Category: Archetype

For my archetypes project, I was assigned the category hero. I decided to talk about what makes a hero a hero, and then give 3 examples. I relate them back to how they are a hero, and then move on to the next one.

What Makes A Hero?

For someone to fit the hero archetype, they must be 4 things. The first thing they must be is brave and/or kind. They must put others above themselves, even in the most dangerous situations. They must be relatable, so that the reader enjoys the story, and wishes to follow the character out of interest. They must be the underdog. No one wants to read a story where they know exactly what happens, and knowing that the hero always wins is no exception. Lastly, a hero must have a struggle that they must overcome. What kind of hero doesn’t have a monster to battle, or someone to save?

Theseus

Theseus is an extremely well known and loved hero in greek mythology, and because we’ve talked about him before, I’m not going to go into as much detail about him as I will others. Theseus when young, retrieves the items his father leaves for him and heads off to Athens. There, when he heard of the situation of the Athenian kids and the Minotaur, he volunteers as a sacrifice so that he may go and slay the Minotaur. This not only shows his acts of kindness and bravery, but also how he is an underdog, because no one expects him to actually be able to kill the beast. His triumph over the Minotaur shows his ability to overcome, and his relatability is seen in many places, such as the fact that he forgets to put out the correct colored sail, like how many teenagers these days forget to do many important things, like homework.

Robin Hood

My next example of a hero is Robin Hood. As everyone should know, the story goes that Robin Hood and his band of merry men are fed up with the Sheriff of Nottingham and his dastardly deeds against the townsfolk. His solution is to steal from the rich and give to the poor, which demonstrates he is not only kind and brave, but also relateable in his need to stand up to the rich and help the poor. King John had sent knights after the green clad hoodlum many times, but they failed every time due to Hood’s archery skills and knowledge of the terrain. The sheriff and king devise a plan to capture Hood out in the open, an archery contest. Hood obviously can’t resist, and wins by splitting the other finalists arrow. Of course he is captured because of this, but with the help of his friends, he escapes and resumes his vigilante-like acts. This shows his struggle against enemy, and his underdog title, due to the fact he is one man facing a king and his army.

Spider Man

Lastly, I will be talking about a well known, modern day hero, Spiderman. Peter Parker was an orphaned teenage boy who was sent to live with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Unfortunately, heros usually have a tragic backstory, and for Parker, this was the death of his Uncle Ben which makes him relatable to the audience. While this did cause a lot of grief in the young boys life, it was not without a bright side, being that this is what pushed him to become a hero. Most know that Peter Parker gained his spider-like abilities from the bite of a radioactive spider. With the bite comes superhuman strength, speed, and agility, as well as special skills like sticking to walls, or his spider sense. Due to the death of his cherished uncle Parker decides to use his powers for good, like he knows his uncle ben would want, and becomes the hero we all know and love today, showing his kindness and bravery. His struggle and underdog title is seen in the many fights he has against his enemies.

One of the creative aspects of a literary work is an archetype. The archetype of evil is described by literarydevices.net, “In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action, or a situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature.” Writers utilize archetypes to create a connection between the readers and the literary work that is introduced. Archetypes are not just meant to define someone but are also meant to construct meaning and significance to the story. Some examples of an archetype include characters such as heroes, villains, demons, and star-crossed lovers. Archetypes can also be defined by events, settings, passages, or themes. Archetypes are ultimately used in a way that allows the reader to recognize major events within the story, while also affecting the perspective of the literary work overall.

There are many characteristics associated with evil in which the authors of the three literary works try to incorporate within each plot. According to collinsdictionary.com,“ Evil is a powerful force that some people believe to exist, and that causes wicked and bad things to happen.” Some characteristics of an evil character include: malevolent behavior, devious actions, and cruelty. Evil characters are those who are selfish, sinister, and manipulative. Their motives are usually to cause trouble or harm to someone or something. When authors use the archetype of evil, they believe that their readers will interpret what these characteristics hold.

Particularly, the archetypal theme of evil can be found predominantly in many works of British literature. Such works include: Beowulf, The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In Beowulf, the character that functions as being evil is the monster Grendel, who terrorizes the Danes for twelve years before being defeated by Beowulf. In The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, evil can be represented by the character of Mr. Hyde, Jekyll’s violent and cruel dark side. In the works of J.K Rowling, Lord Voldemort is portrayed as the evilest character in the series. It is apparent through his devious actions and bad past, that he is the most powerful Dark Lord of all time. The characters of these three novels embody the important role of the evil archetype in British literature.

One significant literary work that illustrates the archetype of evil is the epic Beowulf. Beowulf is an Old English heroic poem that is believed to be composed between the eighth and the eleventh century by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet. The epic takes place in Denmark and tells the story of a young warrior, Beowulf, Prince of the Geats, who come to assist King Hrothgar and the Danes, while an abhorrent demon lurks in the swamplands of Hrothgar’s kingdom. This monster goes by the name of Grendel, a society reject, who turns evil as a punishment for the Danes. He goes on to terrorize them for twelve dreadful years with periodic unexpected attacks. Grendel is said to be a descendent from the first murderer, Cain, and believes that God chastises him because of this. He attempts to get his revenge on the people who have wronged him whenever he gets a chance. After the Danes’ many years of fear, danger, and suffering, Beowulf, is ready to defeat the gruesome monster. Beowulf and his men remain in Heorot, aware that Grendel will soon make an appearance. Grendel does, and rips open the iron doors of the mead-hall and kills one of Beowulf’s sleeping men. Grendel then reaches for Beowulf, but the hero uses his superhuman strength to put the monster in an armlock. The hold of Beowulf’s wrist is stronger than the demon can handle and eventually tears Grendel’s arm off, which results in his death. To display his great defeat of Grendel, Beowulf hangs the claw high under the roof of Heorot. After Beowulf’s encounter and defeat of Grendel, later in the epic, he also kills Grendel’s mother along with the dragon.

There are a variety of characteristics that correspond with evil that the author of Beowulf tries to incorporate within the literary work. Grendel is one of the main characters in the story that portrays characteristics of evil through his actions. From the very beginning of the epic, Grendel appears spiteful and angry towards the people of Denmark. These feelings are obvious as the story progresses. Throughout the literary work, the audience realizes how malevolent and cruel Grendel really is. The following lines from the author of The Norton Anthology of English Literature exemplify Grendel’s depravity:

So times were pleasant for the people there

Until finally one, a fiend out of Hell,

Began to work his evil in the world.

Grendel was the name of this grim demon

Haunting the marches, marauding round the heath

And the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time

In misery among the banished monsters,

Cain’s clan, whom the creator had outlawed

And condemned as outcasts. (99-107)

The lines in the epic illustrate that times were calm for the Danes until Grendel dwelled upon Denmark. The purpose for the monsters attack was to earn his revenge for being banished from mankind and outlawed by God among the outcasts. The following lines from the author of The Norton Anthology of English Literature, displays Grendel’s malevolent behavior:

Spurned and joyless, he journeyed on ahead

And arrived at the bawn. The iron-braced door

Turned in its hinge when his hand touched it.

Then his rage boiled over, he ripped open

The mouth of the building, maddening for blood. (720-724)

The statement reveals how Grendel becomes more vicious as the story progresses. The passage emphasizes Grendel’s monstrous strength as he rips the doors of the building off of its hinges. His fury and drive to kill are also present in the last line of the passage.

The significance of evil that is displayed throughout the epic adds to the literary work by creating both a protagonist and antagonistic view for the reader. The audience can experience the struggle between good vs. evil through the characters of Beowulf and Grendel. The eerie descriptions of Grendel is pointed out by David Sandner, the author of Tracking Grendel: the uncanny in Beowulf, who states:

Grendel has a local habitation and a name but is never directly described in Beowulf The reader only knows Grendel through his bloody actions, the horrified response of others and the elliptical statements of the narrator. Grendel’s shapelessness heightens the effect of the fantastic in the text, leading the reader to shape the monster as the reader will.

