Captain America Archetype Analysis

Captain America is a new 2011 film about a young scrawny man who is deemed unfit for military service, volunteers to undergo an experiment for the US army for a Super Soldier Program. By doing this he becomes Captain America and must fight along side his fellow soldiers in war and against other foes.

Character Archetypes

Hero: Captain America  is the hero character within the film, he must fulfill a task such as restoring peace/ justice to his country through fighting his enemies.  He experiences an initiation which is undergoing the experiment to become Captain America. He is the hero as a warrior because like some super heroes he has god-like powers and must face physical challenges and external enemies.

Devil Figure/ Creature of Nightmare: From watching the trailer I'm assuming the red-faced character who pulls off his disguise is most likely the evil figure within the movie in charge of the army trying to defeat Captain America

Journey Archetypes

From watching the trailer Captain America is on a journey to save his people and rid the land of danger. The movie is probably set during World War 2 and upon receiving his super powers the hero must stop the evil Nazis enemies, specifically the red-faced figure. Like most super heroes Captain America must stop his enemies in order to save  his country and people (a warriors journey to save his people). During his journey the hero goes through an event that marks a change such as the experiment to become Captain America, he also meets a monstrous man, the red-faced figure, and must fight along side his fellow soldiers in the war. Our hero seems to be one of a kind. The hero is special and represents a nation because of his title, Captain America.

Symbolic Archetypes


Light vs. Darkness: Captian America symbolizes the light (hope/ renewal) who is in a fight against the enemies in war who symbolize the darkness (the unknown)
Supernatural Intervention: The weak man is given super human powers or strength to make him Captain America
Red: symbolizes the red- faced evil figure who represents death and anger which reflects his motifs in this movie
White: scientists in white lab coats symbolize creative force. They are the creative force behind the hero.
Circle: the hero's shield, symbolizes perfection- reflects his purpose to rid the land of danger.
Masks: concealment- the red faced figure wore a disguise to conceal his face, his real form which is why we don't really know who he is in the trailer. He wants to hide his identity and actions behind his darkness.

In the trailer there was a short clip of Captain America doubting himself. This is a possible clue of internal conflict within the hero which I think is common among hero's with such big responsibilities. What could have led to that internal conflict? Did the hero experience something that could have led him to question his purpose?

Damsels in Distress or Heroines

Have you ever noticed that damsels in distress are the ones who are trapped somewhere in solitude like a tower or cottage far away from others? And that they seem to be animal lovers and are one with nature (Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel)? I just noticed that damsels in distress seem to all be vulnerable to the world.


Growing up reading and watching classic Disney movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White, I remembered the females in the movies were damsels in distress. It seems that long ago the female was seen as that vulnerable character who awaits in a tower or cottage surrounded by solitude waiting for her prince charming to save her.

Now a days there seems to be a "woman movement" in films. Recent ones that come to mind are Sucker Punch and Hanna, both movies follow a dangerous heroine on a journey. In Sucker Punch a young girl is sent to a mental asylum by her step father, while in the asylum she searches for a way of escape with the help of other girl inmates. Hanna follows a teenage girl who was raised away from society by her father to become the perfect assassin. Both movies have the teenage girl as the heroine on a dangerous journey to figure out some sort of truth . Because these 2 movies showcase the female in the role of dominance, I think it conveys the equality that both male and females can be the hero. Maybe the rise in female heroines is a new wave of story lines stepping outside the literary norm or maybe its a statement that females don't have to be that vulnerable character locked away to be saved by a prince to live happily ever after.

 From first glance these movies kind of give off the idea that females can be strong, independent people. Other TV shows that come to mind are Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Nikita.  It seems as though now in modern pop culture we are seeing more and more female dominance in media typically movies or tv series. I think this modern era is giving movies or tv shows a more realistic side of portraying women as they aren't all vulnerable or damsels all the time. Rachel McAdams' character in the 2009 Sherlock Holmes, Irene Adler, is Holmes lover who in one scene is strapped to a conveyor belt in a slaughterhouse and saved from being sawed in two by a chainsaw. Yet in another scene she isn't the helpless damsel, instead she is able rob 2 men who tried to rob her. This kind of situation can also be seen in the Scooby Doo tv show with Daphne falling through trap  doors and such countless times  but at the same time being a wisecrack heroine such as opening locks with strange items from her purse. I guess having that female protagonist is giving females a new outlook on life.

