Board Games – An Archetype Filled Treasure Trove?

AN UNSLOVED MYSTERY AT THE BODDY ESTATE!

Hampshire- Well known anthropologist John Boddy met his end on Saturday night at his Hampshire estate, Tudor Mansion. The cause is unknown but police are treating it as suspicious. 

·       Body found

·       Six suspects detained

·       Six possible weapons

·       Nine possible rooms

·       No break in

·       And two dice…

·       Investigators need your help to search the nine rooms and secret passages for CLUES!!!!!

Do you recognize this article?  Probably.  We all know of the game CLUE and this is the story on the back of the box.  CLUE has always been one of my favorite board games.  Yesterday, while in Hawaii relaxing and playing games, I suddenly realized that the game CLUE incorporates numerous archetypes. 

          When you play the board game you are the hero: you are the one who (hopefully) solves the mystery, the one who is on a search for   knowledge, the one who finds John Boddy’s murderer.   

Stages of the Hero’s Journey

Departure: The departure occurs when the game begins.  You, the hero, are called to engage in an adventure (or asked to join a game of CLUE).  Sometimes you are slightly reluctant to accept. 

Initiation: You enter a different world when the game begins, one where you are acting as a heroic detective genius.  A new, mature perspective may be gained when you realize that the task or goal is potentially difficult and that real effort is necessary to solve the crime.

The Road of Trials: Throughout the board game CLUE you are constantly being tested on intelligence or skillful guessing. So, the entire game is essentially a road of trials.

The Inner Most Cave:  The inner most cave occurs near the end of the game, moments before the real murderer is revealed. All players are filled with suspense as they wait to learn if they were correct in their accusation.  The great trial is when a player makes an educated guess about who is the suspected killer.  To make this guess the player must enter a rather deep state of thought.  
Return and Reintegration with Society:  When the game has ended and the winners and losers are evident, you can all return to society and continue being friends.

Left to right: Ms. Scarlet, Col. Mustered, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Mr. Plum.



Color Archetypes:  

The game board marker or place holders are all characters, when playing you assume the role of a certain character. The characters’ colors hold certain connotations and meet the criteria for being symbolic archetypes.

Red:  Ms. Scarlet, seemingly, the most popular character, is clothed in a red dress. Red is symbolic of blood, sacrifice, violent passion, disorder, emotion, excitement and death.  Possibly the blood thirsty Ms. Scarlet murdered John Boddy, as she had an affair with him and demonstrated violent passion which he did not like or accept.  She could have been very emotional and affected by a disorder which prompted her to murder him and ultimately sacrifice her own freedom.    

Yellow: Col. Mustered is donning all yellow which is symbolic of majesty, life dependency, cowardice and truth. Col. Mustered could have murdered the wealthy John Boddy if he had been lied to by Boddy. The motivation of the murder may be that Col. Mustered was lied to about a sum of money he yearns for or his life depends on to appear wealthy. Rather than settling the dispute through words, Col. Mustered may have been too cowardly and instead killed John Boddy.   

Grey: The character Mrs. White is clothed in an outfit of all grey.  She serves as the scullery maid at John Boddy’s mansion.  The color grey is symbolic of moody feelings, stupidity, sadness and boredom.  The maid, Mrs. White, may have murdered her employer as she was overcome with sadness, boredom and wanted a change in her otherwise dull life.  Stupidly, she may have believed that her life could be filled with enjoyment if she had some money.  She could have killed John Boddy for his money and various assets to inject satisfaction and enjoyment in to her life. 

Green: Mr. Green, not surprisingly, is completely green.  Like the color of his name, Green bears connotations towards envy, death, and evil.  So maybe Mr. Green killed John Boddy as he was jealous of John Boddy’s fortune.  Possibly Mr. Green is an evil greedy person who is jealous of others who are superior to him.  Motivated by jealousy, greed and inner evils he may have murdered John Boddy.

Blue:   Mrs. Peacock is clothed mainly in blue.  The color is symbolic of freedom, strength and new beginnings. Possibly, Mrs. Peacock desired freedom that could only be granted by money. So she decided that with her strength she would kill John Boddy for his money and create a new and free beginning for herself. 

