English 10 / Unit 3: Character Development and Archetypes
3.4 Character Archetypes
Notes
An archetype is a character, image or pattern that appears again and again across cultures and time. The psychologist Carl Jung argued such patterns are shared across humanity.
| Archetype | Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hero | faces trials for a greater good | Odysseus |
| Mentor | wise guide | Athena guiding Odysseus |
| Trickster | clever rule-breaker | Anansi the spider (West Africa) |
| Shadow | dark opposite of the hero | a villain who mirrors the hero |
| Innocent | pure, trusting, often young | a naive child |
| Scapegoat | blamed or sacrificed for others |
- Archetypes are not stereotypes; skilled authors make them fresh and complex.
Practice
Anansi, the clever spider of Akan folktales from Ghana, wins by wit and deception. He is an example of the:
Tricksters use cleverness and break rules.
In a story, an old blacksmith teaches a young girl to forge her own sword and advises her before the battle. He fills the archetype of the:
The mentor guides and prepares the hero.
A villain who shares the hero's skills and past but chose evil is often called the hero's:
The shadow is the hero's dark mirror.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 3 test.