5 Classic Character Archetypes in Epic Storytelling

Note from Nick: This is a guest post from Jessica Mills.

Classic character archetypes are found in both the oldest stories known to man and modern fiction today, in cultures throughout the world. They are not restricted purely to written fictional prose, either: they can be found in plays, television, film and even non-fiction.

Some people confuse archetypes with stock characters, but they are quite different. A stock character is defined by his or her personality, behaviour and even appearance...