The Innocent Naïve, Often Young and Inexperienced

Archetypes

An archetype refers to common character types, symbols, and relationships in literature. The term was coined by psychologist Carl Jung to suggest “ancient patterns of personality that are the shared heritage of the human race.” In other words, these character types, etc. represent ideas drawn from the collective unconscious, virtually programmed into human DNA. These are the most basic structures in literature, and an understanding of these archetypes can help make sense of nearly every story ever written.

The most common pattern in literature is the hero journey, which we have already discussed. This handout explains some of the most common character archetypes. Each character archetype represents a particular function in a story, not a particular type of person.

The Hero – represents the ego’s (self’s) search for identity and wholeness. The dramatic function of the hero is to give the reader/audience a window into the story. We are invited to identify with this character and see the story through his or her eyes. Heroes generally experience some sort of growth, overcoming obstacles and or gaining knowledge. The hero drives the action of the story and often makes sacrifices for others.

There can be several kinds of hero: willing and unwilling heroes, antiheroes, group-centered heroes, loner heroes, and catalyst heroes (the only hero type who does not generally experience change; instead, they inspire change in others). Common hero-types include:

 The Innocent – naïve, often young and inexperienced  The Everyman/Orphan – the “regular guy,” begins in a negative situation with no expectation of heroism  The Warrior Hero – the traditional hero of myth, like Achilles and Beowulf

The Mentor – a (usually) positive figure who aids and/or trains the hero. He (or she) represents the hero’s highest aspirations, a combination of parent, teacher, guide and conscience. The dramatic function of the Mentor is to teach the hero and to bestow upon him/her gifts he/she will need to complete the journey. Such gifts often have to be earned through learning, sacrifice or commitment. The Mentor may be a wizard or an inventor, whose special skills provide the gifts. Mentors motivate heroes on the journey. Just as there are several kinds of heroes, there are also several kinds of mentors. In addition to the traditional positive image of the Mentor/Teacher, there can be dark mentors (who can mislead heroes, etc.), fallen mentors (who have to get their own act together before they can help the hero), comic mentors (comically bad advice), shamen (healers), and inner mentors (within the hero himself).

The Threshold Guardian – At each new world the hero must enter exist powerful guardians whose job it is to prevent the hero from entering that new world. They “guard the gates” of each new challenge the hero must face. They are not usually the central villains of the story but are sometimes henchmen of that villain.

The Threshold Guardian represents ordinary obstacles that any individual might face. He or she also represents those internal demons of the hero (self-doubt, vices, emotional scars, etc.) which might interfere with his ability to accomplish his task. Dramatically speaking, the Threshold Guardian represents a kind of test the hero must pass before he can move on to the next step of his journey.

The Herald – Herald characters issues challenges and announce the coming of significant change. Often the Herald is responsible for issuing the hero’s call to adventure. The psychological function of the Herald is a call for change. Dramatically speaking, Heralds provide motivation, offer the hero a challenge, and get the story rolling. This archetype can be embodied as a person or as a force.

The Herald may be a positive, negative, or neutral figure.

The Shapeshifter – The shapeshifter is a character who appears to change constantly. The figure is elusive, shifting, and unstable, changing form upon close examination.

The shapeshifter is often a character of the opposite sex to the hero, representing to some extent the mysterious, unexplainable aspects of the opposite sex.

Shapeshifters may mislead the hero or keep him guessing, and their loyalty or sincerity are often in question.

They can literally change physical form, but just as often they are simply elusive and hard to pin down. The psychological function of the shapeshifter is to express the energy of the animus or anima, terms taken from the work of Carl Jung. The animus is the masculine qualities present in the female unconscious, while the anima is the corresponding female element in the male unconscious. In other words, says Jung, all people, no matter their genders, have both masculine and feminine aspects to their inner selves. Both sides of the individual, masculine and feminine, are necessary for survival and inner balance. The shapeshifter allows the opposite gender aspect of the hero’s unconscious to be expressed.

The shapeshifter is also a catalyst for change, a symbol of the psychological urge to transform. Disguise is the natural tool of the shapeshifter, and any character can wear the “mask” of the shapeshifter through the use of disguise.

The Shadow – The Shadow archetype represents the energy of the dark side, the unexpressed, unrealized or rejected aspects of something.

Psychologically speaking, the Shadow can represent the power of repressed feelings. It can be a destructive force, especially if not acknowledged, confronted, and brought to life. Shadow figures in dreams may appear as monsters, demons, vampires, or other fearsome enemies. The Shadow may also appear as a Shapeshifter, as in vampires or werewolves.

Shadow figures create conflict, offer the hero a challenge. A strong Shadow character brings out the best in the hero.

Any character can wear the Shadow “mask,” and conversely the Shadow can wear other masks as well.

A Shadow may be a character or a force to the hero, or it may be a deeply repressed part of the hero.

The Ally – Allies travel with the hero and help him along the way. The Ally can be the hero’s companion, sparring partner, conscience or comic relief. Allies can be “sidekick” characters to the hero.

Heroes may have multiple Allies. Sometimes the Ally is a kind of “audience character,” who sees the story from the audience’s point of view and asks the questions the reader, listener or viewer would have. Allies do not have to be human. They can be guardian angels, invisible friends, animal allies, helpful ghosts, and helpful servants, to name a few.

Allies may represent powerful internal forces that can come to one’s aid in a crisis.

The Trickster – The Trickster embodies the energies of mischief and desire for change. This character provides the comic relief necessary to ease dramatic tension that builds up in a story. They cut egos down to size and poke fun at absurd or stagnant situations.

Tricksters are often catalyst heroes, who affect the other characters but remain unchanged or unaffected themselves.

PRACTICE ACTIVITY: Match each of the characters listed below to one of the eight archetypes detailed in this handout. If the character wears masks of more than one archetype, list both. Explain how the character embodies the particular archetype.

1. Harvey the Pooka from Harvey 2. Darth Vader from Star Wars 3. Bugs Bunny 4. The Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz 5. Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio 6. Rose in James Cameron’sTitanic 7. Ron Weasely in Harry Potter 8. The Voice (“If you build it, he will come”) in Field of Dreams 9. Edward Cullen in Twilight 10. Hannibal Lechter in Silence of the Lambs 11. Megara in Disney’s Hercules 12. George Constanza in Seinfeld 13. Mr. Crabs in SpongeBob Squarepants 14. Circe in The Odyssey 15. Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream