6/11/2020 Archetype - Examples and Definition of Archetype

Literary Devices
Definition and Examples of Literary Terms

Archetype
Archetype Definition
In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action, or a situation that seems to represent
universal patterns of human nature.

An archetype, also known as “universal symbol,” may be a character, a theme, a symbol, or even
a setting. Many literary critics are of the opinion that archetypes – which have a common and
recurring representation in a particular human culture, or entire human race – shape the structure
and function of a literary work.

Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist, argued that the root of an archetype is in the “collective
unconscious” of mankind. The phrase “collective unconscious” refers to experiences shared by a
race or culture. Such experiences include such things as love, religion, death, birth, life, struggle,
and survival. These experiences exist in the subconscious of every individual, and are re-created
in literary works, or in other forms of art.

Examples of Archetype in Literature

Below is the analysis of common archetypes that exist in literature.

Archetypes in Characters

https://literarydevices.net/archetype/ 1/7
6/11/2020 Archetype - Examples and Definition of Archetype

Example #1: The Hero

He or she is a character who predominantly exhibits goodness, and struggles against evil in order
to restore harmony and justice to society. Examples of hero include Beowulf, in the book Beowulf,
Hercules, in the book Hercules, and d’Artagnan, from The Three Musketeers.

Example #2: The Mother Figure

Such a character may be represented as a Fairy God Mother, who guides and directs a child,
Mother Earth, who contacts people and offers spiritual and emotional nourishment, or a
Stepmother who treats their stepchildren poorly. Examples of a mother figure include:

In Literature:

Lucy and Madame Defarge, from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities
Disely, from William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury
Gladriel, from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
Glinda, from the Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

In Fairy Tales:

The wicked stepmother in Charles Perrault’s Cinderella

The fairy godmothers in Charles Perrault’s Sleeping Beauty
Mother Goose
The grandmother in Charles Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood

In Mythology:

The mythological figures of Persephone, Demeter, Hecate, Gorgon, Medusa

https://literarydevices.net/archetype/ 2/7
6/11/2020 Archetype - Examples and Definition of Archetype

Example #3: The Innocent Youth

He or she is inexperienced, with many weaknesses, and seeks safety with others. Others like him
or her because of the trust he or she shows in other people. Usually, the experience of coming of
age comes in the later parts of the narratives. Examples of innocent youth include:

Pip in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations

Nicholas in Charles Dickens’ The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Joseph from Henry Fielding’s The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews

Example #4: The Mentor

His or her task is to protect the main character. It is through the wise advice and training of a
mentor that the main character achieves success in the world. Examples of mentor include:

Gandalf in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings

Parson Adams in Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews
Senex in Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wind in the Door

Example #5: The Doppelganger

It is a duplicate or shadow of a character, which represents the evil side of his personality.
Examples of doppelganger in popular literary works include:

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Edgar Allen Poe’s William Wilson
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Example #6: The Scapegoat

A character that takes the blame for everything bad that happens. Examples of scapegoat
include:

Snowball, in George Orwell’s Animal Farm

Example #7: The Villain

A character whose main function is to go to any extent to oppose the hero, or whom the hero
must annihilate in order to bring justice. Examples of villain include:

Shere Khan, from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book stories

Long John Silver, from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island

https://literarydevices.net/archetype/ 3/7
6/11/2020 Archetype - Examples and Definition of Archetype

Archetypes in Situations
Example #8: The Journey

The main character takes a journey, which may be physical or emotional, to understand his or her
personality, and the nature of the world. Examples of archetype in journey include:

Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy

Henry Fielding’s The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of his Friend Mr.
Abraham Adams
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels

Example #9: The Initiation

The main character undergoes experiences that lead him towards maturity. Examples of
archetypes in initiation include:

Henry Fielding’s History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

Laurence Sterne’s The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
Voltaire’s Candide

Example #10: Good Versus Evil

It represents the clash of forces that represent goodness with those that represent evil. Examples
of this archetype include:

William Shakespeare’s King Lear

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

Example #11: The Fall

The main character falls from grace in consequence of his or her own actions. Examples of
archetype in fall include:

Oedipus, from Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex

Lear, from William Shakespeare’s King Lear

Function of Archetype
The use of archetypical characters and situations gives a literary work a universal acceptance, as
readers identify the characters and situations in their social and cultural context. By using
common archetypes, writers attempt to impart realism to their works, as the situations and
characters are drawn from the experiences of the world.

https://literarydevices.net/archetype/ 4/7
6/11/2020 Archetype - Examples and Definition of Archetype

← Theme Motif →

Search …

RELATED POSTS

No related posts.

POPULAR LITERARY DEVICES

View Full List of Literary Devices

Ad Hominem Adage
Allegory Alliteration
Allusion Ambiguity
Anachronism Anagram
Analogy Anapest
Anaphora Anecdote
Antagonist Antecedent
Antimetabole Antithesis
Aphorism Aposiopesis
Apostrophe Archaism
Archetype Argument
Assonance Biography
Cacophony Cadence
Caricature Catharsis
Characterization Cliché
Climax Colloquialism
Comparison Conflict
Connotation Consonance
Denotation Deus Ex Machina
Dialect Dialogue

https://literarydevices.net/archetype/ 5/7
6/11/2020 Archetype - Examples and Definition of Archetype

Diction Didacticism
Discourse Doppelganger
Double Entendre Ellipsis
Epiphany Epitaph
Essay Ethos
Eulogy Euphemism
Evidence Exposition
Fable Fallacy
Flash Forward Foil
Foreshadowing Genre
Haiku Half Rhyme
Hubris Hyperbaton
Hyperbole Idiom
Imagery Induction
Inference Innuendo
Internal Rhyme Irony
Jargon Juxtaposition
Limerick Line Break
Logos Meiosis
Memoir Metaphor
Meter Mood
Motif Narrative
Nemesis Non Sequitur
Ode Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron Palindrome
Parable Paradox
Parallelism Parataxis
Parody Pathetic Fallacy
Pathos Pentameter
Persona Personification
Plot Poem
Poetic Justice Point of View
Portmanteau Propaganda
Prose Protagonist
Pun Red Herring
Repetition Rhetoric
Rhyme Rhythm
Sarcasm Satire
Simile Soliloquy
Sonnet Style
Superlative Syllogism

https://literarydevices.net/archetype/ 6/7
6/11/2020 Archetype - Examples and Definition of Archetype

Symbolism Synecdoche
Synesthesia Syntax
Tautology Theme
Thesis Tone
Tragedy Tragicomedy
Tragic Flaw Transition
Utopia Verisimilitude

Copyright © 2020 Literary Devices. All Rights Reserved. - Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions

https://literarydevices.net/archetype/ 7/7