Days 2 and 3: Jungian Archetypes & Globe History

Pictured below: Groups of students learning about the history of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Jungian Archetypes

There are four major archetypes used in Shakespeare's plays:

The Sovereign

The Warrior

The Caregiver (or Lover)

The Jester (or Wizard/Magician)

Of course, we immediately think of specific characters:

Henry V - Sovereign

Mark Antony - Warrior

Orlando - Lover

Prospero - Wizard

What is worth thinking about is that we can look at a character and see more than one archetype in the character:

The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet is a caregiver who often looks like the joker. In which scene does the Nurse take on the sovereign archetype?

Henry V is a sovereign and a warrior and a lover in Shakespeare's Henry V. Can you think of a time in the play when he takes on the jester archetype?

Use the Jungian archetypes to analyze the multi-levels in a character. The archetypes can also be used with the elementary school children within an improv experience:

The sovereign is straight and carries himself with the weight of authority upon his shoulders. He moves regally with a crown on his head.

The warrior is a fierce protector - unafraid. He moves quickly and efficiently with a sword and a shield.

The caregiver open for life experiences; he enjoys people. He moves with arms wide out when he meets people or enters the world.

The jester is a trickster; he is not what he seems to be. He dodges and twirls around when he encounters people.

The children take turns assuming the character of each archetype as they move within the stage area and encounter one another. They must maintain character - aware of body and metaphoric stances. Then give a line to be said . Every student gets the same line but must say the line in archetype-character. Body, Language, Movement

___________________________

Southbank: the home of the Globe Theatre

In the early seventeenth century, Bankside - south of London proper - was not part of London as it is today. It was riddled with crime, poverty, and illiteracy. When Richard Burbage lost the lease to London's first indoor theater - THE THEATRE - Shakespeare and company went across the Thames and stole the lumber to build his theater - THE GLOBE.

How they got the lumber across the river seems unclear. Some say the Thames River froze and men carried the wood across the "not too wide, frozen" Thames.

Today, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre still plays to sold out audiences!