Examples Of Archetypes In Guardian Of The Galaxy

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Haven’t We Met Before: an Archetypal Analysis of Guardians of the Galaxy Have you ever thought to yourself, now where have I seen that before? Odds are you were watching a movie or reading a book, when something that happened in the story or a character said or did that sounded familiar. This is probably due to archetypes. Archetypes are original models that others are based upon, almost like a mold or a cookie cutter that makes similar copies. One movie that has many great examples archetypal characters, themes, and journeys is Guardians of the Galaxy, directed by James Gunn. A few of the main archetypes in this movie are the Hero and his journey, the antagonist, the group of hunting companions, and the the universal theme of an individual's …show more content…

He is a Terran, meaning a human from earth who was abducted and brought into space as a young child, directly after watching his mother die - talk about a bad day! Once he grew up he became a member of the Ravagers, a group of thieving, murdering space pirates, who steal whatever they want from whomever they want. Near the beginning of the movie Star-lord is a selfish and greedy thief who steals the orb and then betrays the Ravagers all for money. He may not seem much like a hero at this point, but over time he makes friends and finds out the true power of the stone hidden within the orb causing him to become an almost selfless leader who risk his own life by performing noble acts for the good of others. One of said noble acts is his dangerous attack on Ronan's ship in attempt to stop him from reaching and destroying the planet Xandar. Because this is his main goal in the movie, Star-lord can be characterized as an apocalyptic hero, who faces and overcomes not only the destruction of society but also the entire galaxy. On top of being fairly selfless and noble, Star-lord is also extremely courageous. He demonstrates his courage in the final battle against ronan, as described above, but also much more subtly when he saves Gamora from death in space. He leaves the safety of his pod, removes his space mask, and puts it on her. By doing so he is risking his life so that she may …show more content…

The best character to exemplify this theme in the movie would be Star-lord. At the beginning of the movie he is an unmotivated individual, who follows his passions. He travels the universe, steals what he wants, and fools around with countless women across the galaxy. Later in the movie, however he is presented with a great responsibility, the responsibility to stop Ronan and save the galaxy. When faced with this choice between his old life and the moral obligation that was thrust upon him, he rises up to the occasion and accepts his responsibility. The point in the movie where it is most obvious that Star-lord has started down the path of responsibility is when he debates what do with the stone with some of his friends. Originally, all that he cared about was the money that he could get by selling it, but after the destruction of Taneleer Tivan’s home (the collector's museum), when Rocket recommends finding another buyer, Star-lord explained how the stone would only end up in the hands of another evil creature like Ronan. Then he explains that it was their responsibility to deliver it to the Nova Corps, where it could be safely locked

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