Purple: Mr. Plum dons all purple which is symbolic of envy, confusion, intelligent and wealth. John Boddy could have been a possible business competitor of the intelligent and wealthy Mr. Plum.  John Boddy may have been on a road to higher success of which Mr. Plum was jealous. Filled with jealousy and the desire to eliminate competition, Plum may have killed John Boddy.  

Now I’m not saying that this all happened. In the game the murderer, weapon and room change every time a new game is played (given 324 possible combinations).  Colors do influence our decisions to choose who the “killer” might possibly be.  Possibly, we choose the player with the more classic archetype than others….Ms Scarlet being my number one choice.  Archetypes are present in numerous aspects of life including board games!

Who is your chosen murderer in CLUE?

Do you think that archetypes influence more than just stories, music and board games in our society?  Do you think archetypes have lead to stereotypes and discrimination in our world? How so?

Sucker Punch – Archetype Analysis

I was very thrilled to learn that in English class we would be creating a blog on the movie Sucker Punch, as I have viewed the trailer on numerous occasions.   Although the movie was just released yesterday, like many of you, I have not had an opportunity to view it yet.  As we now know archetypes are present in nearly every aspect of society, subsequently the movie trailer for Sucker Punch is rich with archetypes.   The movie trailer for Sucker Punch includes many character, symbolic and journey archetypes.   

To summarize the trailer: 

In the movie trailer Sucker Punch the main character and female protagonist, Baby Doll looses her mother and father at a very young age.  With the loss of her parents she is placed under the care of a cruel, abusive man who is assumed to be her step father.  Under his brutal regime Baby Doll rebels and is driven into the deep pit of depression where she seemingly looses sanity.  Baby Doll is deemed mentally ill and forcefully placed in an asylum where she meets other girls longing to escape the misery of the asylum.  Baby Doll and her companions are constantly searching for a method of escape.  Finally, they devise a plan and embark on a challenging journey in a dangerous parallel universe which appears to be only in their minds.  At the beginning of the journey an unnamed mentor gives them a task to find five items that will grant them freedom; a map, a knife, fire, a key and a fifth item which is a mystery.  

Character Archetypes:

The Hero:  The main character in the movie Sucker Punch can be categorized as a warrior hero.  Baby Doll is a teenage girl who is embarking on the quest to escape from the asylum.  She is very inexperienced, naïve and longing for the privilege of freedom.  

The Mentor:  In the trailer a mentor-like figure is evident.   Baby Doll and her companions receive valuable information from him in regards to escaping the asylum, he tells them of the objects that must be found in order to reach freedom.

Loyal Retainers: Baby Dolls companions serve as her loyal retainers. The girls devoutly protect Baby Doll and work with her to free the girls from the asylum.

Journey archetypes:

Journey:

The heroine, Baby Doll, is on a journey to spare her and fellow companions from the fate of a wrongful lobotomy.  In the trailer for Sucker Punch the type of archetypal journey was “the warrior’s journey” but this may be different in the entire movie.   

Characteristics of hero’s journey:

Meets Monsters:

In the movie trailer for Sucker Punch, Baby Doll encounters a variety of magical and monstrous beings. To survive in the imaginary world she must battle against these creatures whether they are dragons, snakes, robots or men.  

Has a Mentor and Guide:

Baby Doll has a guide/mentor who informs her of the five items she must find in the imaginary world.  Furthermore the mentor/guide leads or instructs her in the imaginary world he also provides her with motivational phrases.

Has an Un-healable Wound:

Baby Doll is constantly feeling the pain of her un-healable wound, the death of her parents and the subsequent abuse she suffered from the man perceived as her step father.    

Struggles for Something Important:

The heroine is constantly struggling for the most important component of life: freedom.  In the asylum she had her freedom stolen away.  She longs to be free and free her fellow companions.  Baby Doll will gain freedom once she finds the five objects.  

Symbolic Archetypes:

The movie trailer for Sucker Punch incorporates numerous symbolic archetypes that enhance the meaning of the film.

Light vs. Darkness:

When Baby Doll is bawling and evidently depressed the scenery is dark and dismal suggestive of her depressed feelings. The lightning gives the viewer an overwhelming feeling of despair. The asylum is only shown in a dark light indicating that it is an unjust evil place.  When she learns of an escape means the scenery lightens and her feelings of hope are portrayed.

