Assignment topic:
Archetypal criticism
Name: Ravi Rajyaguru
Roll
no.28
M.A.
Semester: 2
Enrolment
No.: PG15101032
Year:
2015- 17
Paper
no.:7
Submitted
to: Department of English
Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
v Introduction
Herman
Northrop Frye was a professor of English at Victoria Collage at the University
of Toronto. Frye published his first book, ‘Fearful Symmetry: A study of
William Blake’ in 1947. The book is a highly original study of the poetry of
Blake.
In
literature, Literary writers always use some kind of symbols, which all have
some kind of deep meaning that can be connected with nature, myths or any
particular thing. Archetypal criticism is a type of critical theory that
analysis a text by emphasising on recurring myths and archetypes in the
narrative symbols, images and character types in literary work.
Ø Northrope Frye’s Contribution to
the Archetypal criticism.
Frye
has given his valuable works “The Archetypes of Literature “ in 1951 and the
second one “ Anotomy of criticism “ in 1957. Most of the archetypal approaches
are covered by Frye in his book “Anatomy of Criticism “ that we can apply in
the theory of literature and the practice of literary criticism.
In
his work “ Architypes of Literature “, he has given a basic theory of arts
generally and then he gives more detail and developed “Anatomy of Cricism”. His
two additions are to identify and classify the archetypes of literature.
Ø Frye’s
definition
“In literary criticism
the term archetype suggests narrative designs, patterns of action, character
types, themes and images which are known to a wide verity of works of
literature also to myths, dreams and even social rituals.”
“A kind of literary
anthropology”
Carl.
G. Jung has given a basic meaning of Archetypes according in “Collective unconscious
that it is full of primordial images and psychic residue. And James.G.Frazer
said that it is used to identify elemental patterns of myth and ritual. Myths
are used by creative writers and critics analyze text is called archetypal
criticism.
Ø Archetypal criticism as
“A new poetics”
The
‘New Poetics’ is to be found in the theory of the mythological framework, which
has come to be known as “archetypal Criticism”. It is through the lens of this
structure, which is really a centrifugal progress of backing up from the text
towards of literary criticism becomes clear. The learning of recurring
structure pasterns grants students an emancipation distance from their own
society, and gives theme vision of a higher human state the logician sublime.
In
literary criticism the term archetype signifies recurrent narrative designs,
patterns of action, character‐types, themes
and images, so let’s check it out these terms.
·
Patterns
of action:
This
term is sometimes used in ethology to denote an natural behavioral cycle that is
quite invariant within the species and almost certainly runs to completion. In
depth analysis of behavioral chain since the term was first coined has meant
the term is now largely replaced by phrases such as "behavior
patterns" or "behavioral acts".
·
Character‐types:
A
character is a person in a narrative work of arts. A character that rises as
representative of a particular class or group of people is known as a type.
Types include both collection of characters and those which are more fully
individualized.
·
Themes:
A
theme is the middle idea or ideas explored by a literary work. A work of
literature may have more than one theme. Hamlet, for instance, deals with the
themes of death, revenge and action. King Lear's themes include justice,
reunion, madness, and betrayal.
·
Images:
A
representation of the external form of a person or thing in art. Frye gives the
season in his archetypal representation. Each season is attached with a
literary genre like comedy with spring, romance with summer, tragedy with
autumn, and satire or irony with winter..Now let’s check it out how seasons are
connected with literary genres here by Frye.
v Frye use seasons in archetypal
criticism
Ø Comedy:
It
is united with spring because comedy suggests the birth of the hero, revival
and rebirth. It also suggests the new creation as well as the power over the
darkness.Spring also stands for the defeat of winter and darkness. In spring
also there is the new creation in trees which symbolizes the similarities
between comedy and spring.
Ø Romance:
It
is connected with summer because summer is the end of life in the seasonal
calendar,in the western countries.
Similarly romance, the genre, culminates with some type of success, particularly
in a marriage.
Ø Autumn:
It
is connected with tragedy. As autumn is the dying period in the seasonal
calendar, similarly the genre, tragedy stands for the ‘fall of the hero or heroine or
protagonist. Autumn itself symbolizes the fall and which is considered to be
full of darkness.