Throughout the story, the theme of evil is clearly developed. The audience only knows what Grendel’s personality is like based off of his bad past, sinister actions, and horrific descriptions. However, each person who reads the epic has a different view on the monster, which adds to the entire imagination of the audience. Whether it be how Grendel looks, or why he acts the way he does, many could agree that with the bad reputation that he holds, it indicates that he is in fact pure evil. The literary work would be different if evil were not present because there would not be a story. The epic is based on a young hero who defeats evil figures such as Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. The plot would not make sense if there wasn’t the aspect of good vs. evil included into the epic. Therefore, the archetype of evil is essential to create a compelling plot for the literary work.

Literary works such as Beowulf, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire all incorporate the essential archetype of evil and use it in a unique way to satisfy the audience. Throughout the epic poem of Beowulf, Grendel is the antagonist of the story who is labeled as pure evil. Grendel is envious, spiteful, and enraged toward mankind, yet remains alone in the shadows of society. The reader’s familiarity with this archetype aids in his or her enjoyment of the work by creating the image of Grendel by his physical description and wicked actions that are described in the poem. Although Grendel is large, has monstrous strength, and kills many people, he is not brave at all. In fact, Grendel is a coward, which is a characteristic of an evil being. The reason Grendel can be considered to be a coward is that he only made his attacks at night and when he knew that he could catch his prey off guard. Therefore, the idea of a large and strong monster being compared to a coward definitely makes an impact on the audiences overall view of Grendel. The archetype of evil adds to the literary work by creating an interesting plot. If evil was not incorporated to this specific poem, there would not be a story. Beowulf is based off of a young hero who defeats pure evil, so if there was no evil, there would not be a plot that would make sense and the story would have to be changed completely.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is another work that exemplifies the archetype of evil. The novel was written by Robert Louis Stevenson and was first published on January 5, 1886. The story begins with a lawyer from London named Mr. Utterson who listens as his friend Mr. Enfield tells a horrific tale on one of their daily strolls through the city. One Sunday, as the two men are walking, they pass a certain house with a door that reminds Mr. Enfield of an uneasy memory. He goes on to tell Mr. Utterson about how he had witnessed a disturbed man trampling over an innocent girl, whose attacker was later discovered to be a man named Mr. Edward Hyde. Mr. Utterson becomes intrigued with the case and wants to find out more about Mr. Hyde. Mr. Utterson spots Mr. Hyde entering the door that Mr. Enfield was previously talking about. Mr. Utterson knocks on Dr. Jekyll’s door and enters to find that Mr. Hyde has total access to Dr. Jekyll’s home. As time passes, things are quiet until there is an incident where a maid witnesses the horrific homicide of a member of Parliament. The murderer has escaped, but the maid can identify him as Mr. Hyde. After Mr. Hyde’s disappearance, Dr. Jekyll has not been seen outside of his laboratory since the murder. When Mr. Utterson receives this news, he is automatically concerned for Dr. Jekyll and breaks into his laboratory along with Dr. Jekyll’s servant, Mr. Poole. They discover the deformed body of Mr. Hyde, a vial of a poisoned potion, and a note addressed to Mr. Utterson from Dr. Jekyll, next to Mr. Hyde’s dead body. The note that Mr. Utterson receives is from Dr. Laynon, who orders him not to open the letter until after the death of Dr. Jekyll. The letter later reveals the horrible truth of Dr. Jekyll’s double life. When Dr. Jekyll was younger, he began to experiment with chemicals and eventually created a potion that he would drink to transform his body into another being. This darker side that Dr. Jekyll transformed himself into was the hideous Mr. Hyde. After a while, the potion became ineffective and did not have the power to turn Mr. Hyde back into Dr. Jekyll. Mr. Hyde knew that one day his personality would become dominant over the other and does not want to live a monster forever. Eventually, Mr. Hyde goes on to commit suicide in his laboratory to avoid execution.

There are many characteristics associated with the evil archetype that the author of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tried to incorporate within his work. Mr. Hyde, the evil side of Dr. Jekyll’s nature, is one of the main characters in the story who portrays characteristics of evil through his hellish actions. As the novel progresses, Mr. Hyde appears predatory and cold-blooded in different parts of the book. These traits are made more obvious towards the end of the novel. Throughout the literary work, the reader realizes how hellish and cruel Mr. Hyde really is. Even Dr. Jekyll admits the evil nature of Mr. Hyde when he states, …“all human beings, as we meet them, are commingled out of good and evil: and Edward Hyde alone, in the ranks of mankind, was pure evil” (45). The text illustrates that mankind is both good and evil and compares all human beings to Mr. Hyde, who is wholly evil. Evil is also portrayed in Robert Louis Stevenson’s work through Mr. Hyde’s physical danger in the following statements made by the character Mr. Enfield:

All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk, and the other a girl of maybe eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the, child’s body and left her screaming on the ground. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see.” (3)

The text reveals the story of a time when Mr. Enfield witnessed Mr. Hyde trampling over a little girl, which exemplifies how dangerous and evil Mr. Hyde can truly be. Dr. Jekyll does not perceive the degree of evil that his other personality is capable of. As described by the author of the article “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ in Novels for Students, characteristics of evil are also exhibited through Mr. Hyde’s personality:

Yet as Hyde unleashes all of Jekyll’s repressed desires, Jekyll cannot help but label him ‘pure evil’ and note that the evil ‘had left on that body an imprint of deformity and decay.’He explains that in the hands of Edward Hyde [his pleasures] began to turn toward the monstrous, and he became shocked by his ‘vicarious depravity.’ Hyde becomes more corrupt as Jekyll tries to contain him.

The statement proves a characteristic of evil by revealing the traits that are exhibited by Mr. Hyde, such as his ‘vicarious depravity’. Dr. Jekyll also labels his other half as “‘pure evil’.”

The significance of evil that Robert Louis Stevenson displayed throughout the novel adds to the literary work by creating a character with dual personalities. The audience can experience the differences between good and evil through the characters of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde conjoined. Throughout the story, the theme of evil is clearly developed. Robert Louis Stevenson incorporated certain techniques within the novel to present evil, which leaves the audience with their own interpretation of Mr. Hyde. Throughout the book, Stevenson tried to portray a message about evil. Evil is seen as being terrifying and loathsome; however, individuals have many facets to their personalities. Therefore, we should not be defined by certain aspects of our inner nature. The literary work would be different if evil were not present because there would not be a story. The book is based off of a man with dual personalities of good and evil. If the aspect of evil was not incorporated into the book at all, the story would not be as interesting and thought provoking as it is when it has been incorporated. The plot would not make sense if there was not a characteristic of good vs. evil included in the novel. Therefore, the archetype of evil greatly impacts the story.

The story of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is significant because it could be considered a good representation of people in general, as well as the evil archetype itself. The reason the dichotomy between good and evil represents society is that not every person has one facet to their personality. People generally do not have the frequent personality changes to that much of an extent as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde do, but people also hold multiple personas that they exhibit in different situations. The reader’s familiarity with this archetype aids in his or her understanding of the work by giving the reader a sense of relatability. Readers enjoy this novel because of its sense of intrigue. Even as far back as the Bible, readers are presented with scenarios and stories relating to the topic good vs. evil, which continues to intrigue readers today.

The third literary work that incorporates the archetype of evil is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This novel was written by J.K Rowling and was published on July 8, 2000. The novel begins with Harry Potter, the main protagonist of the series, having a vision of Frank Bryce, the elderly caretaker of the Riddle house, being killed by the evil Voldemort. The following morning, the Weasleys take Harry and Hermione to the Quidditch World Cup, which results with a win by Ireland. After the games, Voldemort’s followers, known as the Death Eaters, ambush the scene. The Dark Mark, which is the symbol of Lord Voldemort, gets shot into the skies. This causes chaos among the crowd since this is the first time the symbol has been seen in many years. Luckily, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all escape, but Harry soon discovers that his wand is missing and later finds out that someone has most likely fired the Dark Mark using it. When the three friends return to Hogwarts, Dumbledore announces that the Triwizard Tournament, a contest held between the three largest wizard schools, will take place at Hogwarts. In the month of October, the competitors from the competing schools arrive at Hogwarts and the students over the age of seventeen, who hope to participate, place their names in the Goblet of Fire. On Halloween night, the Goblet chooses three names of the players who will be representing their schools. However, the Goblet of Fire inevitably gives a fourth name, which is Harry Potter. Rubeus Hagrid informs Harry that he has to complete a series of tasks to make it to the end of the tournament. Harry completes all of the difficult tasks that he is given and soon prepares for the final task, which is to go through a hedge maze. Inside the maze, Harry and Harry’s opponent Cedric, both agree to win the tournament together by picking up the cup at the same time. However, when they do this, they find out that the cup is actually a portkey and they are transported into a graveyard to find the resurrected body of Lord Voldemort, who challenges Harry to a duel. During the duel, Voldemort casts a spell, resulting in the ghostly appearances of Harry’s parents. Harry soon gets a hold of the portkey and escapes back to Hogwarts. However, Cedric was killed by one of the Death Eaters with the Killing Curse, ordered by Lord Voldemort and does not make it back to Hogwarts with Harry. When Harry returns, nobody believes that he has confronted the evil Voldemort; however, Dumbledore declares his champion of the Triwizard Tournament and pays his respects to Cedric by giving a speech about his murder.

Many characteristics of evil are woven into the literary work of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K Rowling. Voldemort is one of the main antagonists in the story who portrays characteristics of evil through his hellish actions. Evil is portrayed through Voldemort’s wicked magic in which J.K Rowling describes as follows: “Voldemort raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand’s wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon Wormtail’s bleeding wrist ” (649). The passage describes Voldemort’s punishment for one of the Death Eaters that have been disloyal to him. Voldemort casts a spell to make one of his followers feel pain because he believes that all of the death eaters have not been loyal to him in the recent years. The following lines of J.K Rowling’s novel exemplify Voldemort’s physical danger: “He opened his mouth and let out a scream. He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke, as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light, a rushing sound, and Frank Bryce crumpled. He was dead before he hit the floor.” (15) The statement illustrates one of Voldemort’s evil actions in an early part of the novel. Voldemort kills Frank Bryce, the elderly caretaker of the Riddle house. As described by the author of “Fiennes is ‘Potter’s’ Voldemort’ Hollywood Reporter, the magazine, characteristics of evil are also revealed through Voldemort’s bad reputation: “Voldemort is so bad that the magical characters in author J.K. Rowling’s stories do their best not to speak his name aloud.” The statement proves a characteristic of evil by revealing how Voldemort is such a malevolent antagonist, that his name cannot even be spoken out loud.

The significance of evil that is displayed throughout the novel adds to the literary work by creating a contradicting plot of good vs. evil for the readers. As the audience reads Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it is apparent that J.K Rowling refers to Harry as the hero and Voldemort as the villain of the story. Harry’s character represents courtesy and innocence, while Voldemort’s character represents pure evil. J.K Rowling incorporates certain techniques within the novel to present evil, which leaves the audience with their own opinion on Voldemort. Voldemort has been terrorizing Harry ever since he was a young child; therefore, the story would not be interesting if he was not a part of Harry’s life. The literary work would be different if evil were not present because there would not be a interesting plot. The book is based off of wizards who face and battle evil. If the aspect of evil was not incorporated into the novel at all, the story would not be as gripping as if it were incorporated. Consequently, the archetype of evil provides a strong influence to the plot of the novel.

The story of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire offers the reader a sense of significance and symbolism. The ultimate message that the author attempts to send to the audience involves facing evil and making conscious decisions, knowing that it could result in suffering. The dramatic writing that J.K Rowling uses within her novels keeps the audience curious and captivated. The reader is able to empathize with the decisions that the main character has to make, not knowing that the final decision might not turn out with the desired effect, but is ultimately being made for the overall good. Each literary work incorporates the archetype of evil to make each story more intriguing and thrilling for the audience. The essential use of evil in the following works of Beowulf, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire define the main antagonist as well as their internal struggles.

A trickster is a dishonest person who defrauds others by trickery (Merriam Webster). Trickster’s can also show some empathy for others, but for the most part are neutral characters who are just in it for themselves, and they rarely follow social norms. Bart Simpson, a ten-year-old kid from the popular television show, The Simpsons, perfectly fits the trickster archetype with his ability to easily trick people for his entertainment. Bart likes to prank call restaurants and harass teachers at his school for his enjoyment. The Trickster, from “The Trickster Myth of the Winnebago Indians,” also deceives people for his enjoyment. He plays tricks on kids, women, and even ducks just to get a good laugh. Bart Simpson fits the trickster archetype just like the Trickster from the Winnebago tribe in that he loves playing practical jokes and disregards human life for his entertainment, while also demonstrating empathy for people he cares about.

The Trickster and Bart Simpson both love playing practical jokes on others for their enjoyment, without considering the repercussions they cause. The Trickster likes to fart a lot so that everyone’s clothes near him blow off, so that he can see them naked. Even though this negatively affects everyone who had their clothes fly off, he does not care, due to the enjoyment he had when their clothes blew off. Furthermore, when the women took off their clothes, the Trickster would snatch the clothes and hide them in trees. He would play these practical jokes for his amusement, without understanding the repercussions and displeasures the people would feel. Bart Simpson also loves playing practical jokes on others for his enjoyment. One of the practical jokes Bart Simpson loves to do over in over again is prank call Moe’s Tavern, a nearby restaurant. Bart Simpson prank calls the restaurant because he does not care what repercussions this restaurant could have, do to his practical jokes. The Trickster and Bart Simpson play practical jokes to feel happy at other people’s expense.

The Trickster and Bart

A trickster is a dishonest person who defrauds others by trickery (Merriam Webster). Trickster’s can also show some empathy for others, but for the most part are neutral characters who are just in it for themselves, and they rarely follow social norms. Bart Simpson, a ten-year-old kid from the popular television show, The Simpsons, perfectly fits the trickster archetype with his ability to easily trick people for his entertainment. Bart likes to prank call restaurants and harass teachers at his school for his enjoyment. The Trickster, from “The Trickster Myth of the Winnebago Indians,” also deceives people for his enjoyment. He plays tricks on kids, women, and even ducks just to get a good laugh. Bart Simpson fits the trickster archetype just like the Trickster from the Winnebago tribe in that he loves playing practical jokes and disregards human life for his entertainment, while also demonstrating empathy for people he cares about.

The Trickster and Bart Simpson both love playing practical jokes on others for their enjoyment, without considering the repercussions they cause. The Trickster likes to fart a lot so that everyone’s clothes near him blow off, so that he can see them naked. Even though this negatively affects everyone who had their clothes fly off, he does not care, due to the enjoyment he had when their clothes blew off. Furthermore, when the women took off their clothes, the Trickster would snatch the clothes and hide them in trees. He would play these practical jokes for his amusement, without understanding the repercussions and displeasures the people would feel. Bart Simpson also loves playing practical jokes on others for his enjoyment. One of the practical jokes Bart Simpson loves to do over in over again is prank call Moe’s Tavern, a nearby restaurant. Bart Simpson prank calls the restaurant because he does not care what repercussions this restaurant could have, do to his practical jokes. The Trickster and Bart Simpson play practical jokes to feel happy at other people’s expense.

The Trickster and Bart Simpson also disregard human life for his entertainment, due to them both lacking empathy. An example of this is that the Trickster rapes women for his pleasure. In addition, the Trickster kills children for fun. The father of the child tells the Trickster he “will die for this…” and that the Trickster “killed (his) children.”(10) This raw emotion speaks volumes to the harm the Trickster is doing, and the pain the father is in. The Trickster’s inability to view himself as the same as the women he rapes, and the children he kills, causes him to act inhumane and grotesque. Bart Simpson is a lot like the Trickster, in that he does horrendous things to humans for personal entertainment. In particular, Bart Simpson throws rocks at his teachers for fun. Both the Trickster and Bart Simpson disregard human life because they are incapable of feeling empathy most of the time.