Fire:

When Baby Doll enters into the new world the element of fire is ever present.  As she receives instruction from her mentor the room is filled with candles that represent knowledge, regeneration and the rebirth of a hopeful future.     

Rain:

It is raining as the protagonist is feeling overwhelmed with despair, fear and the feeling of hopelessness. The rain is representative of spiritual growth, as Baby Doll has realized her dire situations.  Spiritually she is reborn, as her naivety lessens and her motivation to escape while surviving emerges.  She is no longer a sad, innocent girl.  She has become strong willed, motivated and ready to change her life for the better.

The trailer of the movie Sucker Punch is only a fragment of the movie, it will be interesting to learn what other situational, character and journey archetypes are evident.  I predict that Baby Doll will successfully escape the asylum and emerge as a different person, educated, motivated and appreciative of freedom.

What other archetypes are present in the trailer? What archetypes do you think the entire movies will incorporate? How will they enhance the film? What do you predict the plot to be?

Archetypes in Music

      The other day I began to realize how prevalent archetypes and elements of the hero’s journey are in nearly every aspect of life, including most of the music to which we listen.   When contemplating what to write this blog on, I realized that the very songs I was listening to are filled with archetypes and elements of the hero’s journey.  

      The two songs I have selected to analyze are both well known and had reached the top of the music industry charts about forty five years apart.  The first is Bad Romance by Lady Gaga and the second Yesterday by The Beatles.  The two songs are contrary although they both deal with the same and most powerful topic of love.  Bad Romance is very upbeat, fast and demanding for a lover, while Yesterday is much slower with a soft almost melancholy melody.  The singer Paul McCartney is reminiscing over a lost lover.   

     The melodies and lyrics to the two songs can be found at the following websites:

Bad Romance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVnSV6jvraE&feature=fvst

Yesterday:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNnaxGFO18o

Bad Romance-  

      The topic of the song is that Lady Gaga is in search for the perfect man to love.  She is willing to sacrifice anything, including her life, in order to be loved profusely by a certain man who is portrayed as devil like.  Lady Gaga is embarking on an archetypal journey throughout the song as she is on a frantic search for the perfect lover, who in her eyes will ensure a “bad romance”.  The song Bad Romance does not encompass the stages of a hero’s journey; however, it does include some characteristics of the hero’s journey.  Lady Gaga is slightly monstrous in regards to her mad desire for love throughout the song and yearns for a perfect lover to restore her happiness.  The man she is infatuated with is also monstrous, although she views him as perfect.  Subsequently, on her journey to find love she encounters a monstrous man.  As Lady Gaga pines for love her loyal band companions assist her by playing a very upbeat pop tune.  The entire song is a stirring speech towards the man she loves.  In the speech she communicates her incredible love to him and just how desperate she is to be with him in a “bad romance”.    The man Lady Gaga is insanely in love with is a male tempter, as he is characterized by sensational handsomeness.  He has driven Lady Gaga into madness which has resulted in her becoming overwhelmed with desperation.  Throughout the song the male tempter is slowly leading Gaga to her down fall and he can be interpreted as a devil figure that controls Lady Gaga’s soul.   As the song ends Lady Gaga begins to realize that she is only fantasizing and will never have her much wanted “bad romance”.  

Yesterday –

      The topic of the song is simple: that we must cherish want we have in the present as happiness is not ever lasting.  The singer Paul McCartney is reminiscing about how fortunate he was yesterday and how he now “longs for yesterday” and its happiness.  Paul McCartney is embarking on an archetypal journey as he yearns for yesterday.  He on a quest to restore the love and joy he previously had, this is demonstrated through the lyrics and melancholy tune.  Unlike Bad Romance, Yesterday does incorporate a stage of the hero’s journey.  The initiation of the song occurs when his love is lost for a reason unbeknownst to him.  Paul McCartney enters a new world, a world filled with pining for love and regret.  The characteristics of the Hero’s Journey in Yesterday are abundant.  The singer yearns for a beautiful woman who made him happy, in the song it is either his deceased mother or a girlfriend who he is no longer with.  Paul McCartney is struggling to regain joy and climb out from the depths of misery his band of companions accompany him by playing a melancholy tune.  As the song ends Paul McCartney announces that he needs a “place to hide away for I believe in yesterday” he comes to a decision that he will remain solitary in his misery and continues to reminisce about the pleasures of yesterday.  

