Archetypes in Literature
Situational, Character and
Symbolic
What is an archetype?
•  An archetype is a term used to describe
universal symbols that evoke deep and
sometimes unconscious responses in a reader
•  In literature, characters, images, and themes
that symbolically embody universal meanings
and basic human experiences, regardless of
when or where they live, are considered
archetypes.
Situational Archetype
•  Situations that occur over and over in
different versions of the story.
•  For example, in versions of Cinderella, a
young girl seeks freedom from her current
situation. She undergoes some kind of
transformation and is better off at the end
of the story.
Situational- The Quest
•  Describes the search for someone or
something, which when found and brought
back will restore balance to the society.
Situational- The Task
•  The task is the superhuman feat must be
accomplished in order to fulfill the ultimate
goal.
Situational- The Journey
•  The hero is sent in search for some truth
of information necessary to restore life,
justice, and/or harmony to the kingdom.
•  The journey includes a series of trials the
hero will face along the way.
Situational- The Initiation
•  The initiation refers to the moment, usually
psychological, in which the hero comes
into maturity.
•  The hero gains a new awareness into the
nature of problems and understands his/
her responsibility for trying to solve the
issue.
Situational- The Fall
•  This archetype describes a descent in
action from a higher to a lower position in
life.
•  This fall is often accompanied by
expulsion from a kind of paradise as a
penalty for breaking the rules.
Situational- Death and Rebirth
•  This is the most common of situational
archetypes.
•  It refers to situations in which someone or
something dies but this death is
accompanied by some sign of birth or
rebirth.
Situational- Battle Between Good
and Evil
•  The forces between good and evil battle
against each other.
Situational- The Magic Weapon
•  This refers to a skilled individual hero’s
ability to use a piece of technology in order
to combat evil.
Symbolic Archetype
•  Symbols that occur over and over in
different versions of a story.
•  For example, in most creation stories, a
“void” or water is the only thing that exists
at first until the creation of man by some
higher being.
Symbolic- Light vs. Darkness
•  Light usually suggests hope or renewal;
darkness implies the unknown or despair.
Symbolic- Water vs. Desert
•  Because water (rain, river, etc.) is
necessary to life and growth, it commonly
appears as a birth/rebirth symbol.
•  A desert can represent the absence of
development.
Symbolic- Fire vs. Ice
•  Fire represents knowledge, light, and life
while ice represents ignorance, darkness
and death.
Character
Archetypes:
Character types/
personalities that
occur over in over
in different versions
of a story.
The Hero/Heroine
This character is the one who will fulfill a
necessary task and who will restore harmony
and justice to a community.
This character is the one who typically
experiences an initiation, a journey, a task or
quest.
Mentors
These individuals serve as
teachers or counselors to
the initiates. Sometimes
they work as role models
and often serve as a
father or mother figure.
The Companion
The Companion befriends and
helps the hero; may be unusual or
strange
The Damsel-in-Distress
•  The damsel-in-distress usually involves a
beautiful young woman placed in a dire
situation by a villain or monster. She
usually requires a male hero to rescue her.
The Great Mother
The great mother tends to be the protector
of good, home, family; represents warmth,
security, fertility, or growth.
Friendly Beast
This creature shows that even nature
is on the side of the hero.
The Evil Figure
This character
offers worldly
goods, fame, or
knowledge to the
protagonist in
exchange for
possession of the
soul.
The Outcast
A figure who is
banished from a
social group for
some crime (real
or imagined)
against a fellow
man.
The Temptress
The temptress is an appealing woman who
physically attracts the hero. She
usually contributes to his downfall.
Star-Crossed Lovers
A couple that is in
love but their
relationship is not
approved of by
their families or
society. It is
fated to end
tragically for one
or both of them.
Evil Woman
•  This can be a witch, stepmother, siren or
temptress; does the exact opposite of
what a mother should do.
Archetypes Found in Disney
Movies