Archetype and Symbolism The Heros Journey What is
Archetype and Symbolism The Hero’s Journey
What is an archetype? Archetypes are recurrent symbols or motifs in literature. Basically, PATTERNS. ¡ Examples – Situational Archetypes ¡ The Hero’s Journey l The Tragedy The Medieval Romance l l ¡ Examples – Character Archetypes The Mentor The Damsel in Distress l The Loyal Sidekick l l
Can you think of some examples of these character archetypes? The Hero _________________ ¡ The Mentor _________________ ¡ The Sidekick _________________ ¡ The Damsel in Distress _________________ ¡
Archetypal Symbols Light vs. Darkness – knowledge vs. ignorance, hope vs. despair ¡ Water vs. Desert – rebirth vs. death ¡ Serpent vs. Garden – evil vs. innocence/paradise ¡ Spring – birth ¡ Summer – life ¡ Autumn/Fall – fading, dying ¡ Winter – death, hibernation ¡
Color Archetypes (Color Symbolic) Color Positive Negative Red Love, warmth, power Danger, blood, anger Blue Peace, trust, harmony Cold, depression Yellow Happiness, hope Cowardice, betrayal Orange Energy, flamboyant Pride, ambition Green Nature, youth, spring Jealousy Purple Royalty, Wisdom, Spiritual Cruelty, arrogance Gray Maturity, intelligence Old age, sad, boring Brown Earth, home, comfort Control, boring Black Power, formal, elegant Fear, evil, death White Purity, cleanliness, youth Cold, sterile, unfeeling
Number Archetypes (Symbolic) 3 Father-Son-Holy Ghost; Mind-Body-Spirit; Birth-Life-Death 4 Mankind (4 limbs); 4 Elements; 4 seasons 6 Devil; Evil 7 Relationship of man and god (3 Trinity + 4 Mankind); 7 deadly sins, 7 day week, 7 days for creation
Medieval Romance Archetype Idealized, noble characters ¡ Larger-than-life behavior ¡ Hero’s quest motivated by love, faith, or desire for adventure ¡ Supernatural/Magic elements ¡ Unusual, exotic settings ¡ Involves hidden or mistaken identity ¡
Medieval Romance Example ¡ ¡ ¡ Idealized, noble characters: Launcelot chooses death over betrayal of Gwynevere Larger-than-life behavior: Launcelot knocks 12 knights from their horses with 1 spear Hero’s quest motivated by love, faith, or desire for adventure: Launcelot is weary of “playing at arms, ” wants adventure Supernatural/Magic elements: Morgan le Faye puts a spell on Launcelot and carries him off Unusual, exotic settings: castle, cauldron, tree covered in knights’ shields Involves hidden or mistaken identity: Sir Belleus thinks Launcelot is his girlfriend…oops!
Aristotle’s Archetype for Tragedy ¡ 5 Characteristics of a Tragic Hero: l l l Noble (both in status and of mind) Hamartia – tragic flaw, often hubris (excessive pride) Reversal – hero’s downfall – is brought about by the hero’s actions His punishment exceeds his crime Recognition – hero has major realization, learns something important
More Elements of an Archetypal Tragedy ¡ ¡ Mimesis – mimics life (is realistic enough for the audience to identify with) Plot is more important than character 3 dramatic unities: Unity of Action (1 cause/effect-centric plot); Unity of Time (occurs in 1 day); and Unity of Place (occurs in 1 setting) Catharsis – by the end, the audience releases strong, repressed emotions
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