Interestingly the melody of the song “Yesterday” came to Paul McCartney in a dream.   As he didn’t have lyrics, just the melancholy feeling to the song, he wrote the lyrics using a story that we all know, one of lost love, filled with heroic archetypes.  Although Lady Gaga’s song deals with the same topic she composed a strange, twisted and insane love story.  Typical for her, she made deliberate efforts to be different.  She did not follow the hero’s journey but did manage to incorporate heroic archetypes.  Yesterday and Bad Romance are just two songs I happened to hear today.  Subsequently, upon closer listening to other songs I was surprised to learn how prevalent archetypes and elements of the Hero’s Journey are in our everyday music.  

Have you discovered any archetypes in aspects of life that surprised you?

Is Mythology influencing economics?

      In my travels to Greece, Turkey and Italy I learned a small amount on the topic of mythology.  These past months in English class I have begun to realize how prevalent Greek mythology is in our modern day society. The gods and goddesses, thousands of years old, influence our everyday life and decisions. Despite their temples being weathered and falling into decay, how is it that their legacies live on?  Why do their names still bear connotation to powerful images?
      Many products, methods of transport and sports teams have names with origins in Greek mythology. The names of the gods and goddesses still hold power. Through time later cultures have learned to cherish Greek mythology.  The myths are widely known, subsequently we can associate a certain name with a negative or positive connotation.  

These are just a few of the many companies, products, transportation methods and sports teams with names derived from Greek mythology.

AEGIS - Aegis served as Zeus and Athena’s everlasting strong protective shield. Subsequently, when a Security and Risk Management company was born it was named Aegis. With such a bold and strong name consumers would be sure to instill their trust in the security organization. Aegis currently protects numerous governments worldwide as well as many important corporations.

AJAX – Ajax was once a great warrior in the battle of Troy, he dominated over the opposition and lead Greece to victory.  A common house hold cleaner, Ajax, has been named after this mythological hero. The name bears a positive connotation as consumers will associate the cleaner to be victorious and destroy the germs and bacteria plaguing our homes. Furthermore Ajax is a professional soccer team based in Amsterdam; opposition associates the name with skilled players who will dominate.

MARS – Mars is the roman name for Ares, the Greek god of war.  Ares was strong and never short of energy.  Mars candy bars, or energy bars, have been named for the mythological god of war.  The name of the product bears a positive connotation as Ares or Mars was a heroic god, this prompts consumers to purchase the product as it will make them feel god like.  

 MIDAS – In Greek mythology King Midas obtained a golden touch and subsequently gained great wealth. Surely we have all heard of the slogan “Just the Midas touch” belonging to the car repair company Midas. The name Midas encourages consumers to use Midas car repair.  Regardless of what is wrong with the car the Midas workers have a “golden touch” and will be able to fix it.

NIKE – Nike was the Greek winged goddess of victory.  A common brand of sports clothing, that we most likely all own, is named Nike.  By naming the company Nike consumers are prompted to purchase the product as it is associated with victory.

PANDORA -   In Greek mythology Pandora was the first woman Zeus created.  Zeus gave Pandora a box filled with mystery with the order to never open it. When she opened the box all evil was released into the world, although the counterpart, hope remained present.  The jewelry company Pandora has chosen this namesake as it suggests great beauty and an idea of temptation.

PHOENIX -   In numerous cultures, including Greek mythology, the Phoenix bird lives to a ripe old age and is reborn.  By naming a company, sports team or space ship phoenix it suggests that they have been reborn.  The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team in Arizona, they have changed the team numerous times, suggesting a rebirth, hence the name Phoenix. NASA has named its Mars Lander Phoenix, as the current Lander was created after the deaths or failures of many other Lander projects.  The new Mars Lander, Phoenix was re born.  A little closer to home, in Sherwood Park a club soccer team named Phoenix F.C. exists. The previous Sherwood Park soccer club, the Rangers, ceased to exist and from its remains a new club, Phoenix F.C, was created.     

