Recurring character types and relationships, essential tools for understanding the character’s purpose and function. These archetypes are not static, they can fluctuate throughout the course of the story or a character may be a number of archetypes.
Most commonly used archetypes:
- Hero
- Mentor
- Threshold Guardians
- Herald
- Shapeshifter
- Shadow
- Ally
- Trickster
Hero
Greek word meaning ‘to protect and serve’, this archetype is connected with self sacrifice, the person who transcends ego however at first the hero is ALL ego! The reader is invited to identify with the hero, they will admire their qualities and want to be like them. However the hero does have flaws of their own, it is these weaknesses that make the character more appealing to the audience. The hero has a inner conflict, the more the better.
Herald
A character who issues challenges and announces the coming of change, something changes the hero’s situation and nothing will ever be the same again. The Herald delivers the hero’s CALL TO ADVENTURE!
Mentor
Provides the hero with motivation, inspiration and training for the journey ahead, the mentor seems inspired by divine wisdom, almost like the voice of God. e.g. Yoda!
Threshold Guardians
Each gateway of the journey has powerful guardians placed to keep the unworthy from entering. This character is NOT the main villain but often a lieutenant of the villain. On a deeper psychological level they represent our internal demons, the guardians are not there to stop the hero but to test them, are they really ready to accept the challenge of change? They are not to be defeated by the hero but incorporated into one’s self. e.g. the doorman at Oz, the wicked witch’s monkeys.
Shapeshifter
A catalyst for change, a symbol of the psychological urge to transform. They serve as a dramatic function of bringing doubt and suspense to the story. This is a mask that can be worn by anybody – often by that whose loyalty and the nature are always in question. e.g. scarecrow, tin man, lion
Shadow
Represents the energy of the dark side, the negative face of the shadow is the villain/antagonist/enemy. This character may be an ally who is after the same goal as our hero but disagrees with the hero’s tactics. Their function is to challenge the hero giving them a worthy opponent in the struggle. The best shadows have an admirable quality that humanises them. The shadow may not be a physical being but an internal stubble of the hero, their deeply repressed parts and the shadow by the end must be destroyed by the hero. e.g. Wicked witch in Oz
Trickster
This character embodies energies of mischief and the desire for change, they cut down big egos and bring the hero and the audience back down to earth. They bring about a change by drawing attention to the imbalance/absurdity of a stagnant situation which often provokes laughter. Trickers are catalyst characters who affect the lives of others but are unchanged themselves. e.g. Wizard in Oz (also a shapeshifter)
taken from -http://adulted.about.com/od/howtos/a/archetypes.htm
HannahLoughridge 