ENG 151 Creative Writing- Poetically Inflected Writing, Spring 2004
Instructor- Pauline Escudero Shafer
Office Hours- 10:15-11 am and By arrangement M-F
Phone- 206-587-2036
Email- PEscudero@sccd.ctc.edu

 

The Archetype Exercise

Self-Examination

The first part of this exercise is meant to help you determine which archetypes have effected your identity or played a large role in your life. Look over the list. If you can print it out, so that you can write in one or more if they are absent from this list.

Write down as many of these as you'd like that you recognize as a part of yourself. After an initial look over, narrow it down to eight (8) main ones.

Some of the archetypes on the list will jump out at you as if to say, "You know me! I've been part of your life ever since you can remember." It could be an archetype that is aligned with your occupation -- for example, the Politician, Craftsperson, Athlete, Teacher, Scholar, or Judge. We often end up pursuing fields that have informed our identities throughout our lives. It might also be an important characteristic that defines your persona or nature apart from your work, as the Monk or Nun (assuming you're not actually under holy orders), the Poet, Lover, Rebel, and so forth. But now you will have to dig a little deeper.

Now that you have eight, add at least one more... except this one or two extra ones should be 'negative' ones... ones you tend to avoid... you recognize them in yourself, but do not want to admit them. These are elements of the Shadow. Jung felt/theorized that to come into our full Selfhood we needed to admit, to work through some of The Shadow.

So, you will need to include some archetypes that, like the Prostitute and Saboteur that we all share, who may at first seem unpleasant or negative. Perhaps the Fool, Robot, Martyr, Servant, Sadist, or Puppet is part of your make-up. Remember that these are not necessarily negative archetypes; only your interpretation or reaction is negative. These reactions ultimately aid you in avoiding the Shadow aspect implicit in their name. To some people, the Judge may seem like a negative archetype, implying a judgmental, elitist nature and maybe a cruel or imperious streak. But this archetype can be essential in making a wide range of informed decisions in areas as different as business and art. One day it might even save your life.

So, after you've assembled your group of 8-10 essential archetypes (6-8 plus 2 'negative' ones) that you feel drawn to, ask them a few simple questions. If you like, you can imagine each archetype sitting in a chair across from you or simply ask yourself and wait for the answer to come to you. Here are the questions:

After questioning each prospective archetype, weed out those that are not genuinely part of your intimate support team, and then return to the list to select replacements. Continue this process until you have eight archetypes that you feel confident play a major role in your life.

Getting to know the archetype

Now you should have nine or ten. Now, narrow this group down again. Choose four that you feel the most affinity with. One of these should be a 'negative' one, and ask the questions directly to the archetype.

Next, you will begin to give your archetypes a face. Whereas the first set of questions was meant to direct your attention inward at yourself, this phase of the exercise is meant to get to you to look outward in a sense, at your archetypes themselves, to help you to learn more about them. Of course this ultimately helps you learn more about you... but for now imagine the archetypes as people, as characters.

With descriptive language try to explain what they look like. Write down:

Now, having done this for your four archetypes, I want you to allow them to interact in the following scenario with imagined others.
      Imagine one of your archetypes as a person with a life... Write down a description of this life. it can be set in our current day and time, or if they are, for example, a mideval witch, you can have them in a mideval setting a thousand years ago. What is important is that you imagine their home, what they do, perhaps what kind of life they lead. Provide as much detail as you want. The more the better. Now, give your archetype a love interest, someone they are involved with or even married to. This is someone that is their boyfriend or girlfriend, that they love and are happy with.

Now imagine that your archetype is going to have an acquaintance over for dinner, at your archetype's home. Your archetype/character is a good host/hostess, they welcome the acquaintance into their home, serve a wonderful dinner, with wine and good conversation after the dinner. After the guest leaves, though, your archetype/character discovers that their prized XXXXX (insert some possession here) is missing. It has been stolen by the guest.

Describe how your archetype/character responds. Do they get angry? Do they get furious? What course of action do they choose?

Now.... rewind the scenario a little. Imagine once more that your character/archetype has the acquaintance over for dinner. Imagine again that good food and good drink are served, followed by good conversation. Except this time... add in the presence of your archetype's loved one. After a fine evening, your archetype learns that the guest not only propositioned his/her girlfriend/boyfriend, but also arranged a date with them.

Again, describe how your archetype/character responds. Do they get even more angry this time? Do they not only get furious, but also want to get even? What course of action do they choose? What does it lead to?

Do this for at least two of your archetypes, all four if you can. Bring your descriptions on Monday, ready to share.

The Actor The Addict The Alchemist The
The Anarchist The Artist The Avenger The
The Bureaucrat The Beggar The Brat The Bully
The Caregiver/taker The Chemelion                   The Child The Clown
The Coach (Encourager) The Companion The Coward The Craftsperson                  
The Crone The Crook The Class Clown The Damsel
The Detective The Dictator The Dilettante The
The Diplomat The Disciple The Diva The
The Dreamer The Elf The Eternal Boy/Girl           The Evangelist
The Fae/ Fairy The Fool The Gaia The Gambler
The God The Goddess The Gossip The King
The Harlot The Healer The Herald The Hermit
The Historian The Innovator The Judge The
The Knight The Liberator The Lolita The Lover
The Magician The Martyr The Masochist The
The Matriarch The Mistress The Monk The
The Muse The Mystic The Nature Boy/Girl The
The Navigator The Networker The Nun The Olympian
The Passenger The Patriarch The Pilgrim The Pioneer
The Poet The Politician The Predator The
The Priest/Priestess The Prince The Princess The
The Prophet The Prostitute The Provocateur The
The Puck The Puppet The Puritan The Queen
The Rebel The Rescuer The Revolutionary The
The Robot The Rockstar The Saboteur The
The Sadist The Sage The Samaritan The
The Scholar The Scout The Scribe The The Scarlot Woman
The Seductress The Seeker The Seer The Star
The Servant The Settler The Shaman The Spy
The Sidekick The Slave The Slut The Spoiler
The Storyteller The Student The Teacher The Tempest
The Temptress The Thief The Tramp The Trickster
The Tyrant The Vagabond The Vampire The Victim
The Virgin The Visionary The Warrior The Wise Woman
The Witch The Wizard The Zombie The

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