VENUS - Venus is the roman name for the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Numerous beauty products are named Venus, such as Venus razors, face wash, make up and many others. The name Venus bears a positive connotation to beauty which every woman years to have.   

Me and the goddess Nike at Ephesus, Turkey

The names of the mythological gods and goddesses affect our decisions as consumers: which sounds better buying a house cleaner named “Sally” (an average person) or a cleaner named “Ajax” (a strong victorious hero)?

What are some companies you know that have names derived from Greek mythology? What do those names mean?  After thousands of years why do the Greek gods still influence us?  

Sleeping Beauty- How has the story changed you?

As a young girl the tale of Sleeping Beauty was my favorite story.  I re-enacted scenes countless times, dressed as a princess, dreamed for prince charming to awake me and even contemplated changing my name to Aurora.  When reminiscing I realized that the story of Sleeping Beauty is in fact rich with archetypes and elements of a heroic journey.

To summarize the tale of Sleeping Beauty:

The King and his wife gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Princess Aurora, to celebrate her birth they hosted a grand party where Maleficent the evil sorceress was not invited. The three Good Fairies, Flora, and Fauna bestowed the gifts of beauty and song. However, before Merryweather could bestow her gift, Maleficent arrived and cast a spell, promising that when Aurora turns 16, she would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and die. Merryweather used her 'gift' to possibly reduce the power off Maleficent's spell. Through Merryweathers ‘gift,' Aurora will not die, but only lay in sleep, until kissed by her true love.

In order to hide Princess Aurora from Maleficent, the three fairies assumed fake identities as peasant women; the fairies hide their magic and change their appearances, appearing as peasant women. The three persuaded the King and Queen that they would hide Aurora until she turned 16 they took her to an abandoned woodcutter's cottage.

           As Aurora's 16th birthday approached, the people of the Kingdom rejoiced.  Princess Aurora had grown into a beautiful young woman and been betrothed to Prince Philip.  Prince Phillip met Aurora in the forest by happenstance, they danced and immediately fall in love.  Although neither Aurora nor Phillip knows that they are set to marry. Maleficent finds Aurora’s whereabouts via her raven Diablo. The fairies and Aurora head to the castle where Aurora is to be reunited with her family. Unfortunately Maleficent opens a secret passage in the castle room, and Aurora, under a trance, follows a floating green orb through the passageway. When the three fairies enter the room, they find Aurora following the green light. Aurora pricked her finger on an enchanted spinning wheel, and dropped to the floor in a deep sleep, only Prince Philip has the power to awaken her.

         Outside in the castle courtyard, the kingdom prepares to welcome the Princess home. However, in a tower room, the three fairies placed the sleeping Aurora on a bed.  Flora put the entire Kingdom to sleep to spare them from disappointment.  Hoping to find Prince Philip to awaken Aurora, the fairies set off through the forest, only to find that Maleficent has captured Philip.  Then Flora, Fauna and Merryweather sneak into Maleficent’s castle where they find Philip imprisoned.  The fairies rescue Philip and arm him with the 'Shield of Virtue,' and the 'Sword of Truth.'  With his new weapons, and the fairies' help, Phillip rides toward King Stephen's castle.

         Maleficent attempts to murder Prince Phillip with lightning bolts, but the 'Shield of Virtue' deflects them. Before he can reach the castle, her magic creates a forest of thorns that surrounds the structure. Phillip survives and cuts his way through a wall of thorns with the 'Sword of Truth.'  Maleficent transforms herself into a dragon which Philip slays.

          With evil vanquished, Phillip rushes to Aurora's bedside and with his kiss awakens her and the entire kingdom.  The two then share a dance as their parents and the three fairies watch them marry and live happily ever after.

The classic tale of Sleeping Beauty encompasses numerous archetypes and elements of the hero’s journey.

Prince Phillip is the prince charming (or lover) hero in the tale of Sleeping Beauty.  He endures the evil Maleficent’s challenges with the motivation to reach his true love and the damsel in distress, Princess Aurora.

The archetypal journey the hero of Sleeping Beauty, Prince Philip, embarks on is a search for love.  In order to live happily ever after with his true love Princess Aurora, he must first save her from the deep sleep.

