Situational Archetypes

The Quest

This motif describes the search for someone or some talisman which, when found and brought back, will restore fertility to a wasted land, the desolation of which is mirrored by a leaders illness and disability

The Task

To save the kingdom, to win the fair lady, to identity himself so that he may reassume his rightful postion, the hero must perform some nearly superhuman deed. In many myths and stories, the hero must complete multiple tasks before completing the quest

The initiation

This usually takes the form of an initiation into adult life. The adolescent comes into his/her maturity with new awareness and problems along with new hope for the community. This awakening is the climax of the story.

The Journey

The journey sends the hero in search for someone truth or information necessary to restore the fertility to the kingdom. Usually the hero descends into a real or physiological hell and is forced to discover the blackest truths, quite often concerning his own faults. Once the hero is at his lowest point, he must accept personal responsibility and return to the world of the living. A second use of this pattern is the deception of a limited number of travelers on a sea voyage, bus ride, or any other trip for the purpose of isolating them and using them as a microcosm of society.

The Ritual

The actual ceremonies the initiate expertises that will mark his rite of passage into another state. A clear sign of the characters role in a society

The Fall

This archetype describes a descent from a higher to a lower state of being. The experience involves a defilement and/or a loss of innocence and bliss. The fall is often accompanied by expulsion from a kind of paradise as penalty for disobedience and moral transgression.

The Unhealable Wound

Either a physical or psychological wound that cannot be fully healed. The wound symbolizes a loss of innocence.

The Magic Weapon

This symbolizes the extraordinary quality of the hero because no one else can wield the weapon or use it to its full potential. It is usually given by a mentor figure.

Death vs. Rebirth

The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif grows out of the parallel between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life. Thus, morning and springtime represent birth, youth, or rebirth; evening and winter suggests old age or death

Nature versus the Mechanical World

Nature is good while science, technology, and society are often evil

Battle between Good and Evil

This is obviously the battle between two primal forces. Mankind shows eternal optimism in the continual portrayal of good triumphing over evil despite great odds