Archetypal Criticism

Archetypal Criticism is a type of analytical theory that illuminates text based on recurring myths and archetypes in the literary piece.

"The conviction of archetypal literary critics is that there is a realm of human experience expressed in many myths and fantasy stories that goes deeper than any rational or intellectual thinking." (Gillespie 1)

"... the ancient Greeks saw the sun’s progress across the sky as the daily ride across the sky of the god Helios in his blindingly bright chariot." (Gillespie 3)

In the example above, although it is observable that the sun rises everyday, the main concept to grasp is that it expresses our unconscious sense of the eternal story.

William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet is an example of a character archetype (star-gazed lovers).

“A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, Doth with their death bury their parents' strife.” (Shakespeare 7)

Character Archetypes

The Devil Figure - Tempts the hero

The Star-Crossed Lovers - The lovers who usually meet tragedy

Situational Archetypes

Battle of Good and Evil

Nature vs. Mechanistic World

Setting Archetypes

The Garden - Symbolizes love and fertility

The Island - Symbolizes isolation

Symbolic Archetypes

Fire - Knowledge, rebirth

Ice - Death, ignorance

Reinforces our knowledge of mythology.

A study of archetypal criticism can provide wisdom and knowledge from past history. Even at a basic level of study will prove beneficial.

"... which scholars such as Joseph Campbell believe is foundational information for any educated person, and gets us thinking about all the essential experiences and wishes we share with other people in other times and places." (Gillespie 4)

Studying archetypal criticism gives perspective to our lives.

When we relate read these types of stories we learn to relate ourselves to the people in these stories. Watching these Hero's win their battles reminds us that we too, will win our battles.

Can be helpful in the endless human quest to find out who we are.

"In other words, studying the mythic roots of literature can be helpful in the endless human quest to find out who we are.Thus, archetypes, according to their fans, not only take us back to the beginning of humankind’s oldest rituals and beliefs, thus connecting us to others, but also take us deeper into an understanding of our own individual psyches." (Gillespie 5)

"To interpret all literature through a few archetypal patterns is reductive."

Aspects of literature such as accomplishments, historical implications, and philosophical questions are ignored when providing archetypal criticism.

Some writers believe that the point of literature is to continue using archetypal patterns.

This limits authors and artists to extend the boundaries of human creativity and innovation.

Cultural Integration

Myth and rituals that were part of some primitive cultures

The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion

He collected data about different cultures and races through other missionaries

Influenced critics to seek out mythical elements in popular literature works

Our stories and their meanings are essentially the same as the stories our ancestors made even if they seem different

"We spin the same stories our primitive ancestors shared over the tribal fire, only with changed settings and costumes."

Psychological Side

Psychic archetypes are recurring patterns of images, symbols, themes, and stories that help us make sense of our lives

Suggested the theory of "collective unconciousness"

The Unconscious: the part of the mind that contains memories and impulses of which the individual is not aware

A "memory" from our distant ancestors, a type of psychic inheritance from common to the entire human race embedded even into our unconsciousness

Believed that human beings are connected to each other and their ancestors through a shared set of experiences.

Main Edifice

Declared that literature is a kind of displaced mythology, and all contemporary literary works root back to the same patterns found in old myths, legends, and folktales

Fry believed that we can often identify archetypal geographies, character types, story aspects, and themes that give literature its structural unity.

Felt that criticism’s job was to awaken students to the mythologies behind their literature and thus their societies

Archetypal criticism allows you to look beyond the setting of the story and helps you identify it's orignality and the myths associated with it

Believed that the coordinating principle was its base in primitive story formulas

Archetypal Story Genres

tragedy associated with the fall

bitter irony and satire associated with bleak winter

comedy associated with spring

romance associated with a high point in the summer

What might the article reveal about the author’s society?

How might the archetypal patterns evolve over time? (hint: think about society, changing traditions, religion, etc.)

How can I apply archetypal criticism in my daily life?

Archetype: Archetypes appear in behavior-related areas, including patterns of behavior that someone displays.

Archetypal Patterns: that exist unintentionally and unconsciously. In every individual, archetypes operate as ancient patterns.

Monomyth: The Monomyth is a term coined by Joseph Campbell. Commonly referred to as "The Hero's Journey," it examines the stages of the hero who goes on an adventure, faces a crisis and wins, then returns victorious.

What mythic elements or patterns, whether it be the theme, characters, setting, conflict, imagery, plots, or genres, does this literary work contain?

What do the mythic and archetypal elements in the literature contribute to the work as a whole?

Look for keywords such as archetypal literary, human culture, psychic archetypes, etc.