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Action and

Adventure!

To explore the range of


archetypes of the hero
character.

Starter:
According to our Russian friend Propp, there are also a list of stock characters:
The hero- who departs on a search (seeker-hero), reacts to the donor and weds at end
The villain- who struggles with the hero
The donor- who prepares and/or provides hero with magical agent
The helper- who assists, rescues, solves and/or transfigures the hero
The princess- a sought-for person (and/or her father), who exists as a goal and often recognizes and marries hero
and/or punishes villain
The dispatcher- who sends the hero off
The false hero- who claims to be the hero, often seeking and reacting like a real hero

Think of a list of about 5-6 heroes.


(Try and go for a range)

There isnt just one type of


hero

The Swordsman
The Commando
The Cop
The Epic Leader
The Superhero
The Explorer
The Woman

Which archetype
do you think your
heroes fit in to?

The Swordsman:
Profile: With a cutlass at his side and a faithful stead between his legs this is the Action
Hero from legend and fairy tale. Probably set in the past, somewhere in the east, or the
east in the past.
Motivation: There's a nasty evil overlord who's enslaving the people. The traditional hero
will cut him up and probably fight some monsters/big men along the way.
Mark of Masculinity: His steed and his cutlass.
Skills: Swordfighting, horse riding and romance.
Tools: Again, the sword and the horse. Possibly a mask. Perhaps a bow and arrow.
Examples: Zorro, Robin Hood, Aladdin, Conan, Prince of Persia.

From a by-gone age this hero comes from a time far more romantic than ours where heroes fought with sword instead of guns. Full of beautiful princesses,
kings, sultans, sorcery and mystery, the classic hero fights with honour and

TASK:
Split yourselves into 6 groups.
You will be assigned a hero archetype.
You must prepare a short presentation of the
Profile
Motivation
Skills
Tools
masculinity

of the following archetypes

The Commando:

Profile:

Motivation:

Skills:

Tools:

Examples: Rambo, Commando, Eraser, Dutch

Mark of Masculinity:

The commando is an almost extinct hero, but in his hey-day (The 80s) he was a
perfect example of everything it was to be male: strong, resourceful and tooled
up to the teeth with weapons, he always managed to over come the odds.

The Cop:
Profile:
Motivation:
Mark of Masculinity:
Skills: .
Tools:
Examples: Axel Foley, John McClane, Jack Traven

This also allows the audience to live out the fantasy of defying their orders and running amuck with a
gun. Cops and Cowboys are perhaps the closest things to the Commando, still retaining a decent
level of the male hormone.

The Epic Leader:


Profile:
Motivation:
Mark of Masculinity:
Skills:
Tools:
Examples: Maximus, Leonidas, William Wallace.

They manage to stay relevant by drawing on history to make a


comment on current politics.

The Superhero:
Profile:

Motivation:
Mark of Masculinity:
Skills:
Tools:
Examples: Batman, Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, Neo.

The boost in the popularity of this archetype is argued by many to be


a reaction to post 9/11 insecurities in urban environments, and the
rapid development of technology.

The Explorer:
Profile:

Motivation:
Mark of Masculinity:
Skills:
Tools:
Examples: Alan Grant, Indiana Jones, Captain Kirk

This hero is a mixture of the donor character from Propps


theory and the traditional hero. Knowledge is power for this hero.
You could argue that he is a smarter version of The Commando.

The Woman
Profile:
Motivation:
Mark of Masculinity:
Skills:
Tools:
Examples: Sarah Connor, Ripley, Alice, The Bride.

James Cameron sort of invented this archetype with Terminator.


Seen by many to be a feminist reaction to the masculine
commando films of the 80s.

Use the next few


slides to fill in any
gaps you may have

The Swordsman:
Profile: With a cutlass at his side and a faithful stead between his legs this is the Action
Hero from legend and fairy tale. Probably set in the past, somewhere in the east, or the
east in the past.
Motivation: There's a nasty evil overlord who's enslaving the people. The traditional hero
will cut him up and probably fight some monsters/big men along the way.
Mark of Masculinity: His steed and his cutlass.
Skills: Swordfighting, horse riding and romance.
Tools: Again, the sword and the horse. Possibly a mask. Perhaps a bow and arrow.
Examples: Zorro, Robin Hood, Aladdin, Conan, Prince of Persia.

