You’ve Got Talent: Characterizing the Presentation of Magic
(Chapter 6 of 15)
VI. More Character Fun- Add Archetypes!
If you really need a way to kick start your character building process consider picking from pre-existing character archetypes that are popular in modern literature and psychology. An archetype is a prototype or model from which something is based. Character archetypes are usually deeply rooted in the myths and legends of many cultures. A significant character's role can often be associated with one of these archetypes, because storytelling is as old as these myths and legends and is how they were handed down to us. Archetypes connect your characters story to the rich heritage of all storytelling.
Character archetypes are separated into two categories. Major and Minor. While your major archetypes represent full embodiment of a character concept, idea, or behavior pattern the minor archetypes are usually personality traits that often accompany the major archetypes as a way of fleshing out a character and adding more flavor to them. In essence making them more three dimensional.
Some Major Archetypes are:
· The Trickster: The Trickster is a clown, a mischief maker. He provides the comedy relief that a story often needs to offset heavy dramatic tension. The trickster keeps things in proportion. The trickster overcomes his obstacles with cleaver thinking more so than brute force.
Example: Puck from Midsummer Nights’ Dream.
· The Willing Hero: The Hero will gladly endure hardships, submit to self sacrifice, over come obstacles, and right the wrongs, for sake of doing what is right. The hero must learn as he goes, and evolve or change as the story progresses. This version of the Hero archetype is more than willing to step up to the challenge and defeat what ever foes stand in his way.
Example: Hercules from Disney’s Hercules.
· The Unwilling Hero: The Unwilling Hero still fulfills the dueties common of all the Hero archetypes but is usually less than thrilled to do it. The Unwilling Hero often completes his journey out of necessity, or force more so than personal choice. External forces are at constant work to cause this characters evolution to take place, and journey to complete from beginning to end.
Example: Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit.
· The Mentor: The Mentor archetype can come in one of two varieties. Either Fallen or Established. Either way the character’s main purpose is still to guide, nurture, and help understand the workings of the universe. The Mentor represents the godlike qualities that are within us, and are usually portrayed by an older character. While the Established Mentor is usually someone with great respect such as an elder or spiritual authority, the Fallen Mentor has come onto a bit of hardship in their life, having failed at a major task or an important assignment. While still wise beyond their years, the Fallen Mentor also often on a personal quest for redemption.
Example: Obi Wan Kenobi from Star Wars.
· The Fool: The Fool is the archetype that represents new beginning, youthful energy, and new adventures abound. In Tarot the Fool is accompanied by his best friend (traditionally a dog) as he sets foot out into a dangerous world unaware of it’s traps and tribulations. (Usually depicted as having one foot extended over a cliff’s edge.)
Example: Frodo from Lord of the Rings
· The Shadow: The Shadow represents a negative aspect of a character who possesses traits that we would rather not attempt to emulate. They are often villains, or evil people whom offer a moral value to be learned from. They are antagonists, and often must be destroyed or overcome in order for the story to be resolved. While from a story perspective it is apparent that the Shadow is the obvious villain it is important to understand from a characters point of view that no man is evil in his own eyes. Perhaps the shadow’s actions are motivated by discrimination, hate, or misunderstanding?
Example: Darth Vader from Star Wars.
Now that you’ve seen just a sampling of some major character archetypes consider looking at some of the minor ones too. These minor archetypes can add valuable quarks to a character to help really add that extra needed bit of definition. While on the surface these minor archetypes can be helpful or beneficial, they also serve a duel nature. Such is the duality of life. What can be good, can also be bad. After all the road to Hell is paved with nothing else but good intentions. Associated with each minor archetype is a type of sin. The sin adds the extra layer of definition should you want it. It provides an alternative perspective to looking at a character.
Take for example the Major archetype role of the Hero. Now coupe that with the Minor Archetype of the Reformer. Now we have a hero who is seeking to change the establishment, fight against tyranny or over through an evil dictator. However, what if this same hero gives into the emotional sin of Wrath often associated with his minor archetype? Instead of being fueled with righteous anger at the oppression of his people by a tyrannical monster he is instead just fueled by anger at the world, at those who take no action, at those who are too weak to stand up for them selves. You can see we now have the makings of an Anti Hero, or even a Shadow (Villain). What started as a good idea, and a benefit to the character is quickly turning against him, all because we chose to examine the negative aspects of his Minor Character Archetype.
Some Minor Archetypes are:
· Reformer, Critique, Perfectionist: These closely tie into the sin of Wrath.
· Care Taker, Helper, Giver: These closely tie into the sin of Pride.
· Achiever, Performer, Succeeder: These closely tie into the sin of Deceit
· Romantic, Individualist, Artist: These closely tie into the sin of Envy.
· Observer, Thinker, Investigator: These closely tie into the sin of Greed.
· Loyalist, Devils Advocate, Defender: These closely tie into the sin of Fear.
· Enthusiast, Adventurer, Materialist: These closely tie into the sin of Gluttony
· Leader, Protector, Challenger: These closely tie into the sin of Lust
· Mediator, Peacemaker, Preservationist: These closely tie into the sin of Sloth.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that these major and minor archetypes are the only ways you can add definition to your character! As hinted at above, you could also consider adding classic sins and virtues to a character as well. After all, The classic sins and virtues, are nothing more than specific minor archetypes unto themselves, and just as before you can use any sin or virtue to add a darker or lighter element to a character. Don’t mistake sins for darker and virtues for lighter! Sometimes in the right situations, A virtue can be just as dark. After all it’s not the action of the actual sin that makes it so deadly. The sins are deadly because doing them in excess is where you get into trouble. The same is true for virtues. Take for an example an over zealous, pias, holy man can certainly be a villain. Don’t believe me? Just read the
Hunchback of Noterdame.”
Lets take a look at some classic sins and virtues. You’ll notice that each sin has an equal and opposite virtue. It’s no coincidence. Lust and Chastity are just two sides of the same coin. They are as follows.
The Sins:
· Gluttony: Consuming too much. Usually food.
· Lust: Strong or over powering desire for something. Usually Sex or power.
· Greed/Avarice: Strong desire for materialistic things
· Wrath: Over powering anger
· Pride: Over developed sense of self
· Envy: Power desire to possess what others have. Not happy with what you currently have.
· Sloth: Laziness, lack of motivation.
The Virtues:
· Courage/ Temperance: Physical Courage” is to face physical pain, hardship, or threat of death while “Moral Courage” is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement.
· Chastity/ Fidelity: Remaining sexually pure, until marriage, not sleeping with others once married.
· Charity: Giving to those less fortunate.
· Diligence Acting quickly, and justly
· Humility To avoid gaining a large ego, or over developed sense of self worth.
· Honesty: To tell the truth
· Purity: To be without undesirable character traits often deemed wrong, sinful, or abject to morality.
As you can see, character creation isn’t just a static I think I want to perform card tricks like this, and I’ll wear this outfit I found at hot topic because I think it looks cool. No creation of your performance character goes far deeper than just what others see when they look at you. It’s all the internal workings, thought, consideration, methods, rhymes, and reasons that create that outward appearance that people see. From the stage, to the streets, every single one of us performs a kind of character the minute we get in front of an audience. The only question is are you aware of who and what your character is, and are you aware of what motivates you or your character to perform the miracles that you do?
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