Archetype is a prototype, an original model of a character or a
plot. Using archetypes when creating
characters and/or a plot is a way to enrich your story and give it more depth and meaning. It is a way to connect
with your readers on a deeper level.
Common character archetypes used in literature
Orphan – being an orphan protagonist does not necessarily mean to be without parents such as
Oliver Twist or Jane Eyre. For a protagonist
to have the archetype of an orphan it simply means that your protagonists find themselves alone in
the world. As an example, Elizabeth
Bennet from Pride and Prejudice,
despite having two living parents - they were not very helpful in her
relationship with Mr. Darcy. She had
to deal with him alone, and without the support of her family.
Mentor – is the teacher that
helps the protagonist in his/her
journey to become a hero.
Sometimes mentors just show
up briefly in the story to give their message and then disappear like the Fairy God Mother in Cinderella. Some stories use several
characters as mentors that come and go as needed. In other stories the mentor is an essential part of the
story like Merlin in King Arthur, or Mr. Thompson the hotel manager in Pretty Woman who acts as a Fairy
God Mother in the movie.
Villain – this archetype is highly used in literature
and movies. Some stories cannot exist without a villain: Superman,
despite his phenomenal powers, would not be considered to be a hero had he not
saved the world from the evil Lex Luthor.
James Bond despite his multi
testosterone charm would have not been the successful agent he was if there was
not the cold war and different enemies that posed a threat to the
kingdom he served. In Pride and
Prejudice the villain is Mr. Wickham who ran away with Lydia. This doing causes Mr. Darcy to come to aide Elizabeth’s family, an act that made Elizabeth see him in different eyes. In
Pretty Woman the villain is Stuckey, Edward’s attorney. In some romantic
stories one of the protagonists appear to be a villain, like in the movie You’ve
Got Mail. Joe Fox is about to
put Kathleen Kelly out of business
with his big discount bookstore. Joe
is the villain but also the romantic hero in the movie. At the
beginning of the movie, there is a scene where people are protesting against
the opening of Joe’s big store in
their neighborhood. In response to that Joe
says this foreshadowing sentence: “They’re going to hate us at the beginning
but we will get them in the end.”
Examples of female
archetypes:
The holy mother, mother Teresa
– the mother who scarifies her own happiness in favor of her children.
Guinevere – a woman who is torn
between her husband and her love to another man.
Cinderella – a poor woman saved
from her miserable destiny by a man.
Examples of male archetypes:
Don Juan, Casanova – womanizer
Don Quixote – a man who spends
his life fighting useless causes
Popeye – a hero who saves the day
in comic ways.
The God Father – A man who will
do anything to protect his own people but demands complete loyalty and
obedience in return.
Astrological personal traits of the different sun signs are
also considered archetypes.
Common a plot archetypes used in romantic stories
Cinderella is an archetypical
story of how love can save people from a bad situation. Pretty Woman uses Cinderella
as the story archetype, with a twist. By the end of the movie, after Edward climbs up the emergency stairs
to Vivian’s apartment and kisses her
he asks: “So what happened after he climbed up the tower and rescued her?” and Vivian answers: “She rescues him right
back.” In this story it is not only the prince who saves a lady in distress.
Romeo and Juliet is an archetypical
story of forbidden love, where two lovers have to overcome the resistance of
their families or societies who are in conflict. This is such a favorite topic
of writers. West Side Story uses
this archetype, and in some ways The Notebook too.
The different mythologies and legends are a great source of character and plot archetypes. In her romance “His Ring is Not Enough” Author Maisey Yates used the biblical story of Jacob’s marriage to Leah
instead to Rachel as her story archetype.
Comments
Post a Comment