Character Archetypes in Romeo and Juliet

Character Archetypes in Romeo and Juliet Archetype an archetype is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature Shakespeare and Universal Appeal Appealing to all audiences means creating characters and situations that are relatable to all viewers One of Shakespeare’s most celebrated qualities is his ability to craft characters we feel automatically familiar with and situations we have lived in some form Archetypes Established long before Shakespeare Stories depend on (and have always depended on) archetypes in order to communicate theme Cha ra c te r Arc he ty pe s Thoug h the s itua tiona l a nd a ction- ba s e d a rche type s within S ha ke s pe a re ’s work a re jus t as significant, today we are focusing on the role of of archetypal characters Character Archetypes at Work in Romeo and Juliet: Star-crossed lovers Hopeless romantic The wise mentor The voice of reason The controlling parents The law-keeper The catalyst The bumbling fool The wise-cracking friend Star-crossed lovers Two lovers who, due to forces beyond their control, are unable to be together Related to “doomed” or “forbidden” love Ties back to the idea of “forbidden fruit”—by the end of the story, tends to bring about a realization at a great price “Hopeless” romantic This character believes in love above all else and while often viewed as silly or over-dramatic by other characters, embodies such human instincts as hope and faith in destiny and goodness The Wise Mentor Other characters approach this character in times of need—often asking for advice or solutions to complicated problems One of the most well-trusted characters—often older and more experienced than the hero The Voice of Reason This friend exists to remind the hero of his/her mortality and of the limitations that exist within the universe of the story Some stories treat this character as comedic element— there for the satisfaction of “defying all reason” Other stories include this character for the sake of having a “control group”—a person to represent “normal” in order to keep the story believable and relatable The Controlling Parents Popular in stories about young people, this role can also be filled by an overbearing boss or any other character with a great deal of power over the hero’s life Forces the hero into impossible situations by having immovable and (often according to the hero) unreasonable expectations for the hero Can, at times, exist simply to represent “tradition” in order to exaggerate the hero’s independence and innovative spirit The Law-Keeper Not necessarily a negative character, but a character that exists to enforce the laws of that story’s universe The Catalyst A character that starts of the chain of events necessary for the conflict to reach its climax Can start a fight, inform the hero of key information, or complete another task that can cause the hero to rush into action and bring about the resolution The Bumbling Fool In Shakespearian works, this is a “clown” character This character exists for comedic relief Often lower-class in some way, the fool’s ignorance can sometimes be used as a plot device, but is often simply for entertainment purposes The Wise-Cracking Friend A more evolved version of the afore-mentioned “fool”, this character is not ignorant, but rather arrogant Makes light of the hero’s dilemma through personal attacks or sarcasm Though occasionally used simply for entertainment, more often serves as a key part of the plot, or occasionally as a confidant Sometimes this character is also the “voice of reason” and acts to balance out or correct the hero’s faults Do Now: Complete the “Character Archetypes” sheet, being sure to include: Character from Romeo and Juliet that fits the archetype, and an explanation of why Character from another text that fits the archetype, and an explanation of why On the back, answer the essential question: what about Romeo and Juliet allowed Shakespeare to appeal to all audiences including and outside of his use of archetypes?