The concept of an
archetype is found in areas relating to
behavior, modern psychological theory, and literary analysis. An archetype can be:
- a statement, pattern of behavior, or prototype which other statements, patterns of behavior, and objects copy or emulate;
- a Platonic philosophical idea referring to pure forms which embody the fundamental characteristics of a thing;
- a collectively-inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., that is universally present in individual psyches, as in Jungian psychology;
- or a constantly recurring symbol or motif in literature, painting, or mythology (this usage of the term draws from both comparative anthropology and Jungian archetypal theory).