To what extent are females considered damsels in distress in movies or stories (are females completely helpless in more modern movies and stories)?Do you think the rise in heroines are replacing the more dominant male heroes making them the "damsels in distress" or will the heroine still be considered the damsel? 

Exploring Symbolism in a Batman Game

My brother plays a lot of Xbox and recently got the Batman: Arckham Asylum game that he beat in 3 days. The game is based on the idea of Batman fighting evil thugs and characters to get to the boss, the Joker. While watching him play this game I noticed that the different colors of the characters and landscape have a lot of symbolism.

Colors and Symbolism
The setting of game is set on a prison island that is conveyed in a dark, foggy landscape, this represents the darkness and mystery of the island. It shows the landscape is an unknown area that contains chaos, death, or evil.

Batman is the hero within the game and interestingly he is always dressed in black or dark colors. In this case, Batman's darkness symbolizes mystery as many people don't really know or understand who he is. Unlike other heroes, Batman seems to not care about being in the spot light with bright, exuberant colors, he wants to remain a mystery to both the public and his foes.

The Joker is a crazy, psychotic, freaky, funny character who wants to get rid of or kill Batman. Because the Joker is such a dramatic character, the colors on him really reflect who he is. The Joker is clown in a suit, he has white and red clown-like makeup and green hair. White represents peace or innocence while the red symbolizes emotion such as anger or excitement, this reflects the personality of a clown like the Joker. Clowns are often seen as funny characters with a range of emotions, the Joker is constantly in a crazy enthusiastic mood with emotions that can change dramatically. Most of the time for the worst when it comes to getting rid of Batman. The Joker is quite a unique evil figure who distorts the image of what clowns are.

Other characters like the police officers and guards are dressed in blue which simply represents innocence and devotion. They are devoted to standing guard and keeping order within the prison while at the same time they are innocent characters tortured by the Joker and his evil plans.

Object symbolism in this Batman game include shadows and masks. Throughout the whole game there are quite a lot of shadows cast by people and objects such as trees or bushes. This really portrays the dark, evil side of the game as mostly every person or tree casts a shadow which adds to the darkness of the setting. The Joker's men all wear masks of clown make up trying to "conceal" or hide something. Maybe they're trying to hide who they are which contributes to the mystery of the prison and its people inside.

Could there be hidden symbolism within games or movies that contribute to a bigger meaning of the story like themes or morals?

Can Archetypes Be Found in Sports?

Trying to "step outside of the box" I came up with archetypes within sports. In every sport there are 2 opposing teams or players fighting for the ultimate reward: victory.

Color Symbolism:

The home team in basketball, soccer, football, or volleyball (for example) wears a white or light colored jersey while the visitor wears a black or dark colored jersey. These specific colors hold symbolism such as white being the color of truth and good, and black being the color of evil or the unknown bringing about the idea of them being the enemy. The referees in many of these sports wear a black and white striped top which could symbolize them being on both sides of the game and being equal. The black and white symbolizes truth/ good while at the same time symbolizing the unknown. You never know what a ref calls, they are sometimes unpredictable, but whatever they call its usually fair.

Character archetypes:

The coaches on either team are considered the mentors, they coach, aid, and give advice to the players helping them to victory. Without a mentor a team would be hopeless.

Depending on whose side you're on the opposing team or player is the evil figure or antagonist. They try to stop you at all costs and are the obstacles in your way preventing you from that win.

Let's say you're playing a basketball game and you're team is behind a few points. Your coach is looking down and disappointed on the sidelines, he or she is helpless and in need of a win. We could consider the coach to be the "damsel in distress". You and your team fight through the game to save your coach from an utterly disappointing lose.

