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Archetypal Criticism

Archetypal Criticism. Madison, Adam, Asif, Savannah. Archetypal Criticism. “Archetypal literary criticism is a type of critical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes in the narrative, symbols, images, and character types in a literary work.”

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Archetypal Criticism

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  1. Archetypal Criticism Madison, Adam, Asif, Savannah

  2. Archetypal Criticism • “Archetypal literary criticism is a type of critical theory that interprets a text by focusing on recurring myths and archetypes in the narrative, symbols, images, and character types in a literary work.” • Argues that archetypes determine the form of a literary work • That a text’s meaning is shaped by different cultural and psychological myths

  3. What is an Archetype? • A reoccurring • symbol • character • image • These are found in all literature • Can be thought of as a mold that all texts are made from, not an exact copy but close to the original

  4. Northrop Frye • July 14, 1912 -January 23, 1991 (so I guess he was pretty old) • Attended University of Toronto • Canadian literary critic and theorist • In 1957 he wrote The Anatomy of Criticism, a series of 4 essays which discuss an overall view of the theory, principles, and techniques of literary criticism

  5. Carl Gustav Jung • Theorised the idea that everyone has one "collective unconscious" • We hold onto themes and images that we inherit from past cultures, dreams and myths • He believed that literature did not imitate the world but actually the “total dream of mankind” • Jung called mythology "the textbook of the archetypes"

  6. Archetype Categories

  7. Symbols/Images • Recurring images (blood, water, pregnancy, ashes, cleanliness, dirtiness, caverns, the rose, the lion, the snake, the eagle, the hanged man, the feast or banquet) • Colours • Numbers

  8. Characters • Hero • Villain • Witch/Wizard • Star-crossed lovers • Wise old man

  9. Jung’s Four Cardinal Orientations • Jung defined twelve primary types that symbolize basic human motivations. Each type has its own set of values, meanings and personality traits. • The twelve types are divided into three sets of four, The types in each set share a common drive

  10. Situations • The Quest • The Journey • The Initiation or Transformation • The Fall • Death and Rebirth

  11. Spring: Comedy Summer: Romance Autumn: Tragedy Winter: Irony & Satire Mythos Grid Mythoi Spring: Comedy • Existent society remains • Criticism of society without change • Existent society is replaced by happy society • Happy society resists change • Reflective and idyllic view • Society ceases to exist beyond contemplation Summer: Romance • Complete innocence • Youthful innocence of inexperience • Completion of an ideal • Happy society resists change • Reflective and idyllic view • Society ceases to exist beyond contemplation Autumn: Tragedy • Complete innocence • Youthful innocence of inexperience • Completion of an ideal • Individual’s faults • Natural law • World of shock and horror Winter: Satire and Irony • Existent society remains • Criticism of society without change • Existent society is replaced by happy society • Individual’s faults • Natural law • World of shock and horror

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