From a by-gone age this hero comes from a time far more romantic than ours where heroes fought with sword instead of guns. Full of beautiful princesses,
kings, sultans, sorcery and mystery, the classic hero fights with honour and

The Commando:

Profile: Usually incredibly muscular and savage they carry equally big man guns
and knifes. By the end of the film they will have their top off and be covered in
blood.
Motivation: They're sent by a government agency/the army to take out a
terrorist threat probably in a jungle.
Mark of Masculinity: This guy couldn't be more masculine; he's the most
muscular man IN THE WORLD. He also has big guns, big knives and is just
generally big.
Skills: He's a commando, he can kill an entire army of men and probably not be
seen.
Tools: Guns, Knives, Bombs, maybe a tank or something big.
Examples: Rambo, Commando, Eraser, Dutch

The commando is an almost extinct hero, but in his hey-day (The 80s) he was
a perfect example of everything it was to be male: strong, resourceful and
tooled up to the teeth with weapons, he always managed to over come the
odds.

The Cop:
Profile: A cop who has a problem with authority, a lose cannon untamed. This is ALWAYS the case. He
may or may not have a 'buddy' with whom much humour will be generated. The cop is never in uniform.
It's quite likely that his wife was killed.
Motivation: He's been suspended for being untameable and now he's out to get the bad guys and get
his job back so he can do it all again.
Mark of Masculinity: Hating authority.
Skills: Really accurate shooting, one liners.
Tools: Cop badge and gun.
Examples: Axel Foley, John McClane, Jack Traven

This also allows the audience to live out the fantasy of defying their orders and running amuck
with a gun. Cops and Cowboys are perhaps the closest things to the Commando, still retaining a
decent level of the male hormone.

The Epic Leader:


Profile: The epic leader is a character in a period piece who commands
a massive army. For some reason he almost always dies at the end of
the film... up until that point however he normally does okay.
Motivation: Peace usually. (which is ironic)
Mark of Masculinity: Have a massive army of warriors.
Skills: Leadership, good with a sword and a shield. Public speaking.
Tools: Sword, shield, horse and massive army.
Examples: Maximus, Leonidas, William Wallace.

They manage to stay relevant by drawing on history to make a


comment on current politics.

The Superhero:

Profile: Not like regular guys- instantly this means the superhero is isolated
from others. They will fight somebody equally mutated, but fighting for the
well being of ordinary folk.
Motivation: Destroy their polar opposite, usually the villain who is just as
super as they are.
Mark of Masculinity: Tight clothing which extenuates the height and
muscles.
Skills: Hand to hand combat, athleticism, secrecy.
Tools: Technology, the supernatural, their loving (but rather ordinary)
friends.
Examples: Batman, Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, Neo.

The boost in the popularity of this archetype is argued by many to be


a reaction to post 9/11 insecurities in urban environments, and the
rapid development of technology.

The Explorer:

Profile: Quiet type who is happy digging around in their university until
somebody very rich (usually the government) will offer a financial grant if our
hero will go and find a mythical object.
Motivation: Money to fund their intellectual studies and further the
knowledge of mankind.
Mark of Masculinity: Rugged good looks, keen to be outdoors (hunter
gatherer style)
Skills: Languages, orienteering, other cultures/species.
Tools: Knowledge, nature, ropes, trusty backpack.
Examples: Alan Grant, Indiana Jones, Captain Kirk

This hero is a mixture of the donor character from Propps


theory and the traditional hero. Knowledge is power for this hero.
You could argue that he is a smarter version of The Commando.

The Woman
Profile: Lone woman in the wilderness (rural or urban) Due to lack of men
around, woman has to defeat the bad guy, usually the villain wants to hurt
the womans child. Usually this hero is tall and stereotypically unfeminine.
Motivation: Protect the children, maternal instincts, revenge.
Mark of Masculinity: Traditional weaponry, determination to protect.
Skills: Resourceful, intelligent, caring.
Tools: Emotional and mental strength,
Examples: Sarah Connor, Ripley, Alice, The Bride.

James Cameron sort of invented this archetype with Terminator.


Seen by many to be a feminist reaction to the masculine
commando films of the 80s.

THE BIG QUESTION


Which one is Bond? Justify your answer!

The Swordsman? The Commando? The


Cop? The Epic Leader? The Superhero?
The Explorer? The Woman?

Homework
(Due

One paragraph on which hero archetype


James Bond is.

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