Archetype

Definition

A character’s identity in the world — their social position, vocation, cultural status, or worldview. The Archetype is fixed: it must be either chosen long before the story begins or assigned by birth. It cannot change over the course of the story.

The Archetype is the first thing the world sees about a character. It determines how others treat them, what opportunities are available to them, and — critically — how their Ironic Talent lands.

Why This Term Matters

The Archetype is what makes the Ironic Talent ironic. A great chef is unremarkable. A rat who is a great chef — that is a story. The gap between Archetype and Talent is the engine of dramatic irony in every TSM story. The Archetype also determines the social hierarchy: the Protagonist has a lower-status Archetype than the Antagonist, and the Muse has the lowest-status Archetype of all three.

The Visibility Test

A valid Archetype must pass the Visibility Test: is the character’s Archetype immediately visible or knowable to others in the world? If the audience and the world both need to be told what the Archetype is rather than shown it, it is too abstract. Archetypes should be concrete enough that they create instant social friction.

In a Kind Comedy — Examples

Ratatouille:

• Remy: Rat (assigned by birth — cannot change)
• Skinner: Head Chef (chosen, established before the story — cannot change)
• Linguini: Garbage Boy (lowest status — cannot change within the story’s time frame)

In Bruges:

• Ray: British Hitman on the run (chosen before the story — cannot change)
• Harry: Crime Boss (higher status — cannot change)
• Chloë: Local woman in Bruges (lower status in the hitman world)

In a Tragedy

Coming soon.

Learn More

Archetypes are developed in the character worksheet in the Kind Comedy Course on learn.tale-spinning.com and introduced in the free Fundamentals Course.

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