In any team sport, your team is like your hunting group of companions. Together you and your team work together to obtain that win, they are there to help you through hardships, such as a tough lose. In any sport a team sticks together to help each other through any situation

I was able to pull out some archetypes from sports which didn't prove to be a very easy task but can you see any archetypes in modern day society today? Have some of these archetypes been around for centuries? (ex. heroes and damsels in distress)

Clint Eastwood, Alcatraz, and Archetypes

We all know Clint Eastwood is a very successful actor, director, and producer. One of my favorite movies in which he starred in is the suspenseful 1979 Escape from Alcatraz, based on a true story of a group of inmates who attempted and were able to escape the notorious Alcatraz prison island. The movie follows Frank Morris (Eastwood) a convict sent to Alcatraz and with help from 3 other inmates they were able to escape, but as the story goes it was never known if they made it to shore or drowned.

The movie is seen on the criminals side but I was still able to pick out a few important archetypes and symbols:

Even though the characters in this movie are all criminals we can see archetypes within the story starting with Morris. He's the protagonist of the story and we can consider Frank Morris to be the hero. The hero takes risks and reaps the rewards which he usually shares with others. Morris is responsible for most of the actions in the movie, he takes risks planning out his escape by stealing tools, digging through his cell wall, bringing others into his plan, and ultimately possibly getting caught because of his actions. He shares his reward (escape from the prison) with his other inmates, Clarence and John Anglin.

Morris' other inmates, Clarence and John Anglin, are his group of companions, along with Charley Butts who was unable to escape with them. These 3 inmates can be considered as Morris' royal retainers who were along side Morris throughout their escape. They helped collect supplies, were on the look out for guards while one was digging, and ultimitely helpd each other during the escape.

Important Symbols:

Sea- the San Fransisco Bay surrounding Alcatraz represents death/ rebirth, and spiritual mystery. All inmates hope to escape and the sea is the first part to the escape, its also the first thing they see when looking out of Alcatraz. It can be their pass to rebirth and freedom or death. Its a mystery as few inmates who have escaped have drowned in the Bay (death), and in Morris' case, possibly made it and this symbolizes rebirth and reintegration into society.

Blue- the color of the sea. This is usually positive, truth, and security. When the inmates escape their first taste of  freedom is the sea which symbolizes security because it vaguely secures their sense of freedom.

Black/darkness- the atmosphere of the prison is always dark and black which symbolizes chaos, mystery, the unknown, death, evil, and melancholy all of which best describe Alcatraz and the happenings which occur inside.

The number 3- Morris has 3 accomplices who help each other to escape. The number 3 is a symbol of holy trinity or unity. Morris and his 3 accomplices create a unity between them that helps them to survive through life in the prison and to escape in the end.

Do you think Frank Morris was really seen as a "hero" to the other inmates because he was able to escape and not be found?

Megamind vs. Shrek

Over the weekend I watched the movie Megamind and found that the character archetypes within the movie were different than the traditional mythological archetypes. 

Plot
After super-villain Megamind kills his good-guy nemesis, Metro Man, he becomes bored since there is no one left to fight. He creates a new foe, Titan, who, instead of using his powers for good, sets out to destroy the world, positioning Megamind to become the good guy and save the day for the first time in his life.

Megamind is easily related to the Shrek movies. The hero in both movies is a character who doesn't seem to be the hero type but more of the opposite. Megamind was first seen as the super-villain in the city and Shrek was the ogre who was hated and feared, both were detested by the city/ village people but became the hero who saved the people for good. Both seen as the anti-hero character. A big part of the hero is his sidekick, Minion is Megamind's sidekick and Donkey is Shrek's sidekick. In both movies the sidekick doesn't get as much credit as the main character and there is eventually a fight between the two resulting in the sidekick to leave but eventually come back and help save the day. They are the loyal retainers who are there through thick and thin. Another important part of these archetypes is the damsel in distress. Roxanne Ritchie is the tv reporter who is always kidnapped by Megamind however she doesn't seemed to be phased or completely helpless just like Fiona in Shrek. They both are damsels in distress who are able to hold their own and help themselves, they aren't the typical helpless female. Without the hero there woudn't be an evil figure in a story. In Megamind, Titan, is seen as the evil figure who at first was good hearted but became evil becaue of jealousy and pride. This is very similar to the Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2 whose intentions were good at first (she wanted to help Fiona) but soon turned against Fiona and Shrek because of jealousy.

Many movies today use mythological archetypes but with a twist like Megamind and Shrek.

What other movies or stories have a twist in archetypes and what effect does this have on the plot line?