On the contrary, the Trickster and Bart Simpson sometimes show empathy, specifically to people they cared about. After doing a lot of grotesque things, the Trickster decided to help out a nearby village, by “push(ing) the falls onto the land” out of the space where the people in the village wanted to live. (52) Bart Simpson also showed empathy, by writing on the chalkboard “WE’LL MISS YOU MRS.K” after his teacher had to take an abrupt leave of absence. These actions by both the Trickster and Bart Simpson prove that they both can empathize with people they care about.

To summarize, Bart Simpson fit the trickster archetype just like the Trickster from the Winnebago tribe in that he loves playing practical jokes and disregarding human life, but can show empathy for people he cares about. An example of this from the real world would be online trolls. Just like the trickster archetype, online trolls get a rise out of people, for their entertainment, but can sometimes show empathy towards others.

Archetypes frequently appear in literature, films, and even in our daily lives. Archetypes are recurrent situations, symbols, or characters that express certain things. In literature archetypes are used very often, as they help develop the story better. Writers use archetypes to shape structure into their characters and their literary work as a whole. In the novel, The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green, many archetypes are used to express the characters as individuals, and help piece together the storyline.

In the book The Fault In Our Stars, Hazel Grace is the main character, along with Augustus Waters, also known as Gus. Hazel Grace meets Gus at a cancer support group. Hazel is suffering with Stage four Thyroid cancer, while Gus is in remission from Osteosarcoma Cancer, which resulted in his amputation of his leg. Hazel and Gus immediately connect and create a bond, and both read a book they gave each other. Throughout the novel the two of them spend a lot of time together, then eventually fall in love. After Agustus finishes the book Hazel gave him, he uses his Make A Wish Trip, to bring Hazel to Amsterdam to finally get her questions answered about the book, written by author Peter Van Houten. In the end of the novel many unexpected things happen, and leaves readers speechless. There are many archetypes in this story including a Mentor, A devil figure, star crossed lovers, and a supportive friend that bring together the story and ultimately makes the novel complete.

One of the archetypes used in The Fault In Our Stars, is a Mentor. The mentor in the story would be Patrcik, who is the leader of the cancer support group that Hazel and Gus attend. He is a mentor because he is there to support everyone who is in the group, and convinces everyone that everything will be okay in the end. Many other stories use the mentor archetype as well. Some examples of mentors would be in the Karate Kid, Mr, Miyagi is a mentor because he helps him throughout the way. In Girl Meets World, Cory, the teacher, is a mentor to all of his students, including Miyahs friends. Also, In The Lion King, Mufasa is a Mentor because he helps his son Simba learn to be strong and brave. This archetype exists because it helps characters grow by having someone to look up to. The purpose it holds in this story is to help provide support to the cancer patients in the group, and help lead Gus and Hazel down a more positive path.

Another archetype used in The Fault In Our Stars, is a devil figure. The devil figure in this novel would be cancer. The way cancer affects everyone in the support group would be the devil figure because it does not have a good impact on everyone. Even though something negative was happening to them and their bodies, Hazel learned to take good things away from it and said “Without pain, how could we know joy?¨ (Green 45). This shows that even though something bad was happening she learned to take good things away from it. This archetype has been used in other movies and stories as well. For example in Vampire Diaries, Catherine Piece is a devil figure because her main motive in the series is to get revenge. Another example would be in Five Feet Apart, Stella has cystic fibrosis and the sickness is the devil figure for her. Lastly, in The Walking Dead, the zombies would be the devil figure since they are taking over the world. This archetype exists because not everything is perfect in stories. This archetype contributes to my novel because Gus and Hazel both are living with cancer and having to deal with changing the way they live due to it.

The archetype star-crossed lovers are used in this novel as well due to Hazel and Gus’ tragic love story. This is due to the terminal cancer that Gus was diagnosed with. Hazel and Gus fell in love very quickly. Hazel said, “As he read, I fell in love with the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”(Green 125). The star-crossed lovers archetype is used a lot in other stories including Romeo and Juliet, because they had a forbidden love story due to their families being enemies. Another example of star-crossed lovers would be in Titanic, because Jack and Rose love each other, but their love story was cut short to the tragic event of the ship. One last example is Beauty And The Beast because they are not supposed to be in love. This archetype exists because it shows even when two people love each other it does not always work out. This archetype contributes to my novel because Hazel and Gus love each other, but in the end Hazel is heartbroken.

One last archetype used in The Fault In Our Stars is a supportive friend. In this story the supportive friend is Issac. After Agustus’ fatality, Issac is supportive and is there for Hazel when she lost Gus. Issac is a mutual friend of Hazel and Gus, as he is in their support group. Issac always gives advice to the both of them. He once said, ‘Well, I believe in true love.¨(Green 96). This was Isaac giving advice to Gus that his love for Hazel must be true. The archetype of a supportive friend is used a lot in many other stories. One other example of supportive friends would be in Toy Story because all of the toys supported Andy when he went to college. Another example would be in Mean Girls because they all became supportive of each other in the end. A last example of a supportive friend would be in Hannah Montana because of how Lily supported Hannah and her movie star dream. This archetype exists in literature because characters need support, as we do in real life. This archetype contributes to The Fault In Our Stars because after Gus’ death Issac is there to be with Hazel so that she is not alone throughout what she goes through.

In conclusion, archetypes are used broadly in books, movies, and tv shows. The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green, shows many examples of how archetypes are used in literature. Agustus and Hazel´s tragic love story has many bumps in the road, but there are supportive people who are there for them along the way. Archetypes are used in other stories as well, as they help put together the story in a more formatted way. In this novel there are many archetypes used that include a mentor, a devil figure, star crossed lovers, and a supportive friend that bring together the story and ultimately makes the novel complete.

Work Cited

1. Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. Dutton Books, 2018.

An archetype that Disney uses to teach the importance of moving beyond the past in The Lion King is through Wise Old Man. In the movie, Disney shows that Simba loves his father and feels guilt from his father’s death, Rafiki is there to provide him with wisdom. For example, he bonks him on the head and Rafiki tries again but Simba dodges it. Using this interaction was Rafiki’s way to provide the wisdom to Simba on how to move on from the past and learn from it, which establishes the movie’s main theme. Similar to Rafiki’s wise teachings, Mufasa’s wise teachings help Simba, later, to come to terms with his past and move on from it. Having Mufasa be this wise father helps Simba become a stronger leader and one quality of being a leader is moving beyond the past. The movie uses Mufasa teachings to help develop the theme because the movie has Simba remembering Mufasa saying which aides him to move beyond the past and save the Pridelands. Therefore, The Lion King uses the archetype Wise Old man to teach the lesson to move beyond the past.

As well as Wise Old Man, Disney shows the importance of moving beyond the past through the good women. Nala in The Lion King provides Simba with constant support and wisdom because he is the rightful king. But, she wants him to move on from his past mistakes and take his rightful place as King, for the greater good of the Pridelands. Having Nala as a symbol shows the audience how you need the right people to help you through times of trouble or to illustrate the path of healing that comes during a traumatic event. This ties in with the theme because the path of healing is part of the process when trying to move on from a past mistake or accepting the mistake made. Having Nala portrayed like this aides the viewer to relate to the theme that is being developed in

An archetype that Disney uses to teach the importance of moving beyond the past in The Lion King is through Wise Old Man. In the movie, Disney shows that Simba loves his father and feels guilt from his father’s death, Rafiki is there to provide him with wisdom. For example, he bonks him on the head and Rafiki tries again but Simba dodges it. Using this interaction was Rafiki’s way to provide the wisdom to Simba on how to move on from the past and learn from it, which establishes the movie’s main theme. Similar to Rafiki’s wise teachings, Mufasa’s wise teachings help Simba, later, to come to terms with his past and move on from it. Having Mufasa be this wise father helps Simba become a stronger leader and one quality of being a leader is moving beyond the past. The movie uses Mufasa teachings to help develop the theme because the movie has Simba remembering Mufasa saying which aides him to move beyond the past and save the Pridelands. Therefore, The Lion King uses the archetype Wise Old man to teach the lesson to move beyond the past.

