7 traditional story archetypes

Archetypes are typically relied on to represent fundamental narratives that resonate with audiences, leaving them with a strong impression from their themes and motifs – often universally recognised by readers, no matter their culture.

This blog will delve into the main archetypes found within stories – including classic fairy tales like quests and heartbreaking tragedies. Christopher Booker’s ‘The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories’ is the best known framework for the 7 story archetypes.

What are archetypes?

Story archetypes are recurring themes or patterns found in many different forms of story, including mythology, literature and others. They transcend time periods, genres and formats, although they tend to get recycled, so keep your eyes peeled to see if you can spot them when reading.

Archetypes serve as blueprints for narratives, and writers often use them as they’ve had an, ahem, storied past and extensive uses. Excellent writers put a spin on them, by subverting expectations or creating interesting character developments which may be at odds with the archetypes: but there’s nothing wrong with using archetypes in your writing.

Rags to riches

These stories usually revolve around a destitute main character, who may be lacking money, power, love or something else. At some point, they will be lucky enough to gain their biggest desire – whether this happens through luck, battle, magic or some other means, they’re likely to  be dancing with glee – that is, until they end up losing it again. The rags to riches storyline follows them as they struggle to regain what they once had.

The rags to riches plot is popular in fairy tales like Cinderella or Aladdin, but it also has more updated versions like The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald or even The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardener. Most commonly, strong themes like ambition, hard work and pursuing dreams emerge from rags to riches stories: and usually, they have a happy ending!

The quest

This plot line follows characters on a journey to a certain location, on their quest to gain a certain object or fulfill a certain objective. Oftentimes, they will be seeking a valuable object, knowledge or to complete their goal. Narratives can take many forms, such as the search for a lost treasure, the pursuit of enlightenment or even a pilgrimage to fulfill a prophecy.

Classic examples of quests have been portrayed in Homer’s The Odyssey, which has also inspired other stories like The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein. But you also have examples like Indiana Jones and even subplots within Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, as well as ancient legends like King Arthur and The Holy Grail.

Rebirth

Deeply rooted in religion, rebirth stories typically show extreme character development akin to the Bible’s resurrection of Jesus. Characters will often be spooked into behaving due to external forces which force them to change their ways.

Perhaps the most commonly-quoted rebirth story, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens features Scrooge changing from a miserly man to a jolly, happy person.

Overcoming the monster

This archetype involves characters facing and defeating a great evil threat. Often, this formidable antagonist has been a great foe, possibly hindering them personally or impacting the world itself. Variations of this archetype involve metaphorical monsters, who may represent internal fears or oppressive systems – which can in themselves be monsters to overcome.

Examples of this archetype include the classic Beowulf, where the hero must slay Grendel and his mother, who are terrorising Denmark. More recent examples include Jaws by Peter Benhley, where the monster is a shark, or To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Tragedy

Tragedy is characterised by the downfall of a noble protagonist, often due to a fatal character flaw, or even external circumstances beyond their control. A tragic hero is often the main protagonist of such stories, such as Hamlet in, well, Hamlet or Macbeth in, erm, Macbeth.

Tragic narratives evoke emotions like pity and fear, prompting the audience to reflect on the human condition – including the inevitability of suffering and loss. Cheery, right? Examples of this archetype include many of Shakespeare’s plays, like the ones mentioned above, but also more modern re-tellings like Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, or Sophie’s Choice, by William Styron.

Comedy

On a lighter note, the comedy archetype is the direct opposite of a tragedy – which involves humorous situations and happy endings. Its stories are characterised by optimistic resolutions often involving romantic entanglements, mistaken identity or absurd situations.

There are so many different types of comedy, such as romantic comedy, satire, slapstick, farce – and loads more if you count genre-blends like sci-fi comedies. Each one has its own conventions and comedic devices. Light-hearted stories like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and Good Omens by Neil Gaiman.

The voyage (and return!)

In voyage stories, characters travel to unfamiliar lands and return a new person – as these journeys can be metaphorical as well as literal. Along the way, they will encounter challenges, gain insights into themselves and the world around them, and ultimately become more knowledgeable.

As before, the voyage and return genre can span genres like fantasy, science fiction, adventure, and even coming-of-age narratives. Prominent examples of this genre include Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum or even The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein.

I’m done archetyping

That was a whistle-stop tour of the 7 traditional story archetypes, which are found in a lot of stories all over the world. Writers tend to drift between fully embracing the conventions of their chosen archetype, or completely subverting them and seeing where the wilderness leads. Try and spot them when reading!