Ø Satire :
Satire
or Irony is like winter as they stands for the ‘dark’ genres. Satire is one
type of disrespectful act. It is full of darkness, dissolution, and the return
of chaos and the defeat of the heroic figure. Sometimes satire becomes very
cruel and winter is also very cruel in
western countries. Now Frye gives the context of a genre proves how a symbol an
image is to be analysed. He gives five different views of different fields like
human, animal, vegetation, mineral, and water.
Ø Human:
The
comedic human world is representative of wish –fulfillment. In its category,
the tragic human world is of loneliness, cruelty, and the hamartia. Thus, in
different world, the roles of different humans can not be modify.
Ø Animals
The
comedic animal world stands for the quiet and rural animals like cow, sheep
etc. Whereas in the tragic animal world they are like hunters, greedy like
wolves, leopard etc.
Ø Vegetation :
The comedic land of vegetation is rural as well as gardens,
parks also stands for roses and lotuses. And the tragic land of vegetation is
like a wild forest or sometimes a barren place.
Ø Mineral:
The
comedic mineral realm stands for cities, temples or precious stones. The tragic
mineral realm represents desert, ruined places.
Ø Water:
In
the end the comedic realm of water is
stands for rivers. And in tragic realm by seas, particularly by floods. Thus
from all these, we may say that structure approach is based on archetypes.
There are two ways to proceed:
`
v Inductive
and Deductive Method
The
word inductive stands for looking patterns, or, making educated guesses.The
word deductive means to look for consequences look for reason and try to
categories. So, in this way,this section deals with deductive way.In Inductive method simpel we can say, That is
from particular truths or the particular
truth of the general truth. The Deductive Method means analysis
proceeds to establish the meaning of work from the general truth to particular
truth.
v Archetypes in
Characters
Ø The Hero:
The
Hero is a character who largely displays honesty and fight against evil in
order to restore harmony and justice to the world. The traditional protagonist
is the leading person of the story: the one who gives energy to the action. We
like it and prays for its success. For
example Dr faustus,Robinson Crusoe etc.
Ø The outcast
He
or she has been out casted from society. The outcast figure can oftentimes also
be considered as a Christ figure. For example in Indian myths there are
characters like Pandvas, Ram,Sita,Laxman, Sugreev, Vibhishan etc.
Ø The Scapegoat
A character that takes
the responsibility of everything bad that happens. No one try to understand
whether he or she is actually guilty or not. For example Tom Jones, Ophelia in
“Hamlet”, etc.
v Situation or symbols
·
The
quest:
The
characters search for something whether consciously or unconsciously. Their act,
thoughts, belief are centered around the goal of finishing this search. For
example Rama’s search for Sita, NalDamyanti’s search for each other, Savitri’s
search for Satyakam’s life.
·
The
Task:
This
demotes to a probably superhuman act that must be skilful in order to fulfill
the crucial goal. For example, Frodo’s task to keep the ring safe in J.R.R.
Tolkein’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
·
Water:
Water
is required to life and development; it normally emerges as a birth or rebirth
symbol. It is also strong life power. Symbolizes creation, purification and salvation
also fruitfulness and development.
·
Sun:
It
stands for creative energy like fire, thinking, illumination, knowledge,
spiritual wisdom, faithfulness, dawn etc. Rising sun stands for birth,
creation, explanation. While setting sun stands for death.
Ø Colors:
ü Black:
gloom, disorder, mystery, the anonymous, before existence, death, the lifeless,
evil.
ü Red:
blood,sacrifice, cruel enthusiasm, chaos, dawn, birth, fire, sentiment, wounds,
death, feeling.
ü Green:
hope,development, greed, Earth, fruitfulness, feeling, vegetation, water,
nature, kindness.
ü White:
light,spotlessness, harmony, purity, goodness, Spirit, morality, creative power,
spiritual thinking.
ü Orange:
fire, pride, ambition, selfishness, Venus.
ü Yellow:
enlightenment, wisdom.
ü Blue:
clear sky, the day, the sea, height, intensity, heaven, religious feeling.
Ø Conclusion
Archetypal
criticism related with the theory of myth he differentiate many thing in
archetypal. Archetypal is study of myth and myth is very important tool in
literature so ‘every work of literature has its place within this scheme or
myth, every piece of literature adds to the myth.
very well organised assignment. Useful for quick revision.
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