As well as Wise Old Man, Disney shows the importance of moving beyond the past through the good women. Nala in The Lion King provides Simba with constant support and wisdom because he is the rightful king. But, she wants him to move on from his past mistakes and take his rightful place as King, for the greater good of the Pridelands. Having Nala as a symbol shows the audience how you need the right people to help you through times of trouble or to illustrate the path of healing that comes during a traumatic event. This ties in with the theme because the path of healing is part of the process when trying to move on from a past mistake or accepting the mistake made. Having Nala portrayed like this aides the viewer to relate to the theme that is being developed in the movie. Meanwhile, since Nala was that for Simba, Sarabi was there for Simba too, when he came back to the Pridelands. With Simba, while being a mother to him it aided him to move on from his father’s death. Although she was hurt and confused too, she was a wonderful soulmate towards Mufasa and wanted Simba to become a strong independent leader like Mufasa. Ultimately, The Lion King utilizes the good women to teach the importance of moving on from the past.

In addition to the good women, The Lion King utilizes the immortality archetype to teach the lesson move beyond the past. Mufasa constantly provides wisdom to his son about the circle of life and the kings living in the stars. For instance, he tells Simba to remember who he is in order to save the Pridelands, meaning Simba needs to accept the past and move on. This part in the movie, lets the theme enter its final stages of development, having Simba coming to terms with his past shows that moving on from the past helps everybody and himself. For example, Mufasa says that all the Kings live in the stars and when he dies he will be in the stars, then later during the movie at Rafiki’s tree he sees his father in the stars and night sky. This part of the movie ties into the theme because when Simba saw his dad in the stars he realized that moving beyond the past helps you become one of the great kings that live in the stars. Realizing this, Simba moved on from his father’s death and went to save the Pridelands in order to become one of the great kings that live in the stars. Hence, The Lion King portrays the lesson moving beyond the past through the immortality archetype.

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein explores the main protagonist scientist Victor Frankenstein who creates a monster from the limbs of the dead but abandons his hideous creation which causes The Creature to seek revenge. Frankenstein reflects key conventions of Gothic fiction by appealing intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually to the readers. These key conventions of Gothic fiction are conveyed through a fascination with death, excessive emotions, and transgression.

Mary Shelley utilizes the Gothic convention of fascination with death to drive the plot of Frankenstein. This can be seen through Victor’s obsession with the reanimation of body parts to create his monster. Victor acknowledges that ‘To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death.’ (Shelley, 2016, pg. 40). Victor’s examining life suggests that he wants to prevent death, therefore, causing him to become fascinated by death to create life. Moreover, when Victor is creating The Creature he has plenty of emotions before he invents The Creature; ‘With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet.’ (Shelley, 2016, pg. 45). Hence the fact that Victor will do anything to create life, such as digging up dead parts of the body to do so. Fascination with death appeals emotionally to readers as Victor is driven by his emotions and ego to create an abomination for scientific purposes, therefore, fascination with death reflects key conventions of Gothic fiction by appealing emotionally to readers.

An archetype of Gothic fiction is excessive emotions which invoke a heightened sense of drama and suspense. Excessive emotions are what Victor feels as he abandons The Creature causing it to go on a killing spree for revenge. For example, ‘Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and abhorred.’ (Shelley, 2016, pg. 113). This suggests that The Creature is lonely, and he just wants a companion ever since Victor deserted him. Another example is when Victor reflects on what The Creature has caused because he isolated him; ‘When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation.’ (Shelley, 2016, pg. 79). Consequently, Victor swore revenge on The Creature for all the hardships he had put him through when he killed his loved ones to make Victor understand how lonely his life is without company. These overwrought excessive emotions leave Shelley’s readers interested in key conventions of Gothic fiction as excessive emotions help influence readers emotionally. This is because of all the trauma, both Victor and The Creature have put each other and themselves through.

The author has used transgression in the novel Frankenstein to show how Victor progresses morally and socially throughout the novel. At first, Victor is an egotistical and narcissistic character who only cared about himself and what he could do. But during the novel Frankenstein, Victor learns not to take things and people for granted and transgresses as a person. This can be seen at the start when he wants to learn the secrets of immortality; ‘It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn…’ (Shelley, 2016, pg. 27). Implied here is that Victor rebels against God to create this unearthly creature by usurping the power to create life. As time goes on Victor realizes what he created was not normal, and he swore to kill the hideous creature. Nevertheless, Victor goes through a social transgression when he understands what The Creature had done to his family and loved ones; ‘You are all mistaken; I know the murderer Justine, poor, good Justine, is innocent.’ (Shelley, 2016, pg. 66). It was shown that despite only caring about himself, he learned to love others as well because he never knew what could happen to them. Furthermore, moral and social transgression conveys key conventions of Gothic fiction which appealed emotionally to readers. Victor changed for the better as a person because of all the sorrows he went through because of his own self-righteousness.

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein reflects key conventions of Gothic fiction by appealing intellectually, emotionally, and/or spiritually to the readers through a fascination with death, excessive emotions, and transgression. Additionally, fascination with death, loneliness, revenge, moral and social transgression appealed emotionally to the readers as they read what life must have been like for a hideous creature to be abandoned and how this affects the mad scientist’s life afterward.

Think of the biggest crises on earth, when civilization was falling. For example, when the stock market crashed, everyone was thrown into chaos and fear. However, within these times of chaos and fear, people often find their true nature. In the book Lord of the Flies, Roger and Piggy change through chaos and fear when trapped on an island with several dozens of other boys after a devastating plane crash. Without rules or someone to take charge, they transform from their civilized ways into uncivilized chaos. Soon, rival groups – or “tribes” – formed, and a war began between Jack’s tribe, which included Roger, and Ralph’s tribe, which included Piggy. It wasn’t until a british naval officer finds them at the island that the boys stop the war and go back to a form of civilized life because order was finally found again. Within this story, readers may see through the book how Roger and Piggy have changed. In the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Roger best fits the character archetype shapeshifter, and Piggy, as the mentor, shows that, when people are outside of civilization, their true nature and new roles as people come out.

Roger best represents the character archetype shapeshifter, a shapeshifter is someone who changes from the beginning of a book to the end of a book. In the beginning of Lord of the Flies, Roger was timid, often keeping things to himself without acting in a way that would suggest an ability to cause any harm. For example, when walking through the woods one day, he started throwing rocks toward another boy but made sure that the rocks missed the boy. Specifically, “Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry-threw it to miss” (62). Roger fits the shapeshifter archetype so well because you can see it through this timid action and playful mischief. Roger sometimes led others to believe that he presented little trouble to them. However, Roger’s personality changed as the book continued. For instance, later when Roger was standing on a mountain watching Ralph and Piggy talk to Jack, Roger felt a sense of power within him and pushed a boulder down the mountain straight at Piggy, “Some source of power began to pulse in Roger’s body” (175). Through this type of change, Roger fits the shapeshifter archetype because he goes from a feeling of no power, with a quiet, reserved way about him, to a feeling of power, not afraid to state his opinion and take action against others. The power that he felt led to this, “High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever. Ralph heard the great rock before he saw it” (180). In this, Roger let the boulder fly, heading towards Piggy, “The rock struck Piggy a glancing blow from chin to knee” (181). Roger’s shapeshifter role is also depicted by the way that Roger shifted from working for Ralph early in the book to later supporting Jack’s tribe. Starting with the killing of Piggy, Roger played a big role in creating a war between the two tribes. He went from a person who kept to himself without trying to cause harm to acting with a sense of power as he took action that he knew would lead to a lot of trouble for others. Because Roger fits the shapeshifter character archetype so well, it shows just how true it is that when people are left outside of civilization, their new roles as people come out.

