Thinking Activity on Archetypes of Literature by Northrop Frye

Q1- What is Archetypal Criticism? What does the archetypal critic do?

The word Archetype in Literary criticism denotes the following things:-
a) Recurrent narrative designs
b) patterns of action
c) character types
d) themes and images

Myth
Myth in archetypal criticism plays a vital role. treatment of myth denotes the common pattern of literature. From past to till present there came many writers who practiced various myth in their work of art. For eg. James G. Frazer's work "The golden bough" identified elemental pattern of myth and ritual.

Archetypal Criticism
Archetypal criticism is mainly focuses on interpreting the text by focusing on the myth and rituals. Archetype is a structure in which all things are made or prepared in similar manner, for eg, pot making in which all the mud was poured or made in such way that similar structured pot prepared. we also find same archetypal structure in animals also cat and tiger are very much similar to each other, The difference is only of their size.


This type of common structure among different living or non-living is called Archetypes. It is similarly applied in Literature also where we find that many novels, poems are written in same way or same narrative, where a hero fight for his beloved and in end both met.We find same plot structure in many of the films.
Archetypal Critic normally criticize the work of art by focusing on the common archetype which was built in mind from very earlier times.

Q2- What is Frye trying to prove by giving an analogy of "Physics to nature" and "Criticism to literature"? explain your views on literature as organized body of literature?

Frye gives a unique vision of Archetypal Criticism by connecting it to nature. He describes four season and according to these seasons he gives the characteristics of human life:-

a) Spring season



Spring season denotes comedy. because comedy signifies the birth, revival and resurrection of hero and similarly spring also signifies the firth of new season by defeating the darkness of winter season.




b) Summer season






Summer season denotes romance because we can see culmination or triumph in both these terms, in summer we can see culmination of life and in romance we can see sort of triumph, usually in the form of marriage.

c) Autumn season






Autumn season denotes tragedy, as it reflects the dying stage of life, in this season all the leaves of the tree fallen down and tree becomes lifeless. Similarly in tragedy there is fall or demise of protagonist.

d) Winter season



Winter season denotes satire because of darkness. Satire reflects the darkness of literature, it is disillusioned and mocking form of literature.




A student who is studying art of nature never says that he or she is studying nature, they always says that they are studying PHYSICS. however physics is also a study of nature itself.

A literature student also reply that he or she is studying Literature, but in real we are not studying literature we are studying the Criticism of literature. learning and teaching of literature cannot be done, we are only doing criticism of literature, criticism is the different branch of knowledge apart from literature. therefore though I am studying literature, I am learning criticism. we find science in organised way but literature never organised, if it is, then we are killing literature. literature never knows its boundaries, it is all about freedom. if we are banning or controlling something, then it cannot be said as literature.

Criticism can be organised but literature cannot.



Q3- Mention the relationship of literature with history and philosophy.

Literature is the central division of Humanities. Historical sense and Philosophy are about morality, ethics and all these things are required when we study literature. Philosophy is about existence and it progressively moves on, its ideas never stopped. Northrop Frye says that without reasoning and thinking to jump on any type of conclusion is not valid process. we have to look upon the framework of history which is based on evidence. Histories are never written without evidence. BUT THAT FRAMEWORK OF HISTORY MUST BE CHECKED, sometimes history also makes division in society. Every ideas has a framework and how it grows is important to understand.


Q4- Briefly explain inductive method with illustration of Shakespeare's Hamlet's Grave digging scene.


Observation ⇢ Pattern⇢ Tentative Hypothesis⇢ Theory


Inductive method signifies a journey from specific to general. As we saw specific examples of any literary work and then gave general conclusion, in this way we reach to the general outcome from specific meaning. The grave digging scene in Hamlet is a specific scene and from that scene we made general conclusion like, grave digging scene is centrifugal which moves us away from centre, we are going back one step by looking at that scene. In this scene we saw lots of conversation between the diggers, they are even singing and mocking on Ophelia sin, whether she allowed to buried or not. the work of grave diggers becomes general, so they are not worried about death body.

Q5- Briefly explain deductive method with reference to an analogy to music, painting, rhythm and pattern? give example of the outcome of deductive method.

Theory⇢ Hypothesis⇢ Observation⇢ Confirmation


Deductive method describes a shift from general to specific. In deductive method we examine any theory and then think upon its Hypothesis means checking out some specific examples of it. We cannot tide literature, but we can tide criticism.
there is support of Music and art to literature, some art keeps on moving from time to time like music and some art present in a static way like Painting. One is about listening and other is about observing, there is organised principle in both these arts. Music is rhythm and Painting is pattern. Literature is intermediate to both these arts and we can perceived both these art form in literature. Therefore we can start speaking as rhythm of painting and pattern of music, because in literature we can feel both these things simultaneously.
The word Rhythm is narrative and we can find it in natural cycle of human beings. we can feel rhythm in every natural things, living things like flowers and birds. Northrop Frye gave very global perspective of literature, he says that whatever we gave to nature, we return the same from it. If we didn't respect nature then nature will also not respects us.Literature is world literature and we keep on criticizing other literature then we cannot study literature in real manner.