Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Obvious Archetypes in The Princess Bride

Look at the cover of this film; which side
represents the Ego, and which the Shadow?
Taken from Google Images
The Princess Bride is a comical fairytale told by a grandfather to his grandson.  This film is loved by generation after generation, but why?  Because it is full of archetypes that we have all seen many times before!  As a matter of fact, the film makes fun of archetypes, illustrating them in a blatantly obvious light for viewers.  As we conclude our unit on archetypes, I want you to watch this film closely, making notes of the various archetypes that you find within it. 

Your last journal prompt for this week will be based on this film.  Some ideas for your blog entry based on The Princess Bride and its archetypes are...

1. An autopsy of the archetypes within the film - if you cut them open, what do you find?
2. A critique of the archetypes in the film - how accurate are they to your knowledge of primary and secondary archetypes?
3. A diagram similar to the Jungian archetypes handout - where would each secondary archetype be placed within the diagram?
4. A Facebook page for one of the characters that illustrates them as an archetype, along with your knowledge of Jung's archetypes
5. An interview - "Mr. Westley, how does it feel when you are your Ego self?  What about when you put the mask on and become the Shadow?" or "Miss Buttercup, what is the most difficult part of being a lovely maiden?"
6. A nursery rhyme or poem that illustrates the various archetypes in the film
7. A portfolio of the various secondary archetypes within the film that analyzes each of them
8. A compare/contrast essay of Westley's Ego and Shadow - what he shows others and what he hides from them
9. A funny song that illustrates your knowledge of the film's archetypes

Possibilities are endless!  Have fun with this prompt!

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