Another character that fits a certain archetype is Piggy. The archetype that he fits is the Mentor, since Piggy fits the mentor archetype so well, the book shows that when someone is put outside of civilization, they change and develop. A mentor is someone who teaches something to the main character in the novel. The mentor also is often first misunderstood, and later, the characters that doubted them, realize that the character was right. The last thing about the mentor, is they may also may suffer from the knowledge they have. After making fun of Piggy, and laughing at him, Ralph, Jack, and a boy named Simon are about to go explore the island, while they are talking, Piggy comes up behind them and says this to Ralph, “About being called Piggy. I said I didn’t care as long as they didn’t call me Piggy; an’ I said not to tell and then you went and’ said straight out-” (25). This shows Piggy was an outcast from the beginning, because the boys focused on his physical appearance, and not the actual knowledge that he had. They misunderstood him, and looked over him. Another time Piggy showed himself as the character archetype mentor, was when Jack called an assembly to tell everyone that he was leaving Ralph’s tribe and going to make his own, but while he’s explaining that he’s leaving, he talks about what Ralph does, “He’s like Piggy. He says things like Piggy. He isn’t a proper chief” (126). In this, Jack talks about how Ralph acts and says things like Piggy does, this shows how Piggy trains and aids Ralph. He does this because Ralph started to see Piggy for his knowledge, and now understands him for who he is. Later in the book, when Ralph is running away from Jack and his tribe, and is rushing, thinking of what to do. He thinks of the sensible thing to do. “What was the sensible thing to do? There was no Piggy to talk sense” (196). This shows how everyone looked over Piggy’s knowledge and laughed at him because of his appearance. However, now Ralph thinks about what Piggy would do because he’s sensible, unlike Jack and his tribe, by only focusing on hunting. Ralph and all the other boys say that Piggy was wrong just because of his appearance. However Ralph throughout the book realized Piggy’s intelligence, and realizes that Piggy was right for everything. Piggy shows the mentor archetype so well, it shows that when people are outside of civilization their new roles as people are revealed.

In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, Roger represents the character archetype shapeshifter, and Piggy as the mentor. Throughout the book Roger changes as well as his portrayal. The opinions about Piggy change dramatically. These changes between the two show that when one is placed outside of civilization, their roles as people change, and their true nature is revealed. In now day society people cover up their uncivilized ways, under uniforms like the one the naval officer that saved the boys had, and within their true self, it is revealed that they have a different nature than what they show daily.

In today’s society adolescents face numerous problems that not only affects them physically, but also mentally. In Lord of the Flies written by William Golding, and The Catcher In the Rye by J.D Salinger, the protagonist’s face several conflicts throughout the novels. Ralph, the main character in Lord of the Flies, must gain the respect of others as well as keep them focused on the goal, to get rescued from the island that he along with other children were left stranded on after a horrific plane crash during the time period of World War 2. In order to get rescued, Ralph and his closest friend Piggy must decide to either conform and lose their innocence, or rise above and be the leader that they all desperately need.

Similar to Ralph, Holden from The Catcher in the Rye embarks on a quest to find out who he is and what his role in society is after being excluded from various schools. His fear to enter adulthood and lose his innocence is a barrier he faces throughout the novel. Now although Salinger and Golding have different perspectives about how one may lose their innocence, they both acknowledge the difficulties that adolescents face including growing up and accepting new responsibilities and having the constant need to feel apart of something larger. First, Salinger and Golding both have different perspectives on how one may lose their innocence. In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the boys turn to darker more primitive ways to attain status and power. The loss of innocence represents the darkness engulfing the light, a key theme present throughout the novel and seen mainly throughout the character of Jack, the antagonist.

Jack’s ability to kill persuades the younger children to follow his lead rather than Ralph’s. After a while, the younger children begin to also enjoy the slaughtering of the pigs as they scream “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood” (Golding 72). The images of the red blood spilling out symbolizes the loss of the pigs’ life as well as the loss of their innocence. As the act of killing represents the loss of innocence in the novel, it differs from Salinger’s idea that once children step into adulthood, their innocence is lost. In addition, in order for Jack to hunt down a pig “He made one cheek and one eye-socket white, then rubbed red over the other half of his face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across (…)”(Golding 66). Here the colour white is associated with innocence and purity but is quickly taken over by the red and black that symbolize chaos and death. The war colours Jack paints his face with conceals his true identity, representing the theme of appearances versus reality as it helps him to take on the role of a savage. As the younger children wear the war paint it compels them to do unutterable things that they normally would never do, and lose their innocence as it compels them to kill.

However, unlike Jack, Holden from The Catcher in the Rye sets out to protect the innocence of younger children as “I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all” (Salinger 173). Salinger suggests that every child will sooner or later “fall off the cliff”, which is a concept that Holden has difficulty understanding and accepting. Once again, this is in clear contrast to Golding who believes that one does not lose their innocence naturally. Ultimately, it is clear that Salinger and Golding have different beliefs and ideas on how one may lose their innocence and the darkness that may follow after it. Secondly, Golding and Salinger recognize the difficulties that adolescents may face when it comes to growing up and accepting new responsibilities. Due to the fact that no adults are present on the island, the boys are left with the decision to choose who will lead them and whom they will follow. After a vote, Ralph was left as chief. Unfortunately, this role did not last long as everyone would rather have fun and be like Jack and become a savage. However, Ralph’s determination and maturity is shown when he states to the others, “I’d like to put on war-paint and be a savage. But we must keep the fire burning”(Golding156).

Instead of giving up and joining the savages, Ralph makes a hard and difficult decision to maintain his original position, despite the hate and the consequences that he may face later. However, Ralph believing in the fact that he may become chief again is unrealistic, similar to Holden who believes he can maintain the innocence of all the children. Both individuals realize that their dreams are impossible as Ralph cannot win against Jack, and that everyone will soon lose their innocence. Furthermore, Holden struggles with coming of age as “When I got to the museum, all of a sudden I wouldn’t have gone inside for a million bucks” (Salinger 122). Since the museum never changes but rather the person who enters, Holden is unable to enter due to his unwillingness to accept change as well as making the difficult transition to adulthood and accepting the responsibilities that come along with it. Holden and Ralph along with a large number of teenagers in today’s society are reluctant to grow up. At first, Ralph is just like the younger children, reckless and just wanting to have fun, but he soon recognizes that someone must be the adult figure and take responsibility. Just like the other boys, Ralph was fast to judge Piggy and criticize him for his size.

Ralph, later on, recognizes that he was in the wrong, unlike the other boys, representing his maturity. Salinger and Golding both include young individuals struggling with coming of age, as it allows young readers to relate to these characters on a personal level as well as help them understand the novel as a whole. Lastly, Salinger and Golding both display the outcast archetype in both of there novels with certain characters. In Lord of the Flies, Piggy, a realistic young man is quickly seen as an outcast due to his physical appearance. His knowledge poses a threat to others, such as Jack who lacks common sense and morality. Jack who believes he is superior to others, begins bullying Piggy for instance when he says, “Shut up, Fatty” (Golding 17). Right off the start Piggy is not only bullied, but also humiliated in front of all the children. Similar to Piggy, Ackley from The Catcher in the Rye is seen as an outcast from society as well.

Ackley, Holden’s roommate, is described as a lonely and very irritating. His negative characteristics along with his poor dental hygiene and other physical appearances keep him isolated from everyone except Holden. He does not try to create new relationships possibly due to past rejections, isolating himself even more from society. In addition, Holden also describes the outcast archetype as he refuses to conform to the norms and values of society. He never engages himself in his studies and as a result is kicked out of school because he refuses to the play as “life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules”(Salinger 8). Salinger implies that for one to advance in life, they must conform to certain rules, despite whether they agree with it or not as games aren’t always fair. This quote applies to Ralph as the game he’s playing isn’t fair and as a result, he chooses not to play. With his decision set, he faces the consequences, such as being excluded and possibly facing death. Without the navy officer showing up at the end, Ralph’s life would have quickly ended due to the savages chasing after him with there spears sharpened and ready to be used. Salinger and Golding display the consequences that may arise from certain situations if one does not play the game right. With this in mind, Salinger and Golding touch an issue that once again teens face today and the mental impacts that it can have on an individual.

In conclusion, Lord of the Flies and The Catcher in the Rye both exhibit several archetypes to further their plots and provide a younger audience with the ability to connect and relate to certain characters who display archetypes such as coming of age and the outcast. Despite both of these works identifying similar issues, they significantly differ from one another such as there outlooks on how one may lose their innocence. Both authors clearly display the struggles that adolescents face and the impact that it can have on one individual.

