Introduction to Archetypes II

1. Introduction to Archetypes II Feraco Myth to Science Fiction 29 September 2011

2. Archetypes and Statements • Plots are about journeys – descents and ascents, quests and returns, adventures both physical and emotional • A story without movement – without development of either plot or character – is fairly pointless • A book is a static medium, but its content must be dynamic! • Your college essays must also be about journeys – demonstrating both personal growth and your potential for further development

3. Archetypal Journeys • These may not always be personal-statement fodder, but I’d use one if I’d been on one! • The quest for identity • The epic journey to find the promised land • A common variant is the quest to found the “good city” – a land where our characters and values can prosper • The quest for vengeance • The warrior’s journey to save his people • The search for love / to rescue one’s love

4. More Archetypal Journeys • The journey in search of knowledge • The tragic quest (penance, self-denial, redemption) • The fool’s errand • The quest to defend the land, or to rid the land from danger • The search for home • The “grail quest” (i.e., the search for human perfection)

5. Campbell’s Five Stages • Campbell identified five major stages of the typical Hero’s Journey • Regardless of the archetypal nature of said journey, legend after legend incorporates the following stages • Campbell also established certain characteristics of a hero’s journey; while it’s impossible to find every characteristic in every legend, most of these appear with startling frequency

6. Stage One: Departure • The hero is called to adventure • This can be something he/she discovers independently, but it’s usually an imperative from someone else – sometimes from a divine source, other times for a national leader, and even from a familial dictate • Interestingly, this call to adventure is met with resistance nearly as frequently as it’s enthusiastically met • Many heroes are reluctant to leave what they know, even when the necessity of their departure is clear

7. Stage Two: Initiation • The hero, having left behind the familiar, must cross the threshold of adventure • This usually requires entrance into a new, somewhat dangerous realm • This entrance is also often accompanied by a more mature perspective • Also something of a planning stage; most reluctant heroes also abandon their trepidation once they’ve departed home

8. Stage Three: The Road of Trials • Usually the longest stage of any heroic plot – the “adventure segment” • The hero often undergoes tests of strength, and these tests are not always immediately recognized or understood • Other tests include trials of endurance and resourcefulness – combinations of physical and psychological prowess • The tests themselves often require creative solutions – it’s rarely as simple as it should be! • The hero sometimes enjoys supernatural or divine aid along the way; in other instances, the hero is accompanied by mortal help (sidekicks, loyal backers, friends, family, warriors, etc.)

9. Stage Four: The Innermost Cave • Also called the “descent” because our heroes almost always fall or stumble along the way • It’s highly unusual for a heroic journey to consist of an endless series of triumphs • Heroes suffer setbacks, particularly during the third stage, and these setbacks lead them to the Cave – an underworld or place of great trial, sometimes within the hero’s own mind • This trial results in the hero’s rebirth, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual • Most importantly, the hero undergoes an internal transformation • It is the lowest point of the journey, but its presence is necessary for true triumph

10. Stage Five: Reintegration/Return • At the end of the journey – assuming he isn’t killed and doesn’t sacrifice himself along the way – the hero must return home • This can be a dicey proposition; reintegration in particular often proves difficult • However, patience often proves a virtue during heroic journeys, and this stage is no exception • Ideally, the hero uses the lessons he’s learned/wisdom he’s gained through his adventure to benefit his home – to restore the land to former glory, for example

11. Situations Within a Story • The following situations are common to most heroic legends, and usually appear in something approaching the following order • The first two roughly correspond to the Departure, the third and fourth to the Initiation, the fifth to the Road of Trials, and the final four to the Innermost Cave • That said, the order can shift, particularly when the storyteller modifies the archetypal structure • A Road followed by a Fall, followed by another Road and Fall before ending with a victory and returning home

12. The Quest and the Task • The Quest • What the hero must accomplish in order to restore peace, order, and normalcy to a troubled land • Usually a search for something – a talisman, for example • Often paired with the Journey, where the hero goes in search of some truth or revelation that will save his land • The Task • The nearly superhuman feat(s) the hero must perform in order to fulfill his quest

