Archetypal

The Hobbit

Archetypes, Setting, and Themes in

Inspired by mythology, The Hobbit is a story about an unlikely, ordinary hero going on an unexpected journey, which presents many challenges, twists and turns. As with any story, there are a few archetypes present in this tale.

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The Hobbit

Match

Match the following characters from The Hobbit and their descriptions:

• The reluctant burglar with a "Tookish" side

• The wise wizard who guides the company

• The king of the dwarves who seeks his homeland

• The fierce dragon who stole the treasure

• The dwarf who complained and said Bilbo is more like a grocer than a burglar

Bilbo Baggins

Gandalf

Thorin Oakenshield

Smaug

Gloin

• Bilbo Baggins

• Gandalf

• Thorin Oakenshield

• Smaug

• Gloin

​What is an Archetype?

​The word "archetype" comes from
Greek arkhetypon - means model or pattern.
An archetype (ARK-uh-type) is an idea, symbol, setting, pattern, plot or character-type, in a story.

Archetypes are story elements that appear again and again in stories across time and throughout cultures. Archetypes symbolize something universal in the human experience.

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The History of Archetypes

Archetypes were studied by Carl Jung, (1875-1961) Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, who noted archetypes after studying various world mythology, religions, dreams, and societies. 

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​The writer Joseph Campbell wrote the famous The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which deeply studies the archetypal Hero. His book was the inspiration for Star Wars.

Here are a few archetypes and their descriptions. You most likely can think of some examples from stories.
A character can have more than one archetype.
There are many more than just these.

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Archetypes

​Iron Man is an example of an Archetype.

Heroes want to save everyone from harm. The hero struggles but overcomes challenges and serves the greater good, making a positive impact on their world. They often have a right of passage known as The Hero's Journey.

​Hero

Yoda is an Archetype.

​Sages are magical, pass on knowledge to a Hero, often having to die as a final act of passing on to the next generation. Often a liminal character that exists "between spaces"

Sage aka Mentor

The Jester archetype uses cleverness for getting his way, instead of brute force. Can be a hero or a villain. 

Liminal figure, “boundary crosser” - in terms of the journey itself and socially.

Often a thief that people root for; an extraordinarily good liar.

​​Jester aka Trickster

Examples you may recognize

​The Hero

• ​AKA warrior, crusader, rescuer, this archetype rises to meet a challenge and saves the day.

• Struggles against evil and demonstrates courage to save the day. ​

• Represents risk & achievement.

• Motivation: leaving a mark on the world.

​The Hero

• ​AKA warrior, crusader, rescuer, this archetype rises to meet a challenge and saves the day.

• Struggles against evil and demonstrates courage to save the day. ​

• Represents risk & achievement.

• Motivation: leaving a mark on the world.

​Typically goes on "The Hero's Journey":
Starts in the ordinary world,
Gets a "Call to Adventure," but first denies the call,
gets a mentor,
adventures to an unknown world, faces obstacles,
returns to the ordinary world a changed person.

Match

Match the following heroes and their stories

• Luke Skywalker

• Neo

• Frodo Baggins

• Wonder Woman

Star Wars

The Matrix

The Lord of the Rings

DC Comics

• Star Wars

• The Matrix

• The Lord of the Rings

• DC Comics

​Bilbo Baggins: The "Everyman"/Hero

Many main characters, such as Bilbo, display two archeytpal characteristics: The Hero and the Everyman.

Multiple Select

Which two characters represents the Everyman archetype?

• Emmet from The Lego Movie

• Gandalf the Grey

• Forrest Gump

• Maui from Moana

Multiple Select

Which two quotes best demonstrates that Bilbo embodies the archetype of the everyman and a reluctant hero in Chapter One?

• “Long ago in my grandfather Thror’s time our family was driven out of the far North, and came back with all their wealth and their tools to this Mountain on the map."

• “How could such a large door be kept secret from everybody outside, apart from the dragon?” He was only a little hobbit you must remember.

• "Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today."

• "I put it there myself. For very good reasons."

Multiple Select

Which characteristics and details show that Bilbo is an Everyman archetype?

CHOOSE THREE

• Bilbo's royal lineage and noble, very powerful heritage.

• Bilbo feels societal pressures to stay within accepted norms.

• Bilbo comes from a blended family and lives a very normal existence.

• Bilbo's relatable, ordinary life; he's a homebody, "only a little hobbit."

Take a look at these two archetypes.
What character from The Hobbit has these archetypes?

Multiple Choice

What character shows both the Sage and the Wizard archetypes?

• Gandalf

• Thorin Oakenshield

• Bilbo

Quest – the search for someone or something
Journey – the difficulties the hero must undergo to accomplish the task, usually involves traveling

​Battle between good & evil – we want good to win
Loss of innocence - character "grows up," matures, becomes less naive

Archetypal Settings/Situations:

​These have deeper, subconscious,
psychological meanings.

River - represents rebirth, crossing into new borders or new territory
The Forest - wild, unpredictable, primitive
The Small Town - judgmental
Cave(s) - turning inward; character delves into himself, becomes invisible

Archetypal Settings/Situations:

​These have deeper, subconscious,
psychological meanings.

Multiple Select

Which archetypal settings/situations apply to The Hobbit?

• The Small Town

• The Quest to "win our harps and gold from him"

• A story about a young wizard attending a magical school.
• An epic battle between humans and robots in a futuristic world.
• The Cave (there are two cave situations)

  Select this!

Vocabulary next

Multiple Choice

Definition of hearth:

• large, densely packed crowd of people

• fireplace; symbol of home

• bewildered or perplexed

Multiple Choice

Definition of flummoxed:

• large, densely packed crowd of people

• bewildered or perplexed

• fireplace; symbol of home

Multiple Choice

Definition of throng:

• character, symbol, plot pattern, or setting that appears in many stories across cultures and is recognizable because it represents shared human experiences

• bewildered or perplexed

• fireplace; symbol of home

• large, densely packed crowd of people