In terms of the literary archetype, the quintessential attributes of heroism are fundamentally connected with distinctive courage, utmost respect and honor, fulfilling all extrinsic duties, and strictly obeying one’s faction of behavior. All of these aforementioned qualities create the ultimate heroic experiences but can falter due to ineluctable human imperfections. Through assessing literature, the recurring patterns are distinctly pontificated upon through the examples of previous archetypes which shine light to the idea of a hero. Although these archetypes often follow patterns of similarity, they also create a sense of individualism. Upon analysis of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, the archetypal heroic qualities are embedded within Sir Gawain’s character through his affiliation with the Round Table. Within the trials and tribulations of Gawain, he exhibits moral dilemmas that ultimately mold and implicitly demonstrate his quintessential aspiration of heroism.

Sir Gawain’s qualities are contrastable due to numerous societal influences yet comparable to the basis sense of structure. Sir Gawain is governed by this code, therefore his pursuit of the Green Knight tested his bravery and duty of keeping his word of accepting the Green Knight’s challenge. Gawain’s courageous and brave efforts are explicitly demonstrated by his acceptance of the challenge to protect King Arthur and face the Green Knight. Sir Gawain faces dutiful task when confronted with the Green Knight in King Arthur’s court. The Green Knight’s questions the reputation of Arthur’s followers further referring to them as cowards until Gawain accepts the challenge himself “I beseech, before all here, That this melee may be mine” (W. A. Neilson, p. 65, Lines 341-342). Gawain was unsolicited for this “cowardness”, yet his bravery obligates himself to safeguard the king, as “the loss of my life would be least of any” (W. A. Neilson, p. 165, Line 355), dictating his life insubstantial to the King. The chivalric code enveloped Gawain’s life as the standards and conducts were strictly to be followed and religiously adhered to. Thus, even Gawain’s ethical judgements and actions were graded according to the practiced code. Gawain is ultimately tested again during his pursuit through his encounter with the lord of the chapel’s wife as numerous cases of seduction and desires were attempted to bait Gawain to lose control. Sir Gawain’s demonstrates his self control avoiding the beastial temptations and impulses further recognizing his self control and strength, “And you are the noblest knight known in your time…And here by your side I have sat for two days Yet never has a fair phrase fallen from your lips Of the language of love, not one little word”(W. A. Neilson, p. 189, Lines 1520-1524). This is a true distinctive quality of the heroic archetype, being unquestionably one of the most defining contrasts as Gawain exemplifies the epitome of a hero. In summation, it is through the inner dilemmas that test Gawain’s adherence to the chivalric code as encountered the Lady and being dutiful to sustaining his promise to the Green Knight that proved Gawain’s heroism.

After being truthful to his word and accepting the blows from the Green Knight, Gawain survives the encounter and is criticized for preserving the girdle. Gawain is despondent with himself, ascertaining the sources of his covetnousness as fear, to save himself from death with the green girdle. This covetousness and fear resulted in him contravening the terms of his agreement with Bertilak proving Gawain unfair and dishonest. Gawain recognizes these vices as irregular to his character, which further indicates that Gawain set superior standards upon himself and proclaims to the Green Knight his reasoning begging forgiveness. However, in Christian ethics, they view sin as an inevitable core of human beings that mistakes and failures are bound to occur, “I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest; And the loss of my life would be least of any;” (W. A. Neilson p. 165, Lines 354-355). The reserved girdle conduced the axe to damage and splice Gawain’s neck commensurating Gawain’s covet for the girdle to damage and splice their agreement for his unfair and dishonest actions in their exchange. The implicit message which Gawain inculcates from his “spiritual” journey was his inevitable bound for mistakes and failures like everyone else. Gawain obligates himself to wear the girdle as a symbol reminding him to abstain from disobedience. Overall, his destructive behavior ultimately resulted in his questioning of his dutifulness to the chivalric code, “For fear of thy knock cowardice taught me to make a truce with covetousness, to forsake my nature, which is generosity and loyalty, that belongs to knights. Now am I faulty and false, and a coward have ever been. From treachery and untruth ever come sorrow and care. Here I confess to you, knight, that my conduct is all faulty. Let me but please you now, and after I shall beware” (W. A. Neilson, p. 204, Lines 2379-2384). Gawain’s character shows human error after he drew back from the Green Knight’s axe, faltering his bravery as he is unable to handle the awful consequences and challenges from the Green Knight and his sinful actions. He was unable to comprehend coming to terms with the shame and disownment for his sinful actions disobeying the chivalric code. The knightly chivalry principles are implicitly represented through Gawain’s shield signifying the five virtues of: chastity, courtesy, piety, generosity, and fellowship. This quote implicitly inculcates the principles to Gawain demonstrating that his devotion to these virtues is tested along with his higher personal pursuits. Therefore, since Gawain was unable to adhere to all the principles, he disowned himself with guilt and humility that ultimately led to his questioning of the code. In summation, Gawain’s personal understandings from his difficulties with the intention of protecting his people guided him towards a better understanding of himself fundamentally proving his heroism and heroic qualities.

Christianity believes that sins may be forgiven, but Gawain’s perspective is despairing which implicitly demonstrates his fear with the effect of disobedience upon his character, status, and soul. Gawain views his dishonest and shameful behavior as a stain disowning himself as a forever shamed failure because according to his five-point value code because he broke the code of fellowship and purity. Therefore, since he broke the code of purity, Gawain feels as though he is unable to return the purity perdurs his soul eternally, “This is the evil and the loss that I have got from the cowardice and covetousness that I showed there. This is the token of untruth that I am taken in, and I must needs wear it while I may last; for none may hide his shame without mishap, for where it once is incurred, depart it will never” (W. A. Neilson, p. 208, Lines 2505-2518). Within his acceptance, Gawain understands his ultimate humility and his acceptance of doing better that resulted in the collective embrace of Gawain as a hero. Within the end of the poem, Neilson writes “Hony Soit Qui Mal Pence” which claims that all of the knights will destroy any who speak of shame upon Gawain in order to protect him for any ill-manner gossip of Gawain. They do so in order to prove their acceptance and affiliation with Gawain that is in the nature of man that these mistakes and failures are inevitable even to the most superior. However, this message teaches him that regardless of his status for the Round Table, he is still a human being capable of committing faults and mistakes, “They laugh loud at his tale, and lovingly agree that the lord and the ladies that belong to the band about him of a bright green, and wear that for the sake of the hero. And that emblem was accorded the renown of the Round Table, and he was ever after honoured that had it” (W. A. Neilson, p. 209, Lines 2529-2533). The enlightenment Gawain discovers from the Green Knight’s challenge is that despite his heroic nature, is values and virtues were constructive around preserving his life rather than adhering to his moral and ethical conduct of the chivalric code. The mindset of true heroes consist of remaining concentrated and that any inclination of divergence equates to being detrimental for their journey. His code of chivalry offers an important way of life that Gawain must adhere to daily and strive towards perfection with conscious of his own mortality and weakness. Sir Gawain, despite his flaws is most definitely deemed as a historical hero in literature with his good character that lead him on personal journeys and experiences of growth, humility, acceptance, maturation, and clarity all proved his heroism. In summation, through his journey, it showed the readers that even the superior and grandeur personalities will falter at point because of simple principles of human nature.

The poem outlines the overall character of Gawain through a lens of heroism according to his pursuit of the Green Knight and his numerous moral dilemmas that ultimately molded his character and proved his heroism. Through his numerous trials and tribulations, Gawain exhibited heroism through his pursuits and personal experiences which molded his character significantly for the better. Gawain’s pursuit of improving himself through experiences with the Green Knight and mistakes have shown to follow a similar pattern within archetypal heros with commonly valued heroic characteristics that are still common within today’s literature. Based on the premise of the code of chivalry and Gawain’s personal journey, he encountered numerous tests that ultimately proved his character and heroic qualities that will forever deem him a hero in literature.

