Carl Jung Use Of Archetypes In Greek Mythology

The myth of Theseus is suspected to have been written sometime around 100 AD and is considered a Greek myth. The true date of this myth has not been determined since most were passed down by word of mouth. Greek mythology is full of stories about mortals battling mythical beast with strength or intellect. I will be using the Carl Jung method to analyze this myth through the use of Archetypes. Carl Jung was a Swedish psychiatrist that was born in 1875. He is well known for his work in archetypes which he believed was models of people’s behavior or personalities. He believed that these archetypes came from a collective unconscious that we all share. This method could be applied to literature and religion. He described four major archetypes but went on to say that there was no limit to how many may exist. In this myth of Theseus, we will look at three archetypes that are universal in myths of heroic figures in Greek mythology. I will be focusing on Theseus, Minotaur and the …show more content…
His journey is filled with danger that requires strength, intelligence and cunning to overcome. His first encounter was a feat of strength when he had to roll a boulder to access his father’s sword and sandals. This had to be accomplished before he could begin his journey and could not have been done by any other mortal. Next, he has several encounters with different criminals during his journey to Athens. He overcomes each of these obstacles by using the aforementioned traits. Once he arrives in Athens, he learns that fourteen citizens have to be sent to Crete for sacrifice in the labyrinth and to the Minotaur. Theseus volunteers for this task to protect his people and slay the Minotaur. It is clear that Theseus fits the motif of heroic warrior by his displays of strength, courage, and willingness to risk his life for the betterment of his people. This is a perfect example of a heroic warrior