the Whale* Belly of the Whale * Monster(s)* Monster(s)

•The hero triumphs in the endThe hero triumphs in the end

•Often returns home and shares knowledge or a Often returns home and shares knowledge or a giftgift

The hero is assumed to be The hero is assumed to be male because one of his male because one of his

many “trials” is many “trials” is overcoming the wiles of a overcoming the wiles of a

temptress.temptress.

TRAGEDYTRAGEDY

•Revolves around a person of Revolves around a person of importance, not a commonerimportance, not a commoner•Horrible things happen to Horrible things happen to the main character and those the main character and those he/she loveshe/she loves•Everyone dies in the endEveryone dies in the end•Justice, the “right world” Justice, the “right world” is restoredis restored

COMEDY

•Normal or ordinary people triumph over life’s adversity•Includes some form of mistaken identity•Blocking forces are not truly evil •People celebrate or get married in the end

THE ARCHETYPAL MANTHE ARCHETYPAL MAN

HEROHERO• Young, handsome, Young, handsome, muscularmuscular

• CourageousCourageous• Strong (sometimes Strong (sometimes beyond normal men)beyond normal men)

• Rebel or maverickRebel or maverick• Usually follows Usually follows the hero cyclethe hero cycle

LUKE SKYWALKER

AragornAragorn

KING ARTHURKING ARTHUR

WISE MAN

• Older than hero

• Spiritual and moral

• Intelligent

• Sometimes has special powers

MERLINMERLIN

GANDALF

DUMBLEDORE

OBI WAN KENOBI

FOOL• Age varies• Usually has some

physical defect (crazy nose, disabled,cross-eyed, fat, ugly)

• Often a side-kick• Humorous and

bumbling• Occasionally speaks

the truth that no one else will

C3PO &

R2D2

MERRY AND

PIPPIN

THE DEVIL• Usually offers a

trade or exchange

• Manipulative and deceptive

• Often physically attractive and well-dressed

SATAN

(Liz Hurley in bedazzled)

Satan is . . .

Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate

Satan

The Villain:The Villain:

Physical appearance Physical appearance variesvaries

Age variesAge varies

Adversary for the hero Adversary for the hero and/or heroineand/or heroine

Kevin Spacey as Kevin Spacey as LEX LUTHORLEX LUTHOR

DARTH DARTH VADERVADER

THE JOKERTHE JOKER

Lord Farquaad

THE TRICKSTERTHE TRICKSTER

• He is a god, yet he is not. He is a god, yet he is not. • He is the wise-fool. He is the wise-fool. • He rebels against authority, He rebels against authority, pokes fun at the overly pokes fun at the overly serious, creates convoluted serious, creates convoluted schemes—that may or may not schemes—that may or may not work—and is sometimes his work—and is sometimes his own worst enemy. own worst enemy.

• He exists to question, to He exists to question, to cause us to question, and cause us to question, and not to accept things not to accept things blindly.blindly.

LOKI - Norse

ANANSI -ANANSI -AFRICANAFRICAN

ODYSSEUS

Greek

Coyote

In Native American In Native American mythology, Coyote is a mythology, Coyote is a buffoon, a creator, a buffoon, a creator, a trickster, and a hero.trickster, and a hero.

WILE E. COYOTEWILE E. COYOTE

ARCHETYPAL FEMALE CHARACTERS

The Mother•Birth, life, fertility•Warmth, protection, security•Nourishment

Marge Simpson

Mrs. Brady

Mrs. Mrs. CunninghamCunningham

The Crone or Witch

•Old, ugly•Mysterious•Intelligent•Plotting or conniving

Jadis from Jadis from

The Lion The Lion the Witch the Witch and the and the

WardrobeWardrobe

Maleficent Maleficent from from Sleeping Sleeping BeautyBeauty

Sadly, the witch is the equivalent of the wise man. Women don’t get to be smart—and certainly not smart and pretty—

without also being evil.

Guys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses. (I’m using glasses as a symbol of wisdom, get it?)

The Maiden or Virgin

•Young, beautiful

•Often helpless

•Innocent•Saved by hero

Buttercup from The Princess Bride

CinderellCinderellaa

The Temptress or Whore

•Older than the maiden, younger than the mother•Beautiful, usually dark- or

red-haired•Hyper-sexual •Deceptive and underhanded

Poison Ivy

Megara from Hercules

The whore:

The only female archetype who gets to have any fun.

Hmmm . . .

COMMON ARCHETYPAL SYMBOLS

WATERWATERThe mystery of creationThe mystery of creation

Birth-death-resurrectionBirth-death-resurrection

Purification and redemptionPurification and redemption

Fertility and growthFertility and growth

Sun

• Creative energy• Law in nature• Consciousness (thinking,

enlightenment, etc.)• Passage of time and life• Father principle

The Rising Sun

•BirthBirth•CreationCreation•EnlightenmentEnlightenment•HopeHope

Setting Sun=Death

THE MOONTHE MOON

The Female The Female PrinciplePrinciple

COLORS

REDBloodSacrificeViolent passionDisorder

GREENGREEN•GrowthGrowth

•SensationSensation•HopeHope

•FertilityFertility

BLUE•Usually positive•Truth•Religion•Security•Religious purity

BLACK•Chaos

•Mystery•The unknown

•Death•Primal wisdom

•The unconscious•Evil

•Melancholy

WHITEWHITE•Light•Purity•Innocence•Timelessness

Also death, terror, the supernatural

CIRCLE

Wholeness and Unity

EGGEGGFertility and the Mystery of Fertility and the Mystery of

LifeLife

NUMBERSNUMBERSTHREE:THREE:Spiritual Awareness and Spiritual Awareness and UnityUnity

Male PrincipleMale Principle

FOURFOUR•Associated with the circleAssociated with the circle•Life cycleLife cycle•SeasonsSeasons•Female principleFemale principle•Elements Elements (earth, air, water, fire)(earth, air, water, fire)

SEVENSEVEN•Signifies the union of Signifies the union of three and fourthree and four•The completion of a The completion of a cyclecycle•Perfect orderPerfect order

Notice the bias here (yet Notice the bias here (yet again). again).

* Black = evil is a racial * Black = evil is a racial bias.bias.* Smart female = evil is a * Smart female = evil is a gender gender bias. bias.* The combination of three * The combination of three and and four = perfect unity is a four = perfect unity is a heterosexist bias. heterosexist bias.

GARDEN•Paradise•Innocence•Unspoiled Beauty•Fertility

TREE• Growth• Generation & regeneration

• Inexhaustible life

• Immortality

DESERT•Death•Hopelessness

And we cannot forget the figure who

runs the show in most of mythology . .

.

OMNIPOTENT, OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT DEITYOMNISCIENT DEITY

How do you apply

archetypal criticism to a

text?

Does the story seem Does the story seem to have echoes of to have echoes of something larger something larger

than just the piece than just the piece itself? itself?

It may contain It may contain archetypes.archetypes.

Examine the text for Examine the text for plots, symbols, or plots, symbols, or characters that are characters that are

archetypal and try to archetypal and try to figure out WHY the figure out WHY the

author would use these author would use these universal elements. universal elements.

What effect does their What effect does their use have on the story as use have on the story as

a whole?a whole?

Look for Look for subvertedsubverted archetypes, places archetypes, places where the author where the author

created an created an archetypal setting, archetypal setting,

plot, symbol, or plot, symbol, or character only to character only to

turn it on its head.turn it on its head.

My sources:• Edith Hamilton

• Carl Jung

• Joseph Campbell

• Toni McNaron