Shakespeare’s literary works are notorious for being complex in nature and with many layers of meaning hidden within characters actions, motifs, and the nature of the genre. Reality, like Shakespeare’s works but on an elevated level, is likewise very complicated and difficult to understand, because of this, it is often looked to literature and film to relate ourselves to fictitious characters and themes in order to find order in the chaos of life. This same can be done when looking to understand literature. Works of fiction, such as William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, can be broken down into basic segments and analyze how it is represented in culture other than academics, in doing this, it is able to broaden the understanding of the literary work on many new levels. Using this literary work as an archetype; not only in character, but in motif and the nature of tragedy, in reference to their representations in popular culture, allows for a more profound understanding of the complex text that is Hamlet.

The Genre of Tragedy

To be able to compare the tragedy of Hamlet to others in popular culture, it must first be understood what exactly makes a Tragedy a Tragedy. This specific genre is defined by the story’s hero on a downward spiral usually ending up in his/her inevitable demise. In Hamlet, the hero’s (Hamlet) tragic flaw is his inability to take action, and because of this, it leads to his death; but what exactly makes this tragic? How did all of the other combination of scenes put together before the final act make Hamlet’s death so impactful? The answers to these questions can be found in another tragic story, a film released in 1998 by the name of American History X. In this film, the hero’s name is Danny Vinyard and plays the brother of a Neo Nazi (Derek Vinyard) who just go out of prison. Throughout the film, Danny presents himself as a white supremacist as his older brother did before he went to prison; his tragic flaw being his racism. As the film develops, we learn about Derek who after spending years in prison realizes the error in his ways and refuses his little brother to go down the same path he did. By the end of the film, Derek was able to revert all the damage he had caused on his little brother and made him finally understand that his racist ways were wrong and could get him into serious trouble. The film concludes with Danny being shot to death by a victim of his racist ignorance. What makes this tragic is the irony involved, being killed because of something he did right when he finally broke free of his tragic flaw.

Like Danny, Hamlet finally met his demise as soon as he took action in what needed to be done. American History X really helps understand the complexity of the flaw of inaction and the nature of Tragedy by representing it in a different matter (racism) that in today’s political climate is relatable and easily understood. After analyzing a film like American History X, the tragic irony written within the dialogue becomes more comprehensible; “…Had I but time – as this fell sergeant, Death,/ Is strict in his arrest – O, I could tell you -/ But let it be…” (Hamlet 5.2.329-331) This citation presents the irony in Hamlet’s death as he just recognizes that he would not be able to tell his own story or defend the act of killing the king of Denmark, but instead die because he acted too late, and allowed claudius to manipulate Learties into carrying out his devious plan to kill Hamlet. Thus making his death impactful and tragic because he brought upon his own demise, not by just one single decision, but by every decision he made throughout the play, with each one slowly cementing his fate.

Motif

A motif is a recurring object, image, sound, or idea presented throughout the duration of the literary work or film, that is used to develop the central theme or ideology presented in the story. The motifs that are used in Hamlet are very subtly hidden within dialogue, and without further analyzation and academic assistance, would likely be missed. Similar to the genre of tragedy, to really understand the complexity of Hamlet’s motifs, we can use examples from popular culture as a more simple and exaggerated use of motif to learn what to look for when trying to bring light upon these recurring words or ideas. Typically in film, a motif is almost always found in the soundtrack or score of the film, an example of this would be the score of the film Joker, as each time something of importance occurs in the development of his character, the same riff played on the electric cello, in slightly different keys, is played to subconsciously create a link in your mind that every time you now hear that riff again, even without you noticing, will remind you of all of the events that lead up to and created the joker that is presented at the end. It brings you back to all of the disturbing scenes and events experienced by the character.

Because Hamlet is a play or a text, motifs in Hamlet are often represented as words or ideas. The motif of the corrupt ear is one mentioned many times throughout within dialogue, either directly or indirectly referencing it. This specific motif was also used by Francesca Haig in her article Something is rotten in Blue Velvet … an exploration of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet via Shakespeare’s Hamlet that uses Hamlet as a representation of the corrupt ear motif to further understand David Lynch’s 1986 film Blue Velvet as she explains; “…the film’s similarities to (and differences from) Hamlet can force a reconfiguration of characters and events within the film, as well as within the play, through providing an added layer of intertextual resonance.” (Haig 4) This passage explains that not only can using Hamlet as an example to better understand the ideologies presented in the film, but can also work in reverse, using the film to give Hamlet a sense of “intertextual resonance”; understanding the text with a deeper more sophisticated manner.

Character

Character archetypes are the idea of archetype that we are most likely more familiar with as they are, in some way, in every work of fiction. Hamlet being one of those works, is full of character archetypes that are stereotypical to a story of its genre, for example; Hamlet – the tragic hero, and Claudius – the villain. In relating these archetypes to a similar story, but with a simpler plot, 1994’s The Lion King, it can be better understood why these characters act the way they do. By relating Hamlet, to Simba, the hero in the lion king, the tragic flaw that Hamlet embodies, inaction, can become more clear as to why he struggles with it. In the climax of The Lion King, Simba and Scar begin to fight each other, and as the fight progresses, Simba, the younger and stronger of the two, begins to gain more and more sovereignty over Scar which then finally leaving him in a position of submission.

During the time that Scar was submissive towards Simba, he desperately tries to stop Simba from hurting him any further and in doing this, he makes the point that he is family and that Simba wouldn’t “kill his own uncle”, to which Simba replies that he wouldn’t because he is better than him. In relating this to Hamlet, a MASSIVE parallel in plot can be drawn between these two works, and that is of the villainous uncle, and because of this it can now be seen that maybe Hamlet’s reluctance of acting against his uncle came from the fact that it was his uncle. What is meant by this is that, in the beginning of The Lion King, young Simba is shown visiting his uncle constantly and telling him all about what his father taught him and what he was going to do when he was king, overall showing that Scar was someone he really looked up to and respected.

The same can be assumed for Hamlet that Claudius was once a man Hamlet respected, so when he received the news of his own uncle being the killer of his father, the actions that Hamlet should have taken became much harder because it was towards someone he knew trusted and respected when he was a kid. Now, moving on to the villainous archetype, Claudius is presented in the play as an insestuous, murderous swine; but was he always like that? And if he wasn’t what caused him to become like that? To find these answers, it can be looked to a certain film that focuses on the villain, how he is created, and why he believes he is not the villain, 2019’s Joker. This film follows the story of Aurther Fleck, who suffers from mental illness provoked by a delusional adopted mother, and strong physical and mental abuse when he was a child. The film follows the story of Aurther and shows how the pressures of being assimilated into stereotypical society and the constant pressure to act normal finally pushes him to his breaking point, turning him into the villainous joker that he is depicted as in the end of the film. A product of modern society.

Like Aurther, Claudius too could have been a product of his own society, the disappointment in always being second to the King his whole life, not getting the attention he deserved as a child, are all things not mentioned in the text of Hamlet and could only be brought to light when analyzing a story that focuses on that specific archetype and his/her motives. “…That cannot be, since I am still possess’d/Of those effects for which I did the murder-/My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen./May one be pardon’d and retain th’offence?” (Shakespeare 3.3.53-56) This citation outlines the fact that Claudius in fact does want to repent for his sins, but also wants to keep the rewards that he earned for his murder, being king, having a queen, and getting the attention and respect he believed he deserved. In the nature of this citation, it can clearly be seen that if it wasn’t for what the royal life had turned Claudius into, the insetuous murderous swine, he would not have killed his brother and would have been content with his life. All of Claudius and Hamlet’s actions can be justified and explained in thorough depth and detain, although not all of their motives were explained in the text of Hamlet, it can instead be understood through the representation of their archetypes in a popular culture film that focuses on the specific aspect archetype, as even though they are in totally different plots or stories, will still have the same characteristics and motives solely because they share the same characteristics as a specific character archetype.

Conclusion

To conclude, it has been shown that because Shakespeare’s Hamlet is so complex, with many layers of understanding, analyzing Hamlet as an archetype and how it is represented in popular culture today is necessary to truly understand what makes the play tragic, and why the characters act the way they do.