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Archetype Definition & Worksheets

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An archetype is a typical character, situation, or action that is expected, easy to spot, and follows our ideas of what that character should be. For instance, what comes to mind when you think of a superhero? Most of us think of a strong man who wears a costume and saves people. We think of characters like Batman, Spiderman, and Superman. These superheros are strong, wear costumes, and save people or cities. Therefore, they are archetypes, or what we expect of a superhero. We recognize archetypes quickly because they occur often and we see them repeatedly.

For instance, what is a hero? We often think of a hero as a main character in a book, movie, or story that is the good person. This hero usually fights the bad guys, or he/she fights evil. The hero does good in order to uphold justice and the law. The hero also tries to protect the innocent and those who are weaker. We think of characters like Robin Hood and Superman as heroes. Robin hood gives to those in need and fights those who take money from the poor. Superman fights anyone who tries to harm others. We can easily notice who the heroes are in a story because of their actions. Some famous heros include James Bond, Hercules, Katniss Everdeen (from The Hunger Games), and Bugs Bunny.

Another archetype is the villain. Just like the hero, we can spot a villain by his/her actions as well. A villain is usually the bad guy who is trying to hurt others, kill the hero, and take over the world. However, it is not just their actions that help us recognize them. We often think that villains talk and dress a certain way too. Villains have deep voices that are scary or threatening. Villains who are women often have an evil laugh. Villains, unlike the hero, dress in dark colors, like black. We spot the villain through clothing, colors, and actions. We often expect villains to do certain things, such as give a long speech on how they will take over the world. Some famous villains include the Joker, Darth Vader (from Star Wars), Dracula, Cruella da Vil (from 101 Dalmations), Magneto (from X-men), Loki, and Sauron (from The Lord of the Rings).

We also expect villains to be defeated by heroes. The story of hero beating villain is an archetype: it is a story we expect. The story itself is usually considered “good versus evil,” and we always expect good to win over evil in stories. In this way, the situation and story can also be considered an archetype.

Archetypes do not have to match our ideas and expectations exactly. Characters and stories can be slightly different from what we expect, but they both should closely follow our expectations in order to be considered an archetype. If we can quickly identify someone or something based on their characteristics and how those characteristics fit our expectations, then that person or situation is part of an archetype.

Archetype Worksheets

This bundle contains 5 ready-to-use Archetype worksheets that are perfect to test student knowledge and understanding of what archetype is. You can use these Archetype worksheets in the classroom with students, or with home schooled children as well.

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Link will appear as Archetype Definition & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 10, 2017

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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