Synthesis II

       Lectures (outline taken from Holmes's lecture summaries):

1. Archetypal and Mythological Criticism
• archetype (element of fiction that we see repeated with its core meaning unchanged) v. myth (complete story, culturally foundational story)
• archetypes are widely shared experiences that show up in literature (reflect patterns of the human mind?)
• Fazer: noticed that myths from different cultures shared certain similarities; tend to be experiences that effect all human beings (death-rebirth)
• Jung: archetypes were representations of the collective unconscious (repository of emotions, ideas, memories) shared by all humans
• Campbell: monomyth; "hero's quest"
• Frye: used archetypes for literary criticism rather than social speculation; Archetypal Criticism
• mythoi:
• romance: circles at top
• tragedy: begins at top, ends at bottom
• irony: circles at bottom
• comedy: begins at bottom, ends at top
2. Tragedy and the Common Man
• tragedies used to apply only to the royal groups, but because modern psychiarty bases analysis upon these groups (Oedipus complex), and these apply to the now common man, tragedy has evolved to be suitable to contain common man characters
• tragic feeling evoked when we see someone who needs to retain their sense of dignity; tragedy also results from the indignant
• fatal flaw: unwillingness to remain passive when dignity is challenged
• author must be able to question absolutely everything
• tragedy should not be associated purely with pessimism; should reinforce audience's "brightest opinion of the human animal."
3. Theories of Humor/Comedy
• six elements required (apparently the failure on even one of these points will lead to the failure of the attempt at comedy all together) :
• appeal to the intellect
• mechanical
• remind the audience of humanity
• situation must be inconsistent with sorroundings
• percieved as painless