You will choose a character archetype to examine. You may decide to work with the archetypes that are described in the lesson, or, if you wish, you may do a bit of research and find one other. If you choose to explore an archetype other than those presented in the lesson, please be sure to include a description of that archetype with your assignment.
You will then identify a character (from a novel, a short story, a play, a movie, or a television show) that represents the archetype you have chosen.
Please do not write about a character which I have cited as an example in the lesson.
Write a 300-400 word character sketch for the character you have chosen. Be sure to identify the character (name and text/movie title) and the archetype in the title of the character sketch. Don’t write a summary of the story; focus on explaining how well the character fits the archetype.
In this activity, you will:
Identify and articulate expectations regarding various character archetypes, such as the hero, the villain, the seductive muse, the maiden, the trickster or the sage; review a range of novels, written plays, short stories, movies, and television shows to identify characters; select one example of an archetypal character from a novel, written play, short story, movie, or television show;
Describe the character in a character sketch in about 300 words, including an analysis of how the character fits the archetype you have identified; and Demonstrate your analysis in writing in an organized and articulate manner.
How will it be marked?
This assignment will be marked on the following criteria:
You have:
Identified and described an example of an archetypal character
provided a succinct but accurate description of the character you have chosen as an example of the archetype
analyzed and evaluated the effectiveness with which the character fits the archetype
written in a formal tone in Standard English, with an awareness of the elements of writing, including sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and organization.
