Jungian archetypes are figures or roles based on the concept of archetypes within the collective unconscious, proposed by Carl Jung. There are four main figures: shadow, self, anima, and animus, and other archetypes are assigned to those around them. Characters in literature often represent these archetypes.
A Jungian archetype is a figure or role based on the concept of archetypes within the collective unconscious, as proposed by psychiatrist Carl Jung, after whom it is named. There are many different archetypes, and people don’t necessarily represent just one. Most people have or can see all or most of the different archetypes identified by Jung within themselves and in others around them, and assign themselves and others different archetypes based on interactions and relationships. A Jungian archetype typically has a standard, straightforward meaning, but this meaning can be adapted and evaluated in a wide variety of ways for individual people.
The idea behind a Jungian archetype comes from the work of Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, whose work became popular in the early and mid 1900s. One of the foundations of Jung’s work is the idea of the “collective unconscious,” which is basically a wealth of knowledge and concepts that all people have access to unconsciously. Within this unawareness, the idea of archetypes emerged through the study of different cultural histories and traditions. The foundation of the Jungian archetype is in the types of characters and roles found in myths and legends thousands of years old and very different cultures.
There are four main figures that can serve as a Jungian archetype, which are the shadow, the self, the anima and the animus. The shadow is the idea of the primitive, violent self that has been separated from humanity through millennia of social evolution and civilization; it is a dark part of humanity and can potentially be brought back into harmony with the self. This “self” represents humanity’s higher mind and recognition of identity both as an individual and in the larger context of society. The anima is the masculine aspects of humanity, while the animus represents the feminine concepts in humanity, and men and women have both an anima and an animus.
It is important for anyone studying these archetypes to understand that a person does not represent a single Jungian archetype, but that these four archetypes are found within each person. Other archetypes are then typically assigned by someone to those around them. These include archetypes such as the wizard or magician, who represents mystery and knowledge through transformation; the trickster, who represents a both dangerous and comical agent of change and disorder; and the father, who is an authority figure who can induce fear through power. Because people do not innately represent these figures themselves, most people assign or acknowledge these roles in others around them.
In literature and other forms of storytelling, characters often represent a more streamlined form of these archetypes. A character representing the Jungian archetype of the wizard or wise old man can be found in many fairy tales and fantasy literature, such as the character Gandalf in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings or Obi-Wan Kenobi in George Lucas’ original Star Wars movie. The hero archetype is often represented by someone who is on a heroic quest to rescue or as a champion of good or justice like Sir Galahad in the Arthurian legends or even pop culture characters like Superman.
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