J.R. Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" is a classic story full of Jungian archetypes. First you have Frodo, who may be seen as the Hero to some. My view is that he is more of a Child figure because he is innocent, hopeful, and needs protection. A more heroic figure is Aragorn, who leads the race of men to victory and becomes King. Gollum represents the Shadow in this story, for he has a dark personality that is fully driven by an unconscious need to secure the ring. He also loves darkness and hates the light. His cunning and double-crossing also suggests there is a bit of the Trickster archetype in him. Gandalf can best be described as the Wise Old Man because he is known for his wisdom, sound judgment, and guidance. Others are Galadriel- the Great Mother archetype; and Sam- the caregiver.
There does seem to be an archetypal formula in all these epic stories. Comparing four of my favorites, you have innocent child-heroes who mature, like Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Frodo, and Aang; shadowy tricksters like Snape, Darth Vader, Gollum, and Zuko; wise old men like Dumbledore, Yoda, Gandalf, and Iroh; Caregivers who always save the day like Hermione, R2D2, Sam, and Katara; the comic companion: Ron, Han Solo, Gimli, and Sokka. I think the more archetypes there are in a story, the more they resonate with the public because so many people can relate to them. Shakespeare was a master at that, and he didn't even need to write epics.
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