the hero’s quest. an archetype is a universal symbolic pattern. () there can be archetypal...
TRANSCRIPT
INTRODUCTION TO ARCHETYPES
The Hero’s Quest
What IS an archetype?
An archetype is a universal symbolic pattern. (www.PBS.org)
There can be archetypal characters and archetypal stories. Some examples:
Characters Stories
The trickster The underworld
The wise old man / sage The apocalypse
The great mother A paradise
The evil one (devil / Satan)
The great flood
Different Stories, Same Archetype
Pair up with a partner and try to find an example of each character archetype.
Characters Stories
The trickster The underworld
The wise old man / sage The apocalypse
The great mother A paradise
The evil one (devil / Satan)
The great flood
(Five minutes, then we’ll share)
Why?
Now that we have a few examples of how different stories and characters represent common archetypes, any ideas on why this happens?
Joseph Campbell World famous mythologist. His cross-cultural studies of ancient people
allowed him to conclude that different cultures had similar myths, or archetypes.
He further concluded that there was an archetypal plot line, or formula, within these myths which remained constant from one culture to the next.
The Hero’s Quest
According to Campbell, “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”
From The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1949. p.23.
A Simplified Version:
The Journey: Star Wars and the Matrix!
Campbell Star Wars The Matrix
I: Departure
The call to adventure Princess Leia's message
"Follow the white rabbit"
Refusal of the call Must help with the harvest
Neo won't climb out window
Supernatural aid Obi-wan rescues Luke from sandpeople
Trinity extracts the "bug" from Neo
Crossing the first threshold
Escaping Tatooine Neo is taken out of the Matrix for the first time
The belly of the whale Trash compactor Torture room
Adapted from www.MoonGadget.com
The Journey: Star Wars and the Matrix!
Part II: Initiation The road of trials Lightsaber practice Sparring with Morpheus
The meeting with the goddess
Princess Leia (wears white, in earlier scripts was a "sister" of a mystic order)
The Oracle
Temptation away from the true path1
Luke is tempted by the Dark Side
Cypher (the failed messiah) is tempted by the world of comfortable illusions
Atonement with the Father
Darth and Luke reconcile Neo rescues and comes to agree (that he's The One) with his father-figure, Morpheus
Apotheosis (becoming god-like)
Luke becomes a Jedi Neo becomes The One
The ultimate boon Death Star destroyed Humanity's salvation now within reach
The Journey: Star Wars and the Matrix!
III: Return
Refusal of the return "Luke, come on!" Luke wants to stay to avenge Obi-Wan
Neo fights agent instead of running
The magic flight Millennium Falcon "Jacking in"
Rescue from without Han saves Luke from Darth
Trinity saves Neo from agents
Crossing the return threshold
Millennium Falcon destroys pursuing TIE fighters
Neo fights Agent Smith
Master of the two worlds
Victory ceremony Neo's declares victory over machines in final phone call
Freedom to live Rebellion is victorious over Empire
Humans are victorious over machines
The Journey: Star Wars and the Matrix!
Common Archetypal Elements
Two Worlds (mundane and special)
Planetside vs. The Death Star
Reality vs. The Matrix
The Mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi Morpheus
The Oracle Yoda The Oracle
The Prophecy Luke will overthrow the Emperor
Morpheus will find (and Trinity will fall for) "The One“
WearingEnemy's Skin
Luke and Han wear stormtrooper outfits
Neo jumps into agent's skin
The Matrix
In conclusion…
Archetypes are universal patterns. They have developed over time, in
different cultures and areas of the world, because we make sense and understand the world in similar ways.
As we read different stories and examine different characters, look for archetypal characters and stories.
When you identify one, ask yourself the following questions:
1. What name would you give this archetype? (Hero, villain, trickster, sage, etc.) Support with evidence.
2. How do they compare to other forms of the same archetype?
3. How did the author convince you that this particular character or story was an archetype? (Events in plot, interaction with other characters, etc.)