Archetypal Character Arcs, Pt. 23: Summary of the Archetypal Character Arcs

This post (as the final one in our series) is intended as an easy reference that lists comparisons of the archetypal Positive-Change Arcs, so you can see them all in one place. Each of the individual posts on the specific archetypes does, of course, go into much more depth and offers much more information. But this post should provide a handy overview, both to give you a zoomed-out look at the entire life cycle of character arcs, but also for use as a tool when you’re trying to decide which archetype a character might be or which archetype is best suited to your particular story needs.

Remember: the arcs are not about becoming the central archetypes, but rather reaching apotheosis and transitioning out of the height of that archetype’s power into Death/Rebirth.

Overview of All Archetypes in the Life Cycle of Archetypal Character Arcs

Beginning “Flat” Archetype: Child

Maiden Arc

Shadows: Damsel (passive); Vixen (aggressive)

Subsequent “Flat” Archetype: Lover

Hero Arc

Shadows: Coward (passive); Bully (aggressive)

Subsequent “Flat” Archetype: Parent

Queen Arc

Shadows: Snow Queen (passive); Sorceress (aggressive)

Subsequent “Flat” Archetype: Ruler

King Arc

Shadows: Puppet (passive); Tyrant (aggressive)

Subsequent “Flat” Archetype: Elder

Crone Arc

Shadows: Hermit (passive); Witch (aggressive)

Subsequent “Flat” Archetype: Mentor

Mage Arc

Shadows: Miser (passive); Sorcerer (aggressive)

By Sydney Watkins.

Story Type for Each Archetype

Maiden: An Initiation

Hero: A Quest

Queen: A Battle

King: An Awakening

Crone: A Pilgrimage

Mage: A Mission

Arc for Each Archetype

Maiden Arc: Innocent to Individual (moves from Protected World to Real World)

Hero Arc: Individual to Protector (moves from Normal World to Adventure World)

Queen Arc: Protector to Leader (moves from Domestic World to Monarchic World)

King Arc: Leader to Elder (moves from Regal World to Preternatural World)

Crone Arc: Elder to Sage (moves from Uncanny World to Underworld)

Mage Arc: Sage to Saint (moves Liminal World to Yonder World)

Symbolic Settings for Each Archetype

Maiden: Home

Hero: Village

Queen: Kingdom (Hearth)

King: Empire (Palace)

Crone: Hut (Underworld)

Mage: Cosmos

Thematic Lie vs. Truth for Each Archetype

Maiden: Submission vs. Sovereignty.

“Submission to authority figures is necessary for survival.” versus “Personal sovereignty is necessary for growth and survival.”

Hero: Complacency and/or Recklessness vs. Courage

“My actions are insignificant in the overall scope of the world.” versus “All my actions affect those I love.”

Queen: Control vs. Leadership

“Only my loving control can protect those I love.” versus “Only wise leadership and trust in those I love can protect them and allow us all to grow.”

King: Strength vs. Surrender

“Physical strength is the pinnacle of human achievement.” versus “Spiritual strength requires me to relinquish my physical strength.”

Crone: Death vs. Life

“All life ends in death.” versus “Life is Death and Death is Life.”

Mage: Attachment vs. Transcendence

“My love must protect others from the difficult journey of life.” versus “True love is transcendent and allows life to unfold.”

Archetypal Antagonists for Each Arc

Maiden: Authority and Predator

Hero: Dragon and Sick King

Queen: Invaders and Empty Throne

King: Cataclysm and Rebels

Crone: Death Blight and Tempter

Mage: Evil and the Weakness of Humankind

(Note: I will be exploring these archetypal antagonists in a small supplemental series this fall.)

Archetypes’ Positive Relationships to Own Shadow Archetypes

Maiden

Either Damsel finally owns her Potential by embracing her Strength.

Or Vixen learns to wield her true Potential with true Strength.

Hero

Either Coward finally uses his Strength because he learns to Love and wants to defend what he loves.

Or Bully learns to submit his Strength to the service of Love.

Queen

Either Snow Queen finally acts in Love for her children by accepting Responsibility.

Or Sorceress learns to submit her selfish Love to the greater love of Responsibility.

King

Either Puppet finally wields his Power out of a growing Perception.

Or Tyrant learns to submit his Power to the bigger picture of Perception.

Crone

Either Hermit finally accepts her Perception in order to grow into Wisdom.

Or Witch learns to submit her Perception to the truths of greater Wisdom.

Mage

Either Miser finally opens himself up through his Wisdom to gain Transcendence.

Or Sorcerer learns to surrender his worldly wisdom in exchange for true Transcendence.

Archetypes’ Relationships to Subsequent Shadow Archetypes as Represented by Other Characters

Maiden inspires Coward or outwits Bully with her inspiration.

Hero rescues Snow Queen or releases Sorceress with his love.

Queen empowers Puppet or overcomes Tyrant with her power.

King rallies Hermit or defeats Witch with his sacrifice.

Crone invigorates Miser or destroys Sorcerer through her wisdom.

Shadow Archetypes Overview

Damsel is Submissive (to protect from consequences of Dependence)

Vixen is Deceptive (aggressive use of Dependence)

Coward is Ineffectual (to protect from consequences of Courage)

Bully is Destructive (aggressive use of Courage)

Snow Queen is Defensive (to protect from consequences of Love)

Sorceress is Manipulative/Vampiric (aggressive use of Love)

Puppet is Irresponsible (to protect from consequences of Power)

Tyrant is Oppressive (aggressive use of Power)

Hermit is Misanthropic (to protect from consequences of Insight)

Witch is Punitive (aggressive use of Insight)

Miser is Selfish (to protect from consequences of Enlightenment)

Sorcerer is Evil (aggressive use of Enlightenment)

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And that’s a wrap! We have come to the end of our in-depth exploration of progressive archetypal character arcs. Have fun applying them to your stories (and your life)!

Related Posts:

Story Theory and the Quest for MeaningAn Introduction to Archetypal StoriesArchetypal Character Arcs: A New SeriesThe Maiden ArcThe Hero ArcThe Queen ArcThe King ArcThe Crone ArcThe Mage ArcIntroduction to the 12 Negative ArchetypesThe Maiden’s Shadow ArchetypesThe Hero’s Shadow ArchetypesThe Queen’s Shadow ArchetypesThe King’s Shadow ArchetypesThe Crone’s Shadow ArchetypesThe Mage’s Shadow ArchetypesIntroduction the 6 Flat ArchetypesThe ChildThe LoverThe ParentThe RulerThe ElderThe MentorHow to Use Archetypal Character Arcs in Your StoriesWordplayers, tell me your opinions! How do you think you might start using archetypal characters in your own stories? Tell me in the comments!

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