Stages of the hero’s journey

Departure   

Prince Phillip is called to adventure when he learns of the spell that has been cast on Princess Aurora.  He eagerly accepts the adventure as Phillip is determined to save Princess Aurora from the deep sleep.      

Initiation

The naïve Prince Philip crosses a bridge in to a new mature world when he falls in love with Aurora.  His over whelming love for Aurora leads him into danger.  

Road of Trials/ Innermost Cave

The antagonist, Maleficent tests Prince Philip’s strength and determination.  Maleficent does this by hurling dangerous lightning bolts at him, which the ‘Shield of Virtue’ (given supernatural powers by the good fairies) the shield deflects the powerful strikes of evil.  When Philip survives the wrath of lightning Maleficent uses her wicked powers to conjure up a wall of thorns.  But alas the ‘Sword of Truth’ slices through the dangerous thorns.  Finally Maleficent transforms herself into a menacing dragon which Philip defeats with aid from the sword of virtue.  At the end of the battle Philip triumphs and Maleficent is killed.  Philip demonstrated his maturity and strength, thus adding to his redeeming qualities as prince charming.       

Return and Reintegration with Society   

With evil vanquished as Maleficent is slain, the Kingdom receives the ideal fairy tale future of living happily ever after…  

Heroic Characteristics of Prince Philips Journey

-Prince Philip is incredibly naïve as he has never experienced the harsh reality of life.  His naivety lessens as he fights against the evil and monstrous Maleficent.  As Philip is sacrificing his life he yearns to be with his true love Aurora.  Subsequently her astonishing beauty inspires Philip to put forth all effort in his fight against Maleficent.  Prince Philip is battling against evil to awaken Aurora and an entire kingdom.  With the help from the three fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, Philip is able to defeat evil.

Situational Archetypes

-The battle between good and evil is a dominate component of the fairy tale.  The protagonist and hero, Philip battles against Maleficent with aims to vanquish all evil.  The task that had been bestowed upon Prince Philip was nearly impossible, subsequently he received help from three good fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.  They presented Philip with the magical ‘Sword of Truth’ and ‘Shield of Virtue’. The weapons were blessed to never break and assist Philip to slay the uttermost evil.  

Meaning of Names

Individual’s names bear great significant to their identity.  For example, in a fairy tale a character with a menacing name is portrayed as an evil character who immediately demonstrates negative qualities.  A character with a kind and gentle name or a bold and confident name will live up to their name.  In the tale of sleeping beauty this is evident.

Maleficent:  Producing of evil or wickedness.  Maleficent created misery and toil, with her wicked powers.

Diablo (Maleficent’s raven): Diablo is the name of the devil.  The raven is filled with evil and is, subsequently, devil like.

Aurora:  Sunrise or dawn.  Aurora’s awakening leads to a new dawn of a kingdom.  Furthermore dawn and sunrise have positive connotations’, and foreshadow that Aurora will instigate a positive change.

Phillip:  Warrior and lover of horses. Phillip is a strong and determined warrior to fight against the evil of Maleficent.  The horse, Samson, is a dear companion to Philip.

Flora:  Flowering.  Flora, the good fairy cloaked in red, is bursting with magic.  The name Flora bares a positive connotation to fertility and wealth.

Fauna:  Goddess of fertility.  Fauna, a good fairy cloaked in green bears good judgment and has the power to produce positive magic.  The name Fauna bares a positive connotation to prosperity and justice.

Merryweather:  Sunny, happy and filled with good intentions.  Merryweather, the third good fairy dons a blue cloak, she is filled with optimism and joy.  The name Merryweather bares a positive connotation to a bright future.

   

It is fascinating to see the abundance of archetypes and plot of a hero’s journey in simple fairy tales.  Sleeping Beauty has been my favorite tale for as long as I can remember, although I never saw many of the archetypes through my naivety.  For years I lived with the archetypes floating in my dreams.  I had planned a future life for myself where I would be a princess and awoken by prince charming daily. I dreamed that like Princess Aurora I would wear intricate dresses, I dreamed that my home would be a castle and no evil would be present in the world.  The tale of Sleeping Beauty resulted in me setting impossible standards for my life. I was devastated when I realized I was living a fantasy.  At least I realized this when I was young…    

Do you think young children understand these archetypes?  In what way do fairy tales influence an individual’s identity?