The Monster Archetypes In Literature
The monster archetype has been one of the most riveting archetypes that surrounds the concept of ‘evil’. It has been portrayed as a supernatural creature with grotesque features that normally brings disruption to the city and needs to be tamed or controlled to bring once again peace to the story. Due to this, it is most commonly depicted with a negative connotation, and with the idea of horror and fear. The monster has been present since the bible, which was written approximately 3,400 years ago, with the anecdote of Goliath. It has remained with its primary role of converting the protagonist into a hero and providing fear to the storyline. The monster archetype in both modern and ancient literature has been shaped to benefit the protagonist, which is depicted with the conversion of the protagonist to the hero, the element of the climax, and its important role of protection.
Converting the protagonist into the hero
One of the main roles that the idea of a monster faces is converting the protagonist into a hero. This is
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This work of literature revolves around the protagonist, Bellerophon, whom as a sign of forgiveness towards King Proetus had to kill the savage beast, Chimera. Chimera is described as an animal with a “ head of a lion” and “a snake for a tail”. Due to its abnormalities, it is perceived as a monster in greek mythology. Bellerophon was sent to kill Chimera after he killed a guest in his wedding to Aethra. He was sent to kill this monster as it was ravishing the land and needed to be tamed in order to bring peace and forgiveness once again to the land. He rode into battle against the monster with the help of his trusty pegasus and killed it by “driving a lead-tipped spear into its fiery gullet”(citation?). After his deed was done, he was named one of the most recognizable heroes in greek mythology as he had killed a monster that was thought to be
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Stephen Asma Monsters And The Moral Imagination Summary
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Jeffrey Jerome Cohen's Monster Culture
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Archetypes In Frankenstein Research Paper
457 Words | 2 PagesThe mad scientist archetype is a prevalent literary trope, and it is especially prominent in Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein, the titular character, is a brilliant scientist who is obsessed with the idea of creating life from non-living matter. However, his attempts at playing God eventually lead to disastrous consequences, and the novel serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of humans playing with forces beyond their control. At the heart of the novel is the idea that humans cannot play God. Victor Frankenstein's experiment to create life from non-living matter is an act of hubris, and it ultimately leads to his downfall.
Monsters In Beowulf, Grendel, And The 13th Warrior
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Analysis Of Jeffrey Jerome Cohen's Monster Culture
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Monster Culture Seven Theses Analysis
737 Words | 3 PagesThe seventh thesis “The Monster Stands at the Threshold…of Becoming” brings attention to the fact that we are the creators of monsters. They make us question why we have created them; how we perceive the world, how we have misinterpreted so that we can reevaluate cultural assumptions about the different race, gender, sexuality.
Archetypal Symbolism In Frankenstein
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Examples Of Monstrosity In Frankenstein
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Monsters In Nineteenth Century Literature
535 Words | 3 PagesQuestion: To what extent is nineteenth-century literature concerned with examining what it means to be human? Thesis: Using Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I will formulate an essay constructing how the two nineteenth-century monsters embody the fears and realities of what it means to be human at the time and in the centuries that follow. Clasen, Mathias.
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