13. The Initiation and the Ritual • The Initiation • For a younger hero, a moment of maturation; for a reluctant hero, a moment of commitment • An increased awareness of the problems, challenges, and stakes involved in what lies ahead • The Ritual • The actual ceremonies (training, departure, etc.) the initiated hero experiences that mark his rite of passage into a new world • Hardens the hero’s role within his society

14. The Trials and the Fall • The Trials • The challenges a hero faces as he approaches his goal • The Fall • The descent from a higher state of being to a lower one • The corruption of values or drive – for younger heroes in particular, a loss of innocence, faith, or trust • The loss of comrades • Often a punishment for a transgression, not always on the hero’s part

15. Death and Rebirth • Death and Rebirth • What came before (the hero prior to this point) no longer persists • What comes after (the hero post-transformation) proves key to victory • This motif mirrors the life cycle that dominates nature – young, strong and vigorous rising to power • Watch carefully to see when this takes place; winter indicates old age and death, whereas spring indicates renewal and youth

16. The Battle and the Wound • Battle Between Good and Evil • While some contemporary stories enjoy blurring the line between the two, the pitting of these polar opposites is a very old trope – the clash of one primal force with another • Our insistence on uncompromised good triumphing over evil even against all odds – again, something that’s fading in a more cynical age – seems to paint a picture of humans as optimists • The Unhealable Wound • A loss – either physical or psychological – that cannot be resolved, at least not fully • This can either occur within the hero (physical, emotional, spiritual) or without (losing someone)

17. Symbolic Archetypes • Light vs. Darkness • Light usually suggests hope, renewal, or intellectual illumination; darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, or despair • Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity • Some characters exhibit wisdom and understanding of situations instinctively as opposed to those supposedly in charge • Loyal retainers often exhibit this wisdom as they accompany the hero on the journey • Supernatural Intervention • Spiritual being intervene on the hero’s behalf – and sometimes against him

18. Symbolic Archetypes • Fire and Ice • Fire represents knowledge, light, life, and rebirth, while ice represents ignorance, darkness, sterility, and death (think desert) • Nature vs. Mechanistic World • Nature is good; technology is evil. Enough said. • 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 • Entering an underworld is a form of facing one’s fear of death

19. Symbolic Archetypes • Haven vs. Wilderness • Places of safety contrast sharply against a dangerous wilderness • Heroes are also often sheltered for a time to regain health and resources • Water vs. Desert • Because water is necessary for life and growth, it commonly appears as a birth symbol (i.e., baptism represents spiritual birth) and sign of purification. • This goes for water in its many forms – rain, oceans, rivers, etc. • The desert, by virtue of its barrenness, suggests the opposite; death, infertility, hopelessness, degeneration, and loss

20. Symbolic Archetypes • Heaven vs. Hell • Both represent places (above the stars and beneath the world) that ancient Man could not explore; traditionally, humans tend to associate the parts of the universe that seem off-limits to them with the dwelling places of the gods or natural forces they believe govern their world • The gods live in the skies and atop impossibly high mountains; demons lurk in the shadows of the world’s bowels • The Crossroads • A place or time of decision when a realization is made and change or penance results

21. Symbolic Archetypes • The Maze • A puzzling dilemma or great source of uncertainty/confusion, search for a dangerous monster (inside or outside), or a journey into the heart of darkness • The Castle • A stronghold of safety – a fortress – that may be enchanted…or bewitched. Often contains treasure, warriors, or princesses • The Tower • A stronghold of evil that often represents the isolation of the self • The Magic Weapon • The weapon the hero needs in order to complete his quest

22. Symbolic Archetypes • The Whirlpool • Symbolizes the destructive power of nature or fate • Fog • Symbolizes uncertainty • Numbers • 3, for example, represents light, spiritual awareness, unity (ex. Holy Trinity), and masculinity embodied • 4 is associated with the life cycle, four seasons, earth, nature/elements, and femininity embodied • 7 is the most potent of all symbolic numbers; it signifies the union of 3 and 4, the completion of a cycle, and the attainment of perfect order (also a religious symbol)