A type of critical theory that

interprets a text by focusing on

recurring myths and archetypes
(from the Greek arch “beginning”
and typos “imprint”) in the
narrative, symbols, images, and
character types in literary work.
Archetypal literary criticism
origins are rooted in two
other academic disciplines,
social anthropology and
psychoanalysis, each
contributed to literary critic
in separate ways, with the
latter being a sub-branch of
Sir
James George
Frazer
A Scottish
anthropologist who write
the first influential text
dealing with cultural
mytho9logist the golden
 Carl Gustar Jung
◦Swiss born founder of
analytical psychology is in
contrast immaterial in its focus.
◦Jungian analytical psychology
distinguishes between the
personal and collective
unconscious, the latter being
particularly relevant to
 The term “archetype” has its origins
in ancient Greek archuin which means
“original or old” and typos which means
“pattern, model or type”. The combined
meaning is an “original pattern” of
which all other similar persons, objects,
or concepts are derived, copied, modeled
or emulated.
 Although there are many archetypes, Jung
define twelve (12) primary types that symbolize
basic human motivations.
 1. The Ego Types
◦ Motto: free to be you and me
◦ Core desire: to get to paradise
◦ Goal: to be happy
◦ Greatest fear: to9 be punished for doing
something bad or wrong.
◦ Strategy: to do things right
◦ Weakness: boring for all their naïve
innocence