The female archetypes aren’t based on whether your parents love you now or not. They’re more based on where you seek your self-esteem in life. If you seek the love and approval of other people, your inner world is filled with self-deception and insecurity. It’s a defense mechanism to make sure you don’t get hurt or fail. Insecurity eats deep inside and you can find yourself always defending your heart instead of looking for love.
One of the most common female archetypes is the wild woman. The wild woman is driven primarily by her instincts and driven to find danger, excitement. She has a great beauty but lacks self-confidence. Her desire for attention is strong and she relies on others for validation. She is driven to overcome the limits of her mind and get out of her comfort zone.
The next most common female archetype is the Enchantress. The Enchantress is a personification of the opposite sex that is full of mystery and magical powers. She is outwardly friendly and full of warmth, but her inner world is filled with unanswered questions and dark fears. She is normally seen as the passive partner in a relationship instead of the leader. She has a solid understanding of relationships and can often be found in a situation that seems hopeless. When the magic of her inner world comes out, she can be a very charismatic and exciting person to be around.
The next four female archetypes that we’ll talk about is the witch, princess, fairy and Phoenix. The first two archetypes represent qualities of charm, beauty and fertility. The Phoenix is the ability to change one’s appearance. The fairy is someone who is artistic and mystical. The witch is a very compassionate person that usually brings people happiness while the witch has the power to cause a permanent change in another person.
Phoenix is probably the most common female archetypes representing change. These types of characters archetypes are usually happy go lucky and have strong dreams of a great life. They don’t set goals but rather dream of the things they would like to experience in life. They are usually the very supportive characters and will always stand up for what they believe in. They always have a positive outlook on life. When this archetype is present in a movie it is usually a very positive one.
Another very common archetypal is the fairy. This is a kind and gentle fairy that use beauty, kindness and pure goodness to try to bring happiness into their lives. Their self-worth is based upon their beauty, so if they feel ugly they will immediately lower their self-esteem. However, even if they have a lot of poor qualities they still believe in their beauty and are not afraid to use them. They will be there for you when you need them and will be very loyal to you. This is one of the most passive archetypal female archetypes but it’s also one of the most nurturing.
Most of the time the crusader is seen as the protector of the people. They are almost always shown saving the people they care about from danger. In most movie examples of female archetypes the woman is the leader and the man the follower.
There are also many other archetypal figures in movies that are often used as female archetypes. Some of these other examples are the motherly character, the shy and quiet girl or the caring and faithful friend. However, there are some great examples that aren’t quite as common. For example, many times the nurse or the servants can act as a female archetypal character. You just have to look for them.