Archetypes in Literature, Mythology, and Hero's Journey Analysis

Archetype

Universal patterns in all stories and mythologies regardless of culture or historical period.

Hero Archetype

A character type that embodies the qualities of a hero in various forms.

Hero as warrior

A near god-like hero who faces physical challenges and external enemies (e.g., Odysseus).

Hero as lover

A hero motivated by love to complete his quest (e.g., Prince Charming).

Hero as scapegoat

A hero who suffers for the sake of others (e.g., Jesus).

Transcendent Hero

The hero of tragedy whose fatal flaw brings about his downfall, yet achieves some form of transformation (e.g., Oedipus, Hamlet, Macbeth).

Romantic/Gothic Hero

A hero/lover with a decidedly dark side (e.g., Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre).

Proto-Feminist Hero

Female heroes depicted in literature (e.g., The Awakening by Kate Chopin).

Apocalyptic Hero

A hero who faces the possible destruction of society.

Anti-Hero

A non-hero who often experiences failure and is frequently humorous (e.g., Homer Simpson).

Defiant Anti-hero

An opposer of society's definition of heroism or goodness (e.g., Heart of Darkness).

Unbalanced Hero

A protagonist who has mental or emotional deficiencies (e.g., Hamlet, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest).

The Other - the Denied Hero

The protagonist whose status or essential otherness makes heroism possible (e.g., Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan).

The Superheroic

A hero who exaggerates the normal proportions of humanity and often has divine or supernatural origins (e.g., Superman).

Villain Archetype

A character type that embodies the qualities of a villain in various forms.

The Tyrant

A bullying despot who ruthlessly conquers all and desires power at any price.

The Bastard

A dispossessed son who lashes out to hurt those around him due to his resentment.

The Devil

A charming figure who gives people what they think they want, leading them to their own destruction.

The Traitor

A double agent who betrays those who trust him most, hiding his evil intentions.

The Outcast

A lonely outsider who desperately wants to belong and craves redemption, often at the expense of others.

Tho EVIL GENIUS

The malevolent mastermind who loves to show off his superior intelligence, viewing intellectual inferiors with contempt.

The SADIST

A character who enjoys cruelty for its own sake, engaging in violence and psychological brutality as games.

The TERRORIST

The dark knight who serves a warped code of honor, believing in his own virtue and judging others by strict laws.

The BITCH

The abusive autocrat who lies, cheats, and steals her way to the top, caring only about her own achievements.

The BLACK WIDOW

The beguiling siren who lures victims into her web, using seduction to achieve her desires.

The BACKSTABBER

The two-faced friend who delights in duping others, using their secrets to betray them.

The LUNATIC

The unbalanced madwoman who drags others into her chaotic world, believing the rest of the world is out of step.

The PARASITE

The poisonous vine who collaborates for her own comfort, blaming others for her crimes while expecting no mercy.

The SCHEMER

The lethal plotter who devises the ruin of others, enjoying the complexity of her traps.

The FANATIC

The uncompromising extremist who does wrong in the name of good, viewing anyone not an ally as an enemy.

The MATRIARCH

The motherly oppressor who smothers her loved ones, believing she knows what is best for them.

The BOSS

A real go-getter who climbs the ladder of success, accepting nothing but respect and prioritizing her goals.

The Seductress

The enchantress who manipulates others, hiding a deep streak of distrust while commanding attention upon entering a room.

The SPUNKY KID

Guilty and true; she is loyal to the end and is a favorite of many writers.

The FREE SPIRIT

Eternal optimist who dances to unheard tunes and travels through life with a hop, skip, and a jump.

The WAIF

A distressed damsel who bends with the wind and evokes a protective urge in others.

The LIBRARIAN

Controlled and clever; she holds back and may be the know-it-all or the shy mouse hiding in the library.

The CRUSADER

A dedicated fighter who meets her commitments and is on a mission, headstrong and unyielding.

The NURTURER

Serene and capable; she nourishes the spirit and takes care of everyone around her.

The quest for identity

A journey focused on discovering one's true self.

The epic journey to find the promised land

An adventurous quest to establish a good city or safe haven.

The quest for vengeance

A journey driven by the desire to seek retribution.

The warrior's journey to save his people

A mission undertaken to protect and rescue one's community.

The search for love

A quest aimed at rescuing the princess or damsel in distress.

The journey in search of knowledge

A quest focused on acquiring wisdom and understanding.

The tragic quest

A journey involving penance or self-denial.

The fool's errand

A seemingly pointless or futile task.

The quest to rid the land of danger

A mission aimed at eliminating threats and ensuring safety.

The grail quest

The pursuit of human perfection.

Step 1: Departure

The hero is called to adventure, although reluctant to accept.

Step 2: Initiation

The hero crosses a threshold into a new, more dangerous world.

Step 3: The Road of Trials

The hero receives supernatural aid and endures tests of strength and endurance.

Step 4: The Innermost Cave

The hero descends into a place of great danger or introspection.

Step 5: Return and Reintegration with Society

The hero uses new wisdom to restore fertility and order to the land.

Characteristics of the Hero's Journey

The hero is inexperienced, meets monsters, has a mentor, and often crosses water.

Hero

A character who might represent a whole nation or culture.

The Quest

What the Hero must accomplish in order to bring fertility back to the wasteland, usually a search for some talisman which will restore peace, order, and normalcy to a troubled land.

The Task

The nearly superhuman feat the Hero must perform in order to accomplish his quest.

The Journey

The journey sends the Hero in search of some truth that will help save his kingdom.

The Initiation

The adolescent comes into his maturity with new awareness and problems.

The Ritual

The actual ceremonies the Initiate experiences that will mark his rite of passage into another state.

The Fall

The descent from a higher to a lower state of being.

Death and Rebirth

A motif that grows out of a parallel between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life.

Battle between Good and Evil

A battle between two primal forces, showing eternal optimism in the continual portrayal of good triumphing over evil despite great odds.

The Unhealable Wound

Either a physical or psychological wound that cannot be healed, symbolizing a loss of innocence.

Light vs. Darkness

Light usually suggests hope, renewal, or intellectual illumination; darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, or despair.

Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity

Situations instinctively understood as opposed to those supposedly in charge.

Supernatural Intervention

Supernatural entities that intervene on the side of the hero or sometimes against him.

Fire and Ice

Fire represents knowledge, light, life, and rebirth, while ice and the desert represent ignorance, darkness, sterility, and death.

Nature vs. Mechanistic World

Nature is good while technology is evil.

The Threshold

Gateway to a new world which the hero must enter to change and grow.

The Underworld

A place of death or metaphorically an encounter with the dark side of the self.

Haven vs. Wilderness

Places of safety contrast sharply against a dangerous wilderness.

Water vs. Desert

Water is necessary to life and growth, commonly appearing as a birth symbol, while the desert suggests the opposite.

The Hero's Guide

The hero has a guide or guides.

The Hero's Companions

The hero has a loyal band of companions.

The Hero's Speech

The hero makes a stirring speech to his/her companions.

The Hero's Tests

The hero engages in tests or contests of strength (physical and/or mental) and shows pride in their excellence.

The Hero's Wound

The hero suffers an unhealable wound, sometimes an emotional or spiritual wound from which the hero never completely recovers.

Heaven

The opposite of Hell.

The Crossroads

A place, or time of decision when a realization is made and change or permanence results.

The Maze

A dangerous moment inside of oneself or a journey into the heart of darkness.

The Castle

A strong place of safety which holds treasure or princess.

The Tower

A strong place of evil, representing the isolation of self.

The Magic Weapon

The weapon the hero needs in order to complete his quest.

The Whirlpool

Symbolizes the destructive power of nature or fate.

Fog

Symbolizes uncertainty.

Colors

Red: blood, sacrifice, passion, disorder; Green: growth, hope, fertility; Blue: highly positive, security, tranquility, spiritual purity; Black: darkness, chaos, mystery, the unknown, death, wisdom, nil, melancholy; White: light, purity, innocence, timelessness (negatives: death, horror, supernatural); Yellow: enlightenment, wisdom.

Numbers

3: light, spiritual awareness, trinity, life cycle; 4: associated with the circle, life cycle, four seasons; 7: the most potent of all symbolic numbers, signifying the union of three and four, the completion of a cycle, perfect order, perfect number, religious symbol.

The Hero

The protagonist whose life is a series of well-marked adventures, characterized by courage, strength, and honor.

The Young Man from the Provinces

The Hero returns to his home and heritage where he is a stranger who can see new problems and new solutions.

The Initiates

Young heroes or heroines who must go through some training and ceremony before undertaking their quest.

Mentor

An older, wiser teacher to the initiates who gives the hero gifts (weapons, food, magic, information) and serves as a role model.

Mentor-Pupil Relationship

In this relationship, the Mentor teaches the Hero/pupil the necessary skills for surviving the quest.

The Threshold Guardian

Tests the hero's courage and worthiness to begin the journey.

Father-Son Conflict

Separation from childhood or some other source when the two meet as men.

Hunting Group of Companions

A group willing to face challenges and ordeals in order to stay together.

Loyal Retainers

The Retainer's duty is to reflect the nobility and power of the hero.

Friendly Beast

An animal companion showing that nature is on the side of the hero.

The Shadow

A worthy opponent with whom the